Introduction

Welcome to 5 on the Move blog.  We are starting this blog to share our experiences with our friends and family as we travel for 4 months.  We feel blessed to have the opportunity to take such a trip and are extremely appreciative of all the people who have made this possible.  From those who are helping to take care of our dog Bodie, those who are taking care of our things at home, all the colleagues at work who have supported our desire to make this dream come true. 

We have been planning this trip for more than three years.  Our desire to travel for an extended time stems from both of our experiences growing up.  Recalling some of our favorite memories as children were the trips we took with our families.  One critical aspect is the optimal time to take such a trip.  For us, we thought that the ages of our children would dictate the window of opportunity.  We wanted them to be old enough to remember the trip and appreciate the exposure to the different cultures we will experience.  And we are also conscious that as they enter their teen years, parents are not so cool.  For us, the window of time is now (Hayden 13, Eliza 10/11, Lydia 8); and we are fortunate to be able to make it happen. 

Where are we going?
China
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Thailand
India
Tanzania

We chose these locations since we have not visited them previously and they are not easy locations to access from the east coast of the US.  Therefore, if we were going to visit the places, we should use this extended time.  Of note, New Zealand and Australia were definitely on our list, but we will need to dedicate a separate visit for those countries.

So, please join us as we travel for 4 months in Asia and Africa.  We leave in 2 weeks and our first stop is Beijing.  Our children will be contributing to this blog and will also have a video log site, courtesy of Hayden.  There is a link to the YouTube Vlog site from this blog. 

Katie and Brian