washed up journal entries

Coding for fun and pleasure

2009-12-13T22:21:00Z

Just because I haven't been writing to you doesn't mean I haven't been writing at all. In fact, we've both been very busy on this little jaunt of ours. Marijana's been learning at her same, insatiable rate, and I've taken up programming for a few open source projects I've either dropped or had on the drawing board for a long while, for fun and to keep the ol' brain sharp.

One little result of my work is Hum.

Now, for most of you, this is an utterly useless tool, but I've been having fun working on it, and it's been the thing that's kept me from communing more closely with all of you sweet people. So in the spirit of accountability, here you go. It's bug-filled and incomplete, but Marijana and I use Hum exclusively for listening to music, now.

There's more that I've been grinding away on (indeed, we've both compiled tons of ideas, lists, and code in the past few months), but nothing that currently has a pretty face or is in a very usable state.

Enjoy!

Taxco de Alarcón

2009-12-13T21:13:00Z

Taxco is a vertical city, a sheer and soaring jumble of white buildings and red tile roofs bound together by a matrix of narrow, twisting cobblestone streets so steep they often give up being roads altogether and decide to become stairs instead. It is beautiful and hive-like, humming and bleating and bustling with a relaxed but intent rhythm, unconcerned as it clings precipitously to a plunging arc of rock. The city stands as an open challenge to the gods to shake the mountain down, a defiant community of stone surfers, riding the face of a rocky wave.

We saw it and, even in the darkness, we knew we were in love.

Morelia (lit. "Place of Morelos")

2009-10-13T21:52:00Z

We dedicated the entire next day to discovering more about Morelia's namesake, José María Morelos y Pavón. Morelos was the Mexican Revolution's equivalent of Nathan Hale, George Washington, and Frederick Douglas, all rolled into one. An inspirational figure, he embodied the complex cultural and racial threads that weave Mexico's great tapestry. Born in Morelia (then called Valladolid, and the seat of a number of prominent families whose power derived from the Spanish crown) to a poor, mestizo family, Morelos was keenly aware that there were classes in society, and that he did not occupy the highest of them.

Through his formative years, he worked in a number of manual labor jobs, traveling throughout Mexico to find work. All the while, he saved his money and studied Latin and Spanish, intent on becoming a priest. He enrolled in the seminary at Vallodolid's Colegio de San Nicolás and studied under Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, who would eventually launch the Mexican independence movement.

As a result of his friendship with Hidalgo, he became involved in the independence movement early, distinguising himself and rising quickly to the rank of generalisimo after Hidalgo's capture and execution. Under Morelos' command, the revolutionary army made a series of successful and increasingly daring assaults on Spanish forces, decimating the imperialists and taking control of central Mexico. Morelos quickly became known for his lightening raids, brilliant strategy, and a staunch refusal to surrender, even when surrounded and besieged.

Revolution central

2009-10-12T21:53:00Z

The next day, we set out in search of new accommodations. Hotel Señorial had served its purpose as a place to crash for the night, but we figured that, for marginally more money, we could find a nicer place that was closer to the sights. Max had a place picked out, so we lugged our packs down several blocks, past the film festival and the Plaza de las Rosas, to the hotel that would serve as our home for the next week: Hotel Colonial.

The hotel was a lovely, restored colonial mansion, situated around an atrium at its center, which served as an open lobby. The staff was pleasant and the rooms, though a bit pricier than the previous night's (~USD$60 per night), were still very reasonable, especially when split three ways. We enjoyed a room overlooking the lobby, with an excellent bathroom (and shower!) and clean, comfortable beds. Perhaps best of all, though, was that the cathedral and the rest of the plaza was only a short walk away.

Exchanging histomenes for history

2009-10-11T23:19:00Z

Preparations for our San Blas departure began early. When I settled the bill with Pompi, he gave us a steep discount on our stay and wished us luck. We, in turn, left a tip and thanked him profusely for patiently teaching us (me) the basics of surfing. Despite the length of our stay and the degree to which we had settled in, we were showered, dressed, fully packed, and ready to leave within an hour of waking up.

It's a strange feeling being able to so readily abandon a place that had become a sort of home for us, but it's also incredibly liberating to have that degree of mobility. In spite of the various insect-related tribulations we had encountered in San Blas, it was still the first place we stood up on a wave, where we met some great friends, home to some great food, the staging point into our La Tobara adventure, and just an all around nice little town filled with nice people. All the same, we celebrated our new record and our escape from the jejenes with grins and kisses, then set out on foot for town, happy to be charting a course for new adventures.

Fútbol, cerveza, y wifi

2009-10-10T23:56:00Z

Our last full day in San Blas was designated as internet catch-up time. We had agreed to write to friends and family, research the next hop (our plans were, surprisingly, still quite murky), and watch some soccer, if possible. We struck out late, as the sun rose high over another stifling day in San Blas. After a small lunch at La Parrillada (apparently, that's the name of Beba's place), Marijana and I headed over to Cafe Wala Wala (the restaurant with free wifi that we had discovered earlier) and indulged in some internet time and sodas.

La Tobara and lots of crocodiles

2009-10-09T23:51:00Z

The next day we all agreed to meet beside our palapa around 8am and head into town together to tour La Tobara (or La Tovara, or La Tobarra, depending on which sign you were reading, which locals you talked to, and which guide book you owned). Once I was done procrastinating and fumbling for cash, we took off into town again, a slow, gangly, glaringly white bicycle gang. We chatted in the morning calm, weaving our way through the muddy streets.

Once in San Blas, we all stopped to grab some snacks and run a few little errands, then headed toward the outskirts of town, where we had agreed to meet our guide, Victor. He hailed us as we approached and directed us down the street to his house, where we locked up our bikes. He waded out to his boat, jumped in, motored it toward the dock, steadied it as we all hopped in, then backed us out into the center of the slow-moving river.

Surfing and sitting

2009-10-08T23:18:00Z

The following day was slated for more recovery. My stomach had settled down, but I was still tired and cranky from the past several days. The sky was overcast and a storm threatened to roll in during the day, so I opted to sit and watch as Marijana surfed. As she played in the waves, I chatted with the occupants of the beachfront palapa, a Swedish couple named Christian and Malin and an Italian named Massimiliano (Max, for short). We had briefly introduced ourselves the previous day (Malin was the young lady who had passed by just after the spider assault and Christian recognized Marijana as "the screaming girl") but I wanted to get to know them a little better.

As it turned out, Marijana and I were not the only ones supporting the local mosquito population. In fact, Christian was quick to point out that we could consider ourselves lucky. They had to deal with the additional annoyance of sand fleas, which, for their small size, carried a nasty and painful bite. We commisserated for awhile, swapping bug bite stories, trading hydrocortisone, and theorizing as to the effectiveness of the mosquito coils that purport to keep the critters at bay.

San Blas: Spanish for 'place of many biting things'

2009-10-07T19:25:00Z

The mosquito attack demanded a full day of recovery, as my stomach refused to settle down and my bites continued to swell. Marijana spent a good portion of the time tending to my various needs and wants, so she was effectively out of commission as well. It wasn't until our third day in San Blas that we left our cabaña and actually cast more than a cursory glance at our surroundings.

Flying death

2009-10-06T20:13:00Z

We woke up this morning to a horrific sight. Blood streaked the sheets and all around us spread the unearthly vision of hundreds of twitching bodies. The night had borne witness to a pitched and violent battle, one without winners, and the sun rose slowly over a singular scene of carnage.

Sveti Vlaho

2009-10-04T21:45:00Z

We woke up early and packed our things. Our march into Mazatlán had taught us a valuable lesson about walking in the heat, so we thought better of it on our way back out. The first chance we had, we hailed a pulmonia and negotiated a quick ride to the bus terminal north of downtown. The breeze was a welcome comfort as the day was threatening to be an especially hot one from the very beginning.

Mazatlán at long, long, long last

2009-10-03T22:34:00Z

I woke up with a start five minutes outside of Mazatlán. Marijana was shaking me and telling me to pack up. The sun had lifted itself clear of the horizon, but I could have sworn I had just closed my eyes in the early morning dark of Culiacán. I was immediately filled with an aching desire to go right back to sleep, to hell with Mazatlán. Marijana's persistence prevailed, though, and I grumpily shoved my things into my day pack (thanks Mom & Dad, thanks Rick Steves).

Lots of sidebars, but still no Mazatlán

2009-09-29T23:01:00Z

I was up before the sun, in spite of the previous night's exhaustion. We were excited to be engaged in the first unanticipated adventure of our trip, so we hurriedly packed up, watching the Mexican news as we did and wondering how in the hell we'd ever be able to keep up with the Spanish language. Our clothes were (mostly) dry, so the packing went fast and, within minutes, we found ourselves checked out and waiting for Cinthia in the lobby.

Not quite Mazatlán

2009-09-27T23:45:00Z

After a hard day of hiking, we enjoyed a long, elegant sleep in Laura's well-appointed room. We woke up late, took warm, relaxing showers in the filtered morning sunlight, and casually dressed. Brett and Laura roused themselves just as we started re-packing our bags, and after several minutes, we joined them downstairs for an informal breakfast of cereal and football.

We discussed our plans (a short discussion, seeing as how we had no plans) and charted a course for the day. After dropping off a few gifts from Jennifer, we loaded up the car and took off for the Saguaro Forest on the outskirts of Tucson.

And on the seven(teen)th day, they rested

2009-09-26T23:45:00Z

After so many arduous days exploring, we felt we had earned a down day. Jennifer hugged us goodbye and headed off to her reunion and Mike was still on his hunting expedition, so after an hour or so we had the run of the house.

Big holes, crumbling buildings, and old wood

2009-09-24T22:34:00Z

We started out our second day in Flagstaff with some mighty ambitions. We planned on driving up to the Grand Canyon in the morning, making our way east along the rim and then south to the Wupatki ruins, then finally joining back up with the freeway and heading back into Flagstaff from the east. We assumed the trek would take the whole day (at least) and told Jennifer not to wait up for us. She dropped us off at the car rental place and we picked up our Pontiac Vibe (the only car I've ever driven with a blind spot that extended from horizon to horizon).

Standing on a corner in Flagstaff, Arizona

2009-09-22T22:34:00Z

After a difficult night of struggling to find a comfortable position (including a number of attempts on the floor) in which to sleep, I finally nodded off outside of Needles, CA, only to jerk back awake less than an hour later. Too excited and restless to sleep, I finally gave up trying and set about preparing to disembark in Flagstaff.

Just before 5:00, I shook Marijana from her sound sleep and we hopped onto the platform to a dark and freezing Flagstaff. Jennifer had, with a touch of her trademark insanity, generously offered to pick us up at this obscene hour, so while Marijana waited inside the warm confines of the train station, I left out the front and scanned the parking lot. While I was doing so, Jennifer entered through the back door and, not recognizing anyone inside (she had never met Marijana), headed back out to the parking lot just as I was going back inside through the front door. A few minutes later, though, Jennifer ran back into the station and threw her arms around us, welcoming us to Flagstaff.

There is a city by the sea...

2009-09-21T22:34:00Z

On our final morning in Ventura, we got up early and started leisurely packing. Scooter had to go back to school to work some more on his portfolio before graduation, so we were without a ride to the train station in Santa Barbara. Too cheap to take a cab, we opted instead to call Amtrak and beg to have our tickets changed. As it turned out, it's a painless and simple process, and the agent on the other end of the line took care of Marijana's request in under two minutes. She changed our point of departure from Santa Barbara to Ventura and even explained how we could claim a refund for the difference in ticket price, something we've never encountered in our previous travels.

Buenaventura, mis amigos

2009-09-20T22:34:00Z

Our first day in Ventura was relaxed and low-key. Scooter had to run out early to work on his portfolio, so we talked for a bit, then borrowed his roommate's longoard (which was missing a fin and, we were told, would "pull to the left") and headed to the pier to try our luck at surfing. Marijana and I took turns, one awkwardly attempting to catch a wave, the other shaking their head in embarrassment from the safety of the shore. I caught a few, but spent the majority of my time paddling around, too far out to get on top of anything and too ignorant to know it.

The regulars (well, mostly a drunk SoCal kid we met on the way to the beach named Phillip) mocked and chided us, before telling me -- once we were already too tired to keep going -- that we had chosen a particularly harsh spot to drop in with a longboard. Pointing up the beach, he showed us a place called, appropriately, Surfer's Point, where the waves seemed to roll on forever. A little wiser, we strolled further on down the beach, taking in the sea air and marveling at the sand and how something could be at once so lovely and so frustratingly annoying.

San Jose to Santa Barbara

2009-09-17T22:34:00Z

After such a warm and relaxing time in San Jose, it was difficult for us to leave, especially so for Marijana. But there were more good times on the horizon, so we had to say goodbye. Sanda had to leave for work before we left, so she and Marijana and Ksenija shared a Croatian group hug and then, not long thereafter, the two of us piled into Ksenija's car and headed to the station. Ksenija had a harder time saying goodbye. Before she started really crying, she gave us both a quick squeeze and then hopped in her car and sped off.

Echo Lake

2009-09-16T23:45:00Z

We woke up early after a refreshing night's sleep on some of the most comfortable couches in the Bay Area. Ksenija, despite a long night of waiting on other people, was more than happy to get up extra early and drive us out to Echo Lake, where Wever was eagerly awaiting us. We skirted San Francisco proper and made our way through Altamont Pass, where Ksenija's aunt was once a fractional owner of some of the thousands of different turbine blades that gently turn in the stiff, warm breeze.

Portland to Sveti Jose

2009-09-12T23:31:00Z

After a good long sleep, we said goodbye to Gramma and Grampa Watts and headed off to Aunt Shelly's place. Once we had settled in, Marijana unpacked and re-packed her bag, shedding 8 lbs of unnecessary stuff in the process.

One day down, n-1 to go

2009-09-09T23:12:00Z

After a nervous morning spent packing, weighing, and re-packing our bags, we finally set off for our last car ride through Seattle. It was the last in a seemingly endless series of lasts that's lasted the last several months. After swinging through Burien to pick up Papa, we raced up highway 509 to the south side of Seattle's downtown. Half an hour before our boarding time, we rolled up to the crumbling hulk of King Street Station.

Pencils down

2009-09-08T22:22:00Z

We are now officially out of time. There's nothing more that we can do to prepare and, if there was, we're too worn out from non-stop packing, planning, and storing to do it.

This is the end.

The final countdown

2009-08-15T09:56:00Z

We leave in one month. We bought our train tickets to Portland, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Flagstaff a few days ago. We've begun to arrange the final details of storage and financials. I gave notice at work.

There is no turning back, now.

¡No mas llaves!

2009-08-11T12:34:00Z

A few weeks ago, as Marijana and I walked to catch the Link at Westlake, I had one of my tiny epiphanies: Once we begin our trip, I can say goodbye to keys.

You see, I hate keys. They tear at my pants. They scratch my legs. They cut my fingers. They are heavy and awkward and always at risk of slipping out of some poorly-constructed pocket and scurrying away, just when they're needed most.

I cannot wait to spend a year without any keys in my pocket.

Innoculation consternation

2009-07-16T18:24:00Z

You know those obligatory warnings that accompany any drug advertisement, the ones listing (in graphic detail, at times) the possible side effects of a given drug or treatment? Well, those kinds of issues usually affect some tiny proportion of the people who used the drug in clinical trials.

But when it comes to pre-trip vaccines, much more warning seems necessary.

Marijana and I both got our shots yesterday, and if this is how the vaccine for yellow fever (or typhoid, or meningitis, or hepatitis, or...) makes a person feel, I never want to know what it's like to weather that viral storm when it's in full fury.

Blech.

An arm and a leg

2009-06-08T22:57:00Z

Nothing works quite so well to suppress excitement as buying insurance. It's not the cost or the tedious process that's offputting so much as it is the graphic detail in which policies describe what is or is not covered.

Plan on not planning

2009-05-16T14:05:00Z

So much has changed for the two of us over the past two years. We've moved ourselves, sold our things, converted to mass transit and cycling, altered our diet, reformed our savings strategies, and drastically re-thought when and how we spend money. Everything, from our wardrobes to our very attitudes, is so different from when we started that it's difficult to imagine now how we felt and acted then.

In fact, with so much change, it's tempting to think that nothing has stayed the same. And yet, there is one constant: this trip never seems to get any closer.

Research

2009-05-06T22:50:00Z

For all the time I've spent scouring the internet for the best spots and information about our trip, nothing compares to 30 minutes spent having a hearty discussion with the best kind of expert: a former local.

Moving redux

2009-04-29T20:36:00Z

We have now officially cleared what might have been the highest hurdle standing between us and our trip: Moving. We have devoted what little free time we've had over the past several weeks to sorting, packing, recycling, tossing, donating, moving, and cleaning. It's been a long and intense process, to say the least.

Fire sale mode

2009-03-29T18:35:00Z

I didn't attend the most recent Spanish Society meetup, but I've got a great excuse: We were packing!

Goodbye, hand mixer

2009-03-17T23:42:00Z

As kitchen appliances go, your presence in my life was fleeting. Our fling was special, though, even if it was brief. We made magic together, you and I.

Goodbye, programming reference books

2009-03-17T21:59:00Z

Yesterday, we parted ways for the last time. We both knew it was coming, but the finality of it all just hit home for me. I never really let you know what our relationship meant to me.

The cunning linguist I'm becoming

2009-03-15T20:46:00Z

When I spoke with Ken about his recommendations for our trip (especially with regard to Colombia), he kept coming back to the importance of knowing the language. Proficiency, he insisted, was the key to really enjoying the journey. If we have to struggle to understand our hosts, we may spend more time frustrated or confused than relaxed and laughing.

Fear and danger

2009-03-08T21:34:00Z

Marijana and I have been told by almost everybody we've spoken with that our trip is exceedingly dangerous. We've been told to watch out for "banditos", crooked taxi drivers, sexually predatory tour guides, corrupt cops, murderous drug runners, thieving street children, opportunistic con artists, violent fellow travelers, and a hundred other terrifying boogeymen. We've been told stories (some of which even turned out to be true) of young tourists, just like us, meeting some gruesome end in the chaotic, bloody maelstrom that is Latin America.

When we spoke with seasoned travelers or residents of the locales we plan on visiting, though, we heard a different story. Any place is dangerous, we were told, if people aren't careful. Opportunists and criminals are everywhere, not just in poor places. After all, the US has some of the most violent crime in the world. Many people simply said, "I was reasonably careful and nothing bad happened to me." In fact, most of the people we've spoken with who have actually toured Latin America can't contain their enthusiasm for the region, portraying the people as unbelievably kind, gracious, compassionate, and hospitable.

We wanted to find out how much of this fear and consolation is valid and how much is anecdotal. The bad things we hear have all the hallmarks of a game of telephone that seems to grow in violence with each telling. On the other hand, the reassuring promises that we have no worries in a land of kind strangers doesn't quite jive with the news accounts and official warnings.

Somewhere between these two extremes lies reality. We wanted to get a realistic idea of the risks we're facing and how to avoid danger, if we can.

Stoking the fire

2009-02-28T10:39:00Z

I know it's been awhile, but we haven't been sleeping on the job. In fact, although there hasn't been a post in over a month, we've been really busy with trip-related stuff (although primarily with school and work).

See you again yesterday

2009-01-14T14:14:00Z

Because of the intermittent wifi availability here in the court house (I'm on jury duty today), I haven't been able to work much. Instead, I've been reading up on destinations for our trip and the people that we'll be visiting. As I began digging into an introduction to the Quechua language, I ran across a piece of information so startlingly cool that I had to get it down in writing.

Now taking suggestions

2009-01-14T12:01:00Z

Just a couple of days ago, Christian made a seemingly innocuous comment that made a tiny lightbulb go off in my head. He was, as he usually does, telling me what to do. We were discussing how much we'd like to visit the Atacama when he told me that I should investigate some fog bank there.

Now, as stupid as this suggestion sounds (again, fairly typical of Christian's input), it wound up being pretty fascinating. This is becoming a frustrating trend: People recommend something in passing and, if I happen to remember to look into it, I stumble upon some new and remarkable tidbit of information that I can't believe I had missed out on.

Clothing: Looking the part

2009-01-04T12:32:00Z

So I already wrote up a quick post about why dresses are great. I covered a few points that highlight why sun dresses are particularly good candidates for travel apparel. I meant to do the same for menswear, but my writing quickly devolved into a rambling screed in which I railed against the evils of clothing.

Whoops.

I'm going to give this another go, and I hope to keep on topic this time. Here follows a synthesis of what I've read about how not to stick out unnecessarily in a foreign land.

Hoppy New Beer!

2009-01-02T19:50:00Z

Our family and friends know how to celebrate the holidays and ring in the new year correctly: with plenty of alcohol and food. 2008 was the year of the Davis Family Liquid Christmas. We begged my family to resist buying us material goods and focus on the food and company. They exceeded our every expectation. What gifts we did receive were either alcohol, food, or truly useful. There was much rejoicing and toasting.

However, in the aftermath of all the imbibing, Marijana and I woke up on the first morning of 2009 with an eerie sense of urgency. Nothing brings home how little time we have left to prepare for our trip than that subtle incrementation of the date.

The year of our departure is here and we're nowhere close to ready.

Clothing: Pretty, functional

2008-12-31T02:51:00Z

One recommendation that we've run across a lot -- from travelers, guide books, friends, and family -- is to bring clothes that are, as I mentioned casually in the last post, multifunctional. One especially important utility is, oddly enough, aesthetic. There is a real need for us to have at least one set of "presentable" clothes for those special occasions where we don't want to look like a pair of bums in front of our hosts.

Not that I mind, of course.

Ex Officio Give-N-Go® Underwear

2008-12-27T21:58:00Z

To prepare for living out of a backpack for the better part of a year, we've started buying and acquiring items intended to make our lives as comfortable as possible, given the circumstances. We figured the best place to start was with the goods that we'll have the most intimate contact with: our undies.

Blizzard 2008

2008-12-22T13:51:00Z

For those not living in Seattle, you should be aware that we're currently under siege by literally billions of tiny crystallized droplets of water. Never in recent memory has there been so perfect a blend of bliss and danger for Seattlites. The gears of the city have seized up. Fear and trepidation mingle with an effervescent joy and the dreams of kids large and small have come to glorious fruition.

The same words are on everybody's lips...

Snow day!

Selling knowledge to the highest bidder

2008-12-21T19:51:00Z

While we're busy being good little capitalists, here's another dose of unwanted or unneeded stuff for sale. Pick through it, you little vultures, and send us your ca$h!

Everything must go!

2008-12-21T11:51:00Z

Forced to remain indoors in the face of the ice-draped hellscape that is Seattle's BLIZZARD 2008, we finally got around to posting some of our less-used or least necessary stuff for sale.

Clean coal: It's not just bad marketing, it's bad physics

2008-12-18T22:41:00Z

Recently, I got this message from some progressive mailing list about a new awareness campaign they're launching to combat the marketing of "clean coal" by the coal lobby. What they take issue with is that there currently aren't any "clean coal" plants in operation in the United States and that the term is merely marketing "greenwash" (if you like ridiculous oxymorons, you'll love Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle).

My objections have little to do with whether the coal industry is "walking the walk", though. The source of my frustration is the fact that "clean coal" itself is junk science -- an act of greed, not a solution. More than that, though, "clean coal" constitutes an active regression in energy technology and a very real threat to the general public.

Follow us around

2008-12-07T18:45:00Z

After an hour or so of hacking and moving content from the old version of the where? page, we now have a map that shows you, dear reader, where we've been and where we hope to go. Just click on the link in the nav bar and explore along with us. Hopefully we'll also have a photo feed in the near future, so you can look at the pictures we take as we wander down the coast... and see where we took them!

I also took the liberty of cleaning up the site design a little. There's a favicon now (that cute little icon in the address bar) that's modeled off of a new, simplified logo we dropped in.

Updates have been slow in coming because our friend Kevin had sudden health issues this week. He's chronicling the whole ordeal, but suffice it to say that more important things have been on our minds than the state of our blog (man, I hate that word).

How I learned to quit worrying and love the budget

2008-11-30T18:03:00Z

When it comes to money, Marijana and I are a study in contrasts. She has a remarkable aptitude for planning and memory. She can mentally attach an earmark to an arbitrary dollar amount, then track its performance over time. She possesses restraint and frugality. She doesn't have any expensive vices. Her indulgences are cheap and she's not overly interested in material consumption. She gives a lot and takes very little.

This has a good deal to do with why I married her.

I, on the other hand, could easily be characterized as the "average American consumer". I have a terrible memory and am thus utterly inept at planning. I conceptualize money poorly and am even worse at reconstructing spending habits. I make impulsive purchases. I love to treat myself (often to excess) and others. I have almost no restraint. I have expensive vices. I take a lot and then I take a little more.

We are, in short, near opposites when it comes to financial planning.

The contrasting characterizations of Marijana's and my feelings about money should have sent up a red flag to any couple or marriage counselor. Finances are a major factor (if not the major factor) in divorces in America, and judging by our profile, our chances don't look good.

Another long night...

2008-11-25T02:34:00Z

... but we finally have feeds!

If I'm not careful, this might turn into one of those respectable websites. Of course, that will be after I write a long-winded explanation of the various technical reasons for writing my own content management system instead of using one of the many available off-the-shelf. Soon enough, we might even start posting about travel preparations that don't have anything to do with working on the website!

Sexy in two languages

2008-11-23T11:44:00Z

Never content with good when great is just around the corner, Marijana prodded me into creating two sites, one in Croatian and the other in the original English. Marijana then promptly went to sleep, leaving me to translate. Great times were had by all.

And we're live!

2008-11-23T02:35:00Z

The site is now officially up and running. Things will move around in the coming days, but the overall structure should remain about the same. We'll start putting our thoughts down on a regular basis. Even though we don't plan on leaving for another 9 months, there's still plenty to do...