We’re back, after a not-so-brief hiatus. You may argue that a hiatus was not deserved after a mere two blog posts – but then again, we’re jobless and homeless now, so what can be expected of us?

Diligence and responsibility? Certainly not.

Indolence and sloth? Much more likely.

Today marks Day Seven of our Big Adventure. One week ago today, we hit the airport at 4:30am, loaded down with suitcases and bike boxes, wide-eyed and bushy tailed and ready to hit the road. We immediately headed to the wrong airline to check-in, and then some 20 minutes later I left our brand new computer at the security checkpoint. I realized this at 30,000 feet up and halfway to Texas. Upon arrival in Austin I discovered that my driver’s license had expired two days earlier, which meant I couldn’t rent the car I had reserved at the airport in Austin. Needless to say, a mere four hours into this grand experiment I was a bit concerned that the life of a vagabond wasn’t for me after all.

Truthfully, Day One capped the end of a pretty tough week. I have to admit that the whole packing and moving and saying-goodbye-to-people-and-things-you-love thing – even in the service of a kick-ass, epic world tour – leaves me feeling, well, this way.

Of course, despite the surly moments came some pretty amazing ones too, which seems to be the way of major life changes. Maybe it is that we’re just paying better attention, but either way, the last couple of weeks in DC held some memorable experiences:

For one thing, I got robbed for the first time in DC – of clothes I was wheeling in a grocery cart to a thrift store. I couldn’t decide whether I was supposed to be offended or pleased by this, so I simply watched the woman who had removed my bulging bags from the cart head on down the street with a Wonder Woman outfit hanging off her shoulder.

Next, there was the bag of wine that needed to be consumed at the track. Of course.

I also took a day off of packing to do something actually important in the grand scheme of things, and gain a little perspective while I was at it. I participated in a lobbying day on Capitol Hill for clean water and sanitation in developing countries.

One of my teammates during the day was a soft-spoken, friendly guy from Burkina Fasso. That week a coup in Mali had occurred, and was threatening to send tens of thousands of refugees into his country, who would need water, food and healthcare. He was preparing to return home from Haiti, where he has been working since the earthquake, if the refugee flood occurred. Um, yeah, I thought. Let me tell you how tough life is for me right now. And can I offer you a bag of wine?

But nevertheless, this is my life. And despite the hectic pace of moving week – and the snafus of Day One – things seemed to rebalance themselves once we arrived in Austin. Austin is a really special place – home for both of us for nearly 20 years off and on, and full of many people, events, places and memories that have been an important part of our lives. The decision to begin our trip here – in a city that provides an anchor, not to mention a heck of a lot of fun – was spot on. The only problem is that we have been packing so much fun into our trip that we haven’t had time to rest. Ah well, rest can wait, right?

Stay tuned for an activity update from Austin.