...and they're off!

Two big backpacks, weighing in at 19 and 20 pounds. One carry-on backpack: 5 pounds. One small messenger bag: 2 pounds.

We should be getting into Bangkok at about 10am San Francisco time tomorrow morning (11:55pm tomorrow night in Bangkok time). Wish us luck!

Summer in Mt. Shasta

Hello, blog. It's been a while.

Ian and I are spending a month in Mt. Shasta before departing for Asia. Being here makes us feel like we're getting a well-deserved summer vacation between our vacation in San Francisco and our upcoming year-long vacation. We've been busy going to the lake, picking blackberries, hiking, eating good food, and entertaining friends. Here are some photos from the last couple of weeks:A view of Mt. Shasta from Lake Siskiyou, where we've been every sunny day.

Me, enjoying my inner tube at the lake.

This is the girafft. It caught the wind and tried to make a getaway last Saturday, so Ian had to bring it to shore.

View of a lake we hiked to with Ian's parents.

We've also been taking care of our travel needs. We got all our shots - three for me and four for Ian. He chose boring band-aids, but I went for it with the childrens' selections. This is for Hepatitis A. Below are Typhoid and Tetanus. The My Little Pony band-aid was definitely my favorite.

Tickets=Purchased

September 16th. SFO to Bangkok on Cathay Pacific for just over $650. We're stoked.

The Dogs of Pride

First Post!

Farang means "foreigner" in Thai. As I plan to be a foreigner for the next year or more, and will likely be starting my adventures in Thailand, the name seems apt.

Tomorrow is my last day of work, and Ian and I are planning to buy our plane tickets shortly thereafter. I'll also be creating an action plan of all that needs to be done before we leave, probably to be posted here so Mom can see that I'm getting all my shots, visiting all the consulates, and dotting all the i's, crossing the t's, etc. Until that time, I hope to post some tales and pictures from our wanderings around the city and Shasta. Once abroad, this will be travel story central.

Today, I have some pictures from the SF Pride parade. Ian and I showed up an hour early and actually managed a front-row vantage point. There were great costumes and awesome balloon art, but there was also lots of shameless advertising. What does Wells Fargo have to do with the Pride parade?? But, I did get a little teary when I saw the couples who had been together for decades, announcing that they were finally getting married. This is a beautiful city and an incredible time. Here are some photos from the day: