The clouds finally parted last night and the volcano was in full view. As is often the case, these pictures do not do it justice. It’s massive and beautiful and literally in our backyard. There was a glimpse of blue skies and the sun came out long enough to give us an amazing rainbow. All…
Author: Jill
Rainy Days In Costa Rica – There Is No Dry
To say it has rained a lot the past couple days is an understatement. This was to be expected as it is rainy season here, but it still takes getting used to. We’ve stayed cozy in our house and also ventured out when the rain stopped. And sometimes even during the rain just because it’s…
The Year Has Officially Started
My head feels a bit like it’s spinning. The last few days have been hard, but good. It still feels surreal that we will be doing this for an entire year and are not just on vacation. I image it will feel like that for awhile. Here’s a picture of the backpacks we each are…
The Final Countdown
We leave tomorrow and I almost can’t believe we are here. To say this week was intense feels like an understatement. As mentioned in our FAQ’s, this adventure took about 6 months of slow planning. This week however, was a sprint to the finish. We are EXHAUSTED! Pizza and Sleeping Bags After movers came for…
BBQ’s, Parting Hugs and One Legendary Car
Not Goodbye, Just See you Later We have had a lot of goodbye’s over the last few weeks. We went to see Dave’s mom for the weekend and relished in her delicious cooking. Our cul-de-sac had a goodbye BBQ. We gathered with our neighbors and the kids ran and played well into the night. The…
The Illusion of Time
A common theme while completing tasks the past 6 months has been that everything takes longer than expected. Dave and I have completed numerous home projects over the years. When I ask him how long he thinks a project will take, I’ve learned it’s best to double the amount. In daily life I am typically…
Fearing the Unknown and Sleepless Nights
Counting Down the Days We leave in less than a month and there are a lot of emotions swirling around our house. If problems were solved by over-thinking at 2am, I would be a professional problem solver. We are all excited for the adventure ahead. However, we have created a life here that will be…
Gap Year Preparations
There have been few experiences in our life that have required this type of extensive planning. Our abundance of spreadsheets and lists would make all you other Type A’s out there proud! Here is a breakdown. These are some of the major items we had to check off our list to make this year a…
Exploring the World: A Family Gap Year Journey
Welcome to Adventures Awakened, our family gap year blog! Here you will find updates on our year of travel and adventure. Starting at the end of June 2025, our family will set out on an international journey for one year. We will be spending a month or two at a time in different countries all…