jesseslife.com

I think I gave myself a pretty good Christmas present this year: I started on my big trip today. So I write to you this Christmas night from a rest area in the western edge of Arizona. I head across the country to visit my Aunt and Uncle in [tag]New Hampshire[/tag], as well as to see what I can break on my vehicle. Kinda like a shakedown cruise. Only no water. Hopefully. The cupboard is stuffed with food, the fridge is stocked with [Newcastle Brown Ale][], and I have my MP3 player filled with music. I think I’ve got the eat, drink and be merry part covered, so it’s officially Christmas.

[Newcastle Brown Ale]: http://www.newcastlebrown.com/

Quick update- plans have changed since we last spoke. While [tag]New Zealand[/tag] is still on my list of places I plan on seeing, I’ve decided to take things a little slower. Considering I still have a small leak in my water heating system, the idea of throwing the truck onto a ship next week seemed less like an adventure and more like a plan for frustration and disaster. Sending an inexperienced [tag]RV[/tag]‘er and an unproven vehicle halfway around the planet just wasn’t going to happen.

But good news, sports fans! I still have some adventure in me I hooked up with an outfit called ["Adventure Tours"][] out of McAllen, TX. They are leaving next July to drive from Texas to [tag]Tierra del Fuego[/tag], Argentina and back. 120 days of driving adventure, and I’m going!

Now I have six months to devote to exploring this country and learning how to live in the back of a pickup truck. I hope to see a few more national parks and end up in [tag]Alaska[/tag] this spring. If I time things right, I can do the whole [Pan-American highway][] from North to South in one shot, a real accomplishment.

Most importantly, I’m on the road. Under cloudless skies and 80 degree temperatures, I said goodbye to Southern California for a while. Other than a storage unit with a few pieces of furniture and a electric vehicle in my mom’s garage, I have all my worldly possessions with me. Kinda a nice feeling.

Among the things I have with me:

• Laptop
• [A Short History of Nearly Everything][amazon], by Bill Bryon
• My Camping Gear
• A Plastic Plant
• My Boots

Things I left behind:

• All my ties and dress shoes
• My pile of mismatched socks
• My cares and worries

To all my friends to whom I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to, I’ll be back. I hate goodbyes anyway. And to my neighbors on Briarwood: thanks for all your patience for letting me park my truck on your street for the last 3 months and not calling the security guard. I owe you one. Finally, to people who think they can do [tag]plumbing[/tag]: you can’t put a MIP fitting into a NPT fitting and not expect it to leak. It does.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

["Adventure Tours"]: http://www.adventuretrek.com “Adventure Tours Homepage”

[Pan-American highway]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-American_Highway “wikipedia article”

[amazon]: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/076790818X/qid=1135582322/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-1058676-0459100?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 “Amazon store”