Making a list and checking it twice

Our departure date is rapidly approaching and things are beginning to get hectic.  We have at least four running lists of things we need to do, things we need to pack, people we need to call, and all the studying and moving we must accomplish before we slam the car door for the first leg of our trip.  All that and a nice bundle of nerves (note this is not Michael writing) aside, we are getting really excited.

It is our intent to be (relatively) spontaneous for these six summer weeks.  This will be my last "real" summer before starting medical school rotations and residency and life...and Michael has a break from work, so our only real goals are to spend as much time outside as possible, to visit some of the most amazing places in the country, and to return to NH minus a few pounds and glowingly tan.  Okay, that last goal may be more me than Michael, but I doubt he would complain if I accomplished it.  The only more personal goal I have is related to my grandfather.  I have few memories of him, but the one thing I do remember is that he loved to take photographs and to travel.  There are thousands of photos and slides stored in our house and it is so incredible to go through them and imagine the adventures he had with my grandmother and his sons.  When my dad or uncles can fill in some of the details with their own memories, the experience is even more magical.  The photographic touch has trickled down to my dad, my uncle, my cousin, and my brother and I always wished I had the same bank of memories in photos, but I haven't taken the time to learn how to take really amazing photos that weep of adventures and memories.  So, this summer, with Michael's tutelage, I intend to take hundreds, thousands even, of photos so that somewhere there may be a few worth saving and showing my children time and again.

Anyhow, in light of being spontaneous, our plans are constantly flexing and morphing, but we are taking the northern route across the country, bouncing between national parks.  We're hoping to get some kind of wifi hotspot (oh, I need to add that to the list), so we can keep in touch with everyone through this blog and maybe even share a few photos along the way.  As for our loose plans, here's our running list of destinations:

Start June 12th in WRJ, VT
Surry, NH (visit my home and pack some more)
Seneca Falls, NY (visit Michael's family and finish packing)
Wisconsin (stay with my roommate's family overnight and play with her Fresian horses)
Badlands, SD (My first national park ever!  Well, not including the brief drive through Shenandoah)
Yellowstone and Grand Teton, WY
Glacier, MT
North Cascades, Mount Rainier, and Olympic, WA
Crater Lake, OR
Our list continues, but the more we read, we imagine that we may get stuck in an enchanted daze along the way, so we are content with spending all of our time in the Northwest.  From there, we will bounce to:
Boulder, CO (visit my best friend) and back to the East Coast for my first class on August 12th.

Phew.  That sounds exhausting just typing.  And simply amazing.  We hope you enjoy joining us through this blog.  And now I must return to finishing that schoolwork list...