Packed and Ready!!

So my wife has asked me to update our blog.  I must confess this is the first time that I have done such a thing.  Where to begin...

We have been reading more about Barrow, AK and what kinds of things we can do around town.  We were excited to hear that we will be able to see the Northern Lights as well as go mushing (dog sledding).  Pams' mother says that we shouldn't get that excited about the dog sledding thing.  Upon further persistent questioning she adds, "the dogs pee and poop while they run, and you could very well catch the brunt of it!". My excitement level dropped, but I might still give it a go as Pamela had a great time mushing in Canada.

In between updating my ACLS and PALS and Dave Ramseys'- get out of debt podcast, I was able to help pack our 7 checked bags.  One of them weighs a hefty 86 lbs.  "7 bags!"  you shriek? Well would you rather pay $40 for a 6 count of double roll toilet paper,  or check a 50 lb bag for half that?  Well we figure that we probably saved about what we spent on winter gear and will get a free workout tomorrow morning when I get to load the van.  

Amaury has been growing and developing so fast!  We think he may have waved goodbye (or hello) a couple of times, but he hasn't done it frequent enough to make us think that it's intentional (yet!).  He has however gained substantial strength in his legs.  We have witnessed him dig his little feet into the ground and push himself short distances.

I'm ready to get back to work, as I hope I haven't forgotten all I learned in fellowship. Pam is excited to meet new friends and connect with other moms. We are both excited to learn about the Inupiat culture.

Ok, it's time to get ready to bundle up for some of the coldest temps in the world. Stay tuned....we are off tomorrow to the top of the world!

Jose (Pam and Amaury too)

We're bloggin'

Hi Friends,

Welcome to our new blog!  Jose, Amaury and I are excited to share with you our adventures as we try to take advantage of all the opportunities presented to us.  Our little family loves to experience all things out of the ordinary.

Here's a recap of where we've been so far:

We moved out of Chicago at the end of July to begin our globetrotting.  We first met my family in Seattle for my sister, Katherine's wedding.   It was Jose's (and Amaury's!) first time out to the West Coast.  Beautiful scenery mixed with fun family time!

First time on the plane.  Everyone loves a sleeping baby on the plane.

Our next destination was Ft. Lauderdale, FL to visit Jose's brothers and cousins.  Little Amaury loved meeting his Tios and primas.  It also marked his first time in the Atlantic ocean and his first dip in the pool!

On our daily morning walk in the Jardin Botanico.

Lovin' on his Abue!

3 Generations on the land where Abuelo grew up.

Pam and Amaury swimming in the ocean.

The Dominican Republic was our next stop - and it was time to settle in for a while.  Amaury finally got to meet his Abuelo and spend more time with his Abue, Tia Val, Tia "Tiguela" Kira and meet many of his cousins.  The temperature was HOT, mama's food was awesome, and the music - always playing!  We didn't stay too long in one spot like we thought we would.  We jetted off to places like Punta Cana, La Guama, Santiago, Luperon and La Vega.  Whew!

After the DR, we flew to Richmond to help my mom move out of my childhood home.  Mom had done most of the work, so we were able to finish up the packing and spend a little time with friends.

Now we are in Las Vegas in my mom's new home.  The first day here, we found out our Australia timeline will (yet again) be extended due to, well who really knows.  At this point we are uncomfortable being jobless for what will be 6 months....so Jose promptly went on the job hunt.  Temporary doc jobs are pretty common (called locum tenans).  We were trying to focus our efforts on Nevada and Arizona, but it quickly turned into a job hunt with opportunities anywhere and everywhere.  Before we knew it, the best opportunity for the time period we needed was in......


ALASKA!!!!

Yes folks, we are heading up to Barrow, Alaska at the beginning of winter (aka, we leave in 2 weeks!)  What the hell!?  And it's not just Alaska, it's the most northern town you can possibly go to - above the Arctic Circle!!!  We are crazy, we know this.

Here is a link to a fun video about Barrow.  I can't wait to go just so I can meet this lady.

Idiot Abroad - Barrow, AK

So stay tuned as we update this blog from a very interesting part of the United States.