So here we go.

We’ve taken the first steps to making (at least some of) our dreams come true.

We are taking a sabbatical and spending a year on the other side of the world!

It seems so long ago that we sat on a blanket with a picnic lunch discussing our eventual travel plans. Where would we go? Backpacking through Europe? Sailing around the world? What would we do? What about our jobs? Or our apartment?

Drew has always been gung ho about doing crazy things. He’s an adrenaline junky. Skydiving was like no big thing to him.

It took me a bit longer to really warm up to the idea of doing this NOW. I wasn’t quite ready to leave my job. Or give up the creature comforts of our apartment. I wasn’t sure if we could afford it.

But God is bringing us through a shift in seasons. I see that very clearly now. The time for change is NOW. The time for an adventure is NOW.

I am fully expecting this sabbatical to change me. To change who I am. Change how I act and react to any given circumstance. Change how I relate to my husband and to other people. Change the level of trust I have in my Father.

The plan right now is to move out of our apartment after Christmas and fly to New Zealand (stopping for a week in Fiji on the way) in February. We will be contacting host families who have organic farms, homestays, etc. through an organization called Help Exchange (www.helpX.net). We’ll be working for them a certain number of hours each day in exchange for room/board and sometimes food.

We are excited to learn more about organic farming & gardening, sustainable living, growing our own food, and raising animals.

And we are excited to experience the gorgeous beaches, mountains, and countryside of Middle Earth.

Thanks for joining us here! We want to stay connected and share what we learn.

So here we go! Who’s coming with us?