Young Sheps in Sydney

This week, I was re-united with relatives, late Gen X / early Gen Y (thirty somethings) couple and their three children, who stopped in to Sydney for a week as part of a three year mission to travel Australia.

Packed in plenty during a quick Sydney visit, but
back on the bus tomorrow

"It's been my dream since before we were married," Ted told me.

This remarkable couple are about seven months in to their adventure, and stop where work opportunities arise, while soaking up so much of what Australia offers.

Ted has a farming background and a trade (fitter and turner), and as such, offers unbelievable value to anyone who happens gain his services. He's currently working with a farmer somewhere between Young and Cootamundra.

What a joy to spend some time with these guys, as they pursue their great adventure, lovingly lead and teach their children (6, 8 and 9) through life lessons - as well as the online school - and create lifelong memories.

Not Bali, Europe or South America for these Gen Ys, but a journey of a lifetime and discovery around the most desirable travel destination in the world. For this young family though, they've decided to take  the time to smell the grass, dirt, sand, cities and anything else that takes their fancy.

And it's all getting captured and shared via blog by Kylie. It turns out that you can get anywhere from Cummins.


If you see a big red bus, custom fitted out by Ted, and towing a troopy called Hector, it might be the Sheps, so take a moment and say G'day.


Thanks so much for stopping by. Safe travels, great jobs and many happy days to the young Sheps.

US2012 - Preparing to Go

We have discovered that, while it is a great idea to have people stay at your home while you're away, it adds additional stress to preparation. It just adds another element to the project: keeping the home fires burning.
And burglars please note: We are not leaving our house empty, and our dog is on alert!
The family who is staying in our home will come into a house that hasn't been so clean and tidy since, well, grandma was here to visit. Beds have been freshly made and instructions have been written about the dog's routine, the rubbish collection, the dishwasher, the TV, the internet, emergency contacts.
And we are not out the door yet. T - 1d.
Then there's the plan for collection at our destination, not so simple when there are kids and car seats and lots of luggage involved. Again thanks to Grandma and our friends.
Next stop: Twin Cities.

UPDATE Friday June 30 22.35 US Central: Arrived safely yesterday, and settled in to our Maple Plain base. Girls already made cookies this morning with Grandma.
Life is good. Day 1 in Minneapolis got up to a very comfortable 91 degrees.

Being Connected - Our Next US Adventure 2012

I write this from a chilly grey Sydney as we prepare and pack for our next US visit.

Being a family of dual citizens, we feel it's important to maintain the connectedness with our US family and friends by making the trek across the Pacific as regularly as possible.

While it is an expensive undertaking (two adults and two children traveling to and around the US at peak time), thanks to structural changes and competitive forces, international travel has become comparably far less expensive than it was, say a decade or two ago.

What awaits us in the US?
Grandma, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends... warm weather, "american" food, hugs, stories... connectedness.
It's perhaps the greatest motivator of all. Belonging, being connected, loved and understanding where you've come from.
So as we gear up for 18 hours of flying time with a five-and-half-year-old and an almost three-year-old, we will focus our attention on the promised outcome. See above.

The steps we all take to be connected

Oh, and if you see a family that includes young kids on your next long-haul flight, please cut them a break, maybe even smile or offer them a hand. It might be us! And we're all just wanting to be connected, after-all.

I will try to post a blog or two while we are on our travels. In keeping with the theme of this blog, it's about living in a cross generational age.

The Great Adventure

Reading with interest Travels with Mel and Mic and jealously flicking thru their pics on FB... Tuscany, Syracuse, Sicily.
The great adventure, really. Priceless moments :-)

Wishing you all happy safe travels and lots of moments to build the story of the great adventure over many glasses of moderately great wine.