Sanddollar Shores

After 12 hours of driving we made it to Mike's (Diane's Dad) condo. We were attacked by mosquito when we got out of the car so we decided against the midnight swim. But this morning we saw the sun rise (went back to bed) and eventually made it out to the beach! It has been a great sunny day. Relaxing and just hanging out. We will eat tonight at a fun restaurant called Conchy Joes. More photos coming soon.

A view from Mikes' condo...truly paradise

I didn't have a good internet connection until today so this post was written a few days ago. Check back on Sunday for more photos:)

Lions and Tigers and Bears OH MY!

We left early this morning for Gatlinburg Tennessee. After a 5 hour drive, we arrived at the cabin which looked great! It sits high up on a hill and feels like you are in a tree-house. We went into town for a bite to eat and on our way back we saw a bear!

The tropical storm Fay has caught up to us. It is 9:00 at night and the rain is coming down pretty hard. Tomorrow we will leave as early as we can get up and begin our 12 hour drive to Jensen Beach Florida. Pictures of the ocean are coming soon!

Mike (Diane's Dad) and Maya "relaxing" during the drive.

Mike in his cabin...looking well rested :)

Maya fighting to stay awake during the drive.

We all had a good laugh at this van.

Steve and Mike did some beer tasting at the pub
(These glasses are much smaller than they appear.)

...to Grandmother's house we go...

A lovely evening with Diane's Grandma and Grandpa Jordan.
Some food, some gardening with Grandpa, a little internet surfing with Grandma...a perfect evening.

Grandpa and Diane picking some cucumbers.

Veggies from the garden-ingredients for a perfect Greek salad!

I (heart) LaRosa's

We arrived in Cincinnati yesterday. Cincinnati is about 1 1/2 hours south-west of Wilmington where Steve is from.

On Saturday night we meet Diane's Grandma and Grandpa Kappa for a wonderful dinner at LaRosa's. We had a really nice time with Grandma and Grandpa.

We leave tomorrow for Florida. We will stop by Gatlinburg Tennessee and spend the night at Mike's Cabin and then off to Florida where we will lay in the sun and drink fruity drinks!

We will post more on the blog as internet is available.

How many men does it take to change a tractor tire?

Answer: 4

One to do the work and three to tell him what to do.

Seriously....for years now, Steve has told friends in Seattle that he knows how to change a tractor tire. Most laughed in disbelief, some stood stunned with their mouths open. Well, here is the proof. Today Bob and Steve spent a good part of the day changing a tire on a 1942 tractor.

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After a long day of tire changing there is nothing better than a burger from "Rod's"
This burger was so good-really!

And don't forget the beer?
(This guy really is pouring himself a beer from the keg.
I just couldn't pass up this photo opportunity:)

Peggy (Steve's Mom) and Bob at Rod's

Family Fun

We have been busy spending the past week visiting family.
It has been great seeing everyone. We must
admit time is flying by. September 9th will be here before we know it.

A night out with Belinda and Richard (Steven's dad)

We went and visited Lisa (Diane's sister) and her
husband Kevin in their new house in Columbus, Ohio. Kevin made a great
dinner and we played "Guitar Hero"--a highly addictive game
where you pretend a you are a rock star and play the guitar.

Lisa and Kevin Rockin Out!

Today is István's Nameday!

Who is István?
István is Steven in Hungarian.

What is a Nameday?
Hungarians not only have birthdays, but Namedays as well. Birthdays are usually celebrated just in your immediate family. Namedays, however are widely known and celebrated. They are celebrated in work places, and among friends and family. People usually give flowers, desserts or small gifts.

Click here to find out if you have a Nameday in Hungary!

photo: Steve in the Badlands on August 13, 2008

850 lbs

Did you ever wonder what 850lbs looked like?

Well, here you go. That big plastic wrapped mess is all 850lbs (386 kg) of our stuff!

I drove it all the way clear across America in 4 days...not really.

Good to be home in Ohio

We made it to Ohio last night at 12:30 or would that be this morning at 12:30?

I fell asleep in the car and was awaken by Steve ordering 3 White Castles. He looked at me said "it is good to be home".

Diane and Steven’s Top 10 Questions about their move to Hungary

1. Why Hungary?
We knew we wanted to live in Europe since Steve returned from Peace Corps in 2001. Over the past six years we have explored Central and Eastern Europe investigating different places to live. We both kept returning to the idea of Budapest. The art, architecture, people, and overall culture drew us to Hungary.

2. Do you have jobs?
Sort of. We are consultants! Diane is currently freelancing with several companies worldwide. She also has a few different consulting opportunities that look very positive. For example, one opportunity is with a European software company where she will train designers on CAD. Diane is also is excited about creating her next line of textiles in collaboration with traditional crafts people.
Steven will continue to help organizations raise funds. He is currently negotiating a contract with United Way of Hungary. He also looks forward to getting back to the type of work he did in Peace Corps (economic development) while utilizing what he learned during his recent graduate studies.

3. What do they speak and do you speak the language?
Hungarians speak Magyar (Hungarian)
Nem. (no) We took a few classes from a great teacher in Seattle. We can say the basics…where is the bathroom? Hello, How are you? The tree is next to the house (very helpful I know)…. We will begin intensive training at the end of September in Budapest. Three weeks, three hours a day, everyday. We are confident that with time we will be able to speak Hungarian. We are excited to learn the language. We have been told by Hungarians not to be afraid of mispronouncing. Their language is very difficult and Hungarians know this. When you stumble on a word they will help you. Wish us luck!

4. When do you get to Hungary? Do you have a place to live?
We arrive September 10th via a one-way ticket! We have a good lead on a very small flat in downtown Budapest. The flat is being remodeled and may not be ready by September. Not to worry! We have a few more leads.

5. How long are you going to live there?
Our plan is to live in Budapest for 3-5 years.

6. Do you need a visa to live there?
We need ‘resident permits’ to live and work in Hungary. With the help of a great friend in Hungary, we are relocating Diane’s business. Through Diane’s business we will get resident permits. FYI - you do not need a visa to visit Hungary.

7. What do your families think?
Of course they are sad and would rather us move back to Ohio. But as always, they are very supportive and we could not do this without them.

8. When can we come to visit?
Tomorrow….well, not really tomorrow. We will rent a very small flat (apartment) for the first few months. This will allow us to really get to know the city and where we want to live before committing to a long lease. We will eventually rent a flat with an extra room for you and your family to stay.

9. Have you ever been there?
Yes, twice. Once in 2004 and again in 2006.

10. Do you know anyone there?
Yes! Through our friends in Seattle and the Hungarian American Association of Washington, we have met a number of people who have been very generous with their support and help. A special thank you to Helen, Eva & David and Gene & Elizabeth.

We would like to take a moment and give credit to our very good friends Audrey and Dan who through their travels and living abroad have inspired us to make this move. Check out their awesome website www.uncorneredmarket.com

Coffee Cup & Fuel Stop

Gotta love the internet! We pulled in to get gas and guess what...I have internet! Check out the sunset taken a few moments ago!!

Next stop Sioux City Iowa!

South Dakota Sunset

Mount Rushmore and Filet Mignon

We made it to South Dakota! We arrived late last night just in time to catch a glimpse of Mount Rushmore. We had a really hard time finding a hotel last night. Everything was booked. As we were preparing ourselves of a late night of driving, we passed a cute little motel-and it was the cheapest place we had found. We lucked out-one room left. We then made it to the last place in town that was serving food. So at 10pm last night we feasted on the best fillet Mignon with baked potatoes, Texas toast and salad all for $9! We were so happy!

We have no cell phone service but we found free internet at a coffee house. So, we are having some coffee, and then we will hit the road. Next stop The Badlands!

PS. Please feel free to leave a comment if you like. To leave a comment click on the word comment.

Mt Rushmore

Grrrrr.

Butte or Bust

We left this morning at around 8:30. We are now in Butte Montana at a Holiday Inn. All is well with the exception of the millions of bugs we killed on the way in. About 1 hour before we arrived in Butte I heard "raindrops" on the wind shield. But it wasn't raining. It was the splattering of bugs hitting our wind shield. Does anyone know what bugs they were?

8am Monday August 11...takeoff

Dinner in Montana

I love this picture. This one and the one below remind me of my moms paintings.
These were taken in Montana,

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Kate made us our last dinner last night. It was exquisite.
We can not thank her enough for letting us take over her apartment for the past two weeks.
She is the best host!

Tyler Florence eat your heart out!

We miss you.

We leave tomorrow morning with mixed emotions. Sadness for what we leave behind, and excitement for the journey that lies ahead. The friends we have made in Seattle are irreplaceable. You are already deeply missed.

Stay tuned for on the road updates...when internet is available...

Steven, Diane, Susan, EricSteven, Lynn and Diane

Shannon and Steven

Karl, Emily, Diane and Steven

Jessie, Pierre, Steven, Diane and Kate-The Ohio crew

Steve, Steve and Diane

The Wild Wiley Sisters

Steven, Diane, David and Jane

One last muffin at Macrina bakery with Michael and Ethan

Igor, Diane, Steven, Galina, Lina and Michael

Michael, Karri, Diane and Steven

The wonderful party hosted by Judith and John

Bonnie and Linda

Linda and Diane

Joesphine and Diane

...pack and party, pack and party...

The past few weeks have been a blur...

July 26 and 27-garage sale-sell everything
July 27-move out of house
July 28-Steve turns 37!
July 31-Diane's last day at Nordstrom's
August 1- Steve's last day at United Way
August 1-the renters move into our house
August 2-Diane's final trunk show
August 3-game on! packing must be done by Friday!
August 8-shippers arrive to pick up 850lbs of stuff (4'x4'x5' palette).
August 11-we leave Seattle

In the midst of this craziness we somehow found time to party with friends and say our..."see ya later's" Here are a few photos from the past two weeks. What great times we have had!

Steve's Birthday dinner with Bonnie and Richard

Bonnie and Diane

Bonnie's amazing chocolate cake

Happy Hour at Kell's (part of) The United Way Gang!

Eric, Diane and Susan

Steven and Lisa
Kate and Diane

Steve and Diane
Peter, Steven and Katherine

Steve is in there somewhere packing.. Our storage unit was next to a unit full of piano's. While we packed, we were serenaded by the sound of a Pianist.

Final Trunk Show at Eat Local Steven, Diane, Matthew and Greg

Diane's good friends.

Ja, Shamila and Diane.

Lunch on the water with Aneillo and Antonia

BBQ at Emily and Karl's

More to come....