Chronicle of a family's nine-month adventure around the U.S. (1996-1997)

August 22, 2010

We are fast approaching the 14th anniversary of launching our adventure, “Blondins’ Assignment America.” The big events in these fourteen years include moving from Michigan to Southern California, buying a home, establishing a new life and careers, and seeing our children through middle school, high school and college.

Today our family is geographically scattered; Kelly lives on the West Coast, Stacy on the East and Donald is in Europe. As I write this, Betsy and I temporarily live in the South.

The take-away from this adventure? Pride and satisfaction that we did it; we took the leap, set our fears aside and blazed new paths. The concept was pretty cool. For a perspective, Google did not exist, yet we were traveling in a 32-foot motorhome with a built-in desktop computer, a laptop and 1.3 mp Kodak digital camera, building a Web site documenting our travels while our children attended school via the Internet at a charter school in Michigan. This was 1996-97.

We were not the first or the only ones traveling and documenting via the Web, but our story was unique. When we see all that has transpired with Web-documented travel, we share a prideful chuckle.

The adventure forged a family bond not easily created in everyday life. When asked about the wisdom of taking such a trip, we say it is a matter of priorities and courage. Money comes and goes, family is forever, and courage is letting go of whatever stops people from following their dreams.

The family moved to California in early 1998. Betsy went to work as editor-in-chief at a book publishing company. Mark went to work for a technology reseller. Donald recently graduated from Berkeley and spent his senior year in Spain. Kelly and Stacy had a stellar high school experience and became competitive swimmers attending Harvard. Buddy is growing old gracefully but is still very much the same puppy. We hope you enjoy the Web site and that our adventure sparks your imagination. You might also enjoy reading our new blog at: The Next Road and Talesup.com

Sincerely,

Mark, Betsy, Donald, Kelly, Stacy

P.S. The Blondins’ Assignment America Web site will remain vintage. We are too sentimental to change it, so it will stay as it existed then.

P.P.S. Buddy, our lovable golden retriever, who initially wasn’t meant to go along and in the end became an essential part of our adventure and our lives, died in December 2008. We miss him.