End of the End, aka Beginning of the Beginning

Sean and I have known for at least a couple of years that when Sean’s phD-getting duties had finally ended, we would pack up our lives in Jersey City and head out on the open road. We talked about where we might want to go, what kind of people we might meet and even what challenges we might face when living out of a van. One thing we did not discuss — possibly for psychologically self-protective reasons — is how our lives would change before we even left on the trip. Let’s just say that packing up 7.5 years of one’s life into a van-shaped space is a slightly more daunting task than even I imagined at the outset (which, with my overly prolific imagination, is saying a lot).

Given that we may have repressed a good portion of the month prior to our trip, I won’t attempt to narrate any further, but enjoy our pictures….and if you get the chance, the next time you see us be sure to ask about our friend Arkady, the used car dealer from Brooklyn. It will be well worth your time, I assure you.

I will end this entry with a special shout out section to all those who made the run-up to our trip more bearable and, at times, even quite a bit of fun:
To Sean’s brother Ian goes highest praise for his van-modifying skills and his ability to keep his cool in the face of two very frazzled to-be road trippers.
To my sisters, for their sympathy, humor and perspective-giving abilities.
To Litty, for letting us crash her apartment for the better part of a week and for her kick-ass cooking.
To JTL Auto in Selden, Long Island, for being the most straight forward, pleasant and helpful used car dealers we could have hoped for. You guys rock!!  (and if you need a car, check them out at: www.jtlautosales.com).
To all our End of the End party goers, you sent us off in style and we can’t wait til we get to see each and every one of you again!