It’s September 2005, and we’re taking one last look at all this. We’ve been off the road, living in Portland for a year now and I gotta say, it’s been just great. Both of us love it. Naturally, the transition from our glorious beatnik lifestyle couldn’t have gone down without some blue moments, but this new slower lifestyle is all that we had hoped for.

In the past 365 days we’ve weathered 102” of snow, paid off all our traveling debts and sold our camper (sniff). Not once has there been a regret to our escapades on the road or the decision to make Portland, Maine our new home. This place seems to encompass all of the good things that small towns and big cities possess, but not much of the adverse. Portland truly is a special little place.

While we haven’t really lost our wanderlust, we have willingly swapped it for some stability. Our desire for a little house with a picket fence is motivating us for now. When the adventure bug does come a-knocking though, Alaska and Hawaii are waiting. Then we’ll have the whole set of 50 under our belt.