JHolmes763
Drinkin' the koolaid
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2006
- Messages
- 4,739
So I've got a busy summer and fall coming up. One more class tomorrow and a final next Tuesday and my Masters of Science in Interdisciplinary Telecommunications is complete. Colorado is a great place to hang out and get a paid-for Masters, if you ever get that option. 
Kids are still in school until the end of May. Then there's a week of movers coming to pack up our stuff. Three different moves as some stuff is going into storage, some stuff to Augusta, GA where we'll spend a few months this summer and the bulk of our stuff to Brussels, Belgium. That's where we'll be for the next 2-3 years starting in October. Wife, kids, dog, mother-in-law... we're all going to Europe.
Since we've got a couple of weeks between when the kids get out of school and I have to be in Georgia, I figured we should take a tiny road trip. So leaving from Colorado, we'll head towards the Grand Canyon. Never been there, so I just want to check it off my list. After that, it's a night in Vegas. Again, wife, kids, dog, MIL... so I don't think it'll be a night in Vegas like other people have. I'm sure we'll stroll the strip a little, at least, though. Next leg is towards Calfiornia, stop over in Sacramento and then hit Hwy 101 and drive along the coast. i want to put my feet in the ocean on that side of the country and see the Redwood Nation Park. Sleep over in Oregon somewhere and then head towards Seattle. BIL lives there, so we'll spend a couple of days seeing the sights and his place. Next leg is east towards Mt. Rushmore with a sleepover in Montana somewhere. After checking Mt. Rushmore off my list, we keep heading east towards Green Bay and up into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Sleep over in St. Ignace by the Mackinac bridge and a day trip over to Mackinac Island for some fudge. Then it's a quick 3 hour drive down to my parents place where we'll all crash for 4 or 5 days and see family. Probably throw a quick early party for my daughter who will turn 4 on the 4th of July. Few weeks early, but since we're there and we won't be around for the next 2-3 years. Then we finally head to Georgia with a sleepover in WV somewhere. Get into a small apartment and live out of suitcases for a few months until it's time to move to Belgium.
So... a little road trip of about 6,000 miles. Two screens in the van with DVD player, Sirius Backseat TV and the Wii hooked up should keep the kids from getting too bored. I've scheduled the legs so there's only 7-9 hours of driving each day, too, so they don't get too tired of just sitting in the car. I think they'll hardly notice, though.
Trip to Belgium is going to be just as interesting, especially with the dog. I'm going to be working at a NATO agency. Suits and ties for work (still have to get those). Housing on the economy. We'll have to find that, too. At least there's an American (DOD) school close by that the kids can attend right away. If they get fluent enough in French, then hopefully the 2nd and 3rd years they can go to a local school and really get a feel for the culture. There should be plenty of work and pleasure travel time, so we'll get to see a lot of things. Comfy travel to European sites, US sites and even shitty travel to desert Southwest Asia sites. At least the travel without family to fun desert locations will only be around a month at a time instead of 15 in a row this time around.
Not sure what the cigar situation is going to be over there, so I've got the B&M here on retainer to send packages on demand. I'm not a big Cuban fan, although given the option, I may sample around a bit. I still want access to my favorite Nic smokes, though.
Since I'm traveling with a lot of baggage, I doubt there'll be any opportunities to meet up with anyone along the way. If you recognize any of the stops and live nearby and want to see if something will work out, though, shoot me a PM. I'll try.
I'm sitting at the top of a big ass hill that I'm going to be barreling down for the next six months. I hope everyone else has an exciting summer lined up, although maybe a little less intense.
Happy smokes.
-John er... Marcus O'Neil.
Kids are still in school until the end of May. Then there's a week of movers coming to pack up our stuff. Three different moves as some stuff is going into storage, some stuff to Augusta, GA where we'll spend a few months this summer and the bulk of our stuff to Brussels, Belgium. That's where we'll be for the next 2-3 years starting in October. Wife, kids, dog, mother-in-law... we're all going to Europe.
Since we've got a couple of weeks between when the kids get out of school and I have to be in Georgia, I figured we should take a tiny road trip. So leaving from Colorado, we'll head towards the Grand Canyon. Never been there, so I just want to check it off my list. After that, it's a night in Vegas. Again, wife, kids, dog, MIL... so I don't think it'll be a night in Vegas like other people have. I'm sure we'll stroll the strip a little, at least, though. Next leg is towards Calfiornia, stop over in Sacramento and then hit Hwy 101 and drive along the coast. i want to put my feet in the ocean on that side of the country and see the Redwood Nation Park. Sleep over in Oregon somewhere and then head towards Seattle. BIL lives there, so we'll spend a couple of days seeing the sights and his place. Next leg is east towards Mt. Rushmore with a sleepover in Montana somewhere. After checking Mt. Rushmore off my list, we keep heading east towards Green Bay and up into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Sleep over in St. Ignace by the Mackinac bridge and a day trip over to Mackinac Island for some fudge. Then it's a quick 3 hour drive down to my parents place where we'll all crash for 4 or 5 days and see family. Probably throw a quick early party for my daughter who will turn 4 on the 4th of July. Few weeks early, but since we're there and we won't be around for the next 2-3 years. Then we finally head to Georgia with a sleepover in WV somewhere. Get into a small apartment and live out of suitcases for a few months until it's time to move to Belgium.
So... a little road trip of about 6,000 miles. Two screens in the van with DVD player, Sirius Backseat TV and the Wii hooked up should keep the kids from getting too bored. I've scheduled the legs so there's only 7-9 hours of driving each day, too, so they don't get too tired of just sitting in the car. I think they'll hardly notice, though.
Trip to Belgium is going to be just as interesting, especially with the dog. I'm going to be working at a NATO agency. Suits and ties for work (still have to get those). Housing on the economy. We'll have to find that, too. At least there's an American (DOD) school close by that the kids can attend right away. If they get fluent enough in French, then hopefully the 2nd and 3rd years they can go to a local school and really get a feel for the culture. There should be plenty of work and pleasure travel time, so we'll get to see a lot of things. Comfy travel to European sites, US sites and even shitty travel to desert Southwest Asia sites. At least the travel without family to fun desert locations will only be around a month at a time instead of 15 in a row this time around.
Not sure what the cigar situation is going to be over there, so I've got the B&M here on retainer to send packages on demand. I'm not a big Cuban fan, although given the option, I may sample around a bit. I still want access to my favorite Nic smokes, though.
Since I'm traveling with a lot of baggage, I doubt there'll be any opportunities to meet up with anyone along the way. If you recognize any of the stops and live nearby and want to see if something will work out, though, shoot me a PM. I'll try.
I'm sitting at the top of a big ass hill that I'm going to be barreling down for the next six months. I hope everyone else has an exciting summer lined up, although maybe a little less intense.
Happy smokes.
-John er... Marcus O'Neil.
