We are leaving this morning for this NEXT journey of a lifetime. We will be in California for 4 days, fly to Singapore for 3 days, get on a cruise ship for 35 days, and get off in Auckland, New Zealand. We will spend about 2 week sailing around Australia and then 2 weeks around New Zealand. 

 We both agree that we are so fortunate to be able to travel and see such interesting places. The world is filled with amazing sights.

 We will be flying today to Oakland, California and a terrific visit with our cousins Rich and Arta Wilbanks. Rich is the son of my mother's oldest brother Harrell. 

Rich and Arta live in Berkeley in the home where they raised their 4 sons. The view from their living room of the Golden Gate Bridge is amazing- when the fog is lifted. Hopefully we'll be able to catch a view and share it with you. We always have fun catching up, tasting wine and sharing good food with this part of our Wilbanks family. 

We hoped to learn from our trip last year to the Far and Middle East to pack light. Jim did a great job of that and I did an OK job. Here is Jim with the luggage as we wait for the Execu Car to pick us up. 

We look forward to sharing some of the sights we visit with you during the next 7 weeks.