We both breathed a huge sigh of relief last week as our freshly-renewed passports arrived in the mail. That's one big item off the to-do list! Apparently we weren't nearly interesting enough for anyone to "breach" our files... or maybe they did, and we're just not high-profile enough to set off the Breach Alert. Honestly, I don't care if Condi Rice herself sexually abused my renewal application, I was just glad to get my stuff back in a timely manner! I had been particularly nervous about sending my old passport off in the mail, into the abyss, perhaps never to be seen again due to some ridiculous bureaucratic glitch. So many fond memories in one little book... even the Dreaded Page 11... How sad would it be to never again flip to page 11 and recount tales of Salvadoran border near-disasters? Fortunately we were pleasantly surprised by the alacrity with which our old battered passports were returned, alongside a set of shiny new ones, Big Brother Chip included, just waiting to be filled with stamps and visas and stories. Whewwwwwww...

Not much else to report, I'm afraid. Here's a quick recap on the current state of affairs, for those of you who  :: ahem ::  haven't been paying close attention:

* We took the house off the market. The situation was just too depressing and we've decided that rental is the only near-term way to go.

* I'm not bartending at Caribbean Breeze anymore. Way too much hassle for not nearly enough $$$. (But feel free to stop by the house and I'll make you a mojito or caipirinha anytime.)

* We're aiming for a departure sometime in mid-September, starting in Perth and working through SE Asia. I updated the route map with the latest thoughts on which countries we might visit, although, as always, this is still very much up in the air.

There's much to do in the coming months as we get the house cleared out, try to save up as much travel cash as possible, and firm up some of our itinerary. We'll also be making updates to this site as we look around for potential sponsors to help underwrite the trip. (So if any of you have marketing connections within travel-related companies, and can hook us up a la Where the Hell is Matt, do drop me a line!) Fortunately, most of our vaccinations are up to date, as we got a bunch of jabs last year, so that's one typical travel to-do that's already crossed off. September alternately feels so far away and not nearly enough time to get everything done. One day at a time...