Follow the Yellow Brick Road...

At the time of writing, we leave for the USA in 1 day!! How exciting.

• Plane tickets booked
• Hotels booked
• Cars booked
• Liza booked
• Theatre tickets booked

 I’m about to embark on an adventure I’ve wanted to experience for the longest time. I feel very fortunate to have the monetary means and a wiling travel buddy to accompany me. 

The Lovely Liesl

 “I’m just gonna quit my job and travel”. It’s always easier said than done. I’ve been saying it for 7 years.

I do love South Africa, and my life here, but I just feel like it’s time for a change. After many family tragedies, I also need to take an emotional break, and send my issues on a little sabbatical. To get a little mental breathing space (too Oprah?)

Oprah

In terms of work / career, my current profession is that of media strategist. A career I fell into after returning from my gap year in the UK in 2003.  After studying Communication, Film and Politics, a career in advertising just seemed to fit… However, I’ve never quite felt that this is the job for me. I’m good at it, I work hard and I enjoy it, but it doesn’t make my spirit soar. Something’s missing. I want to find it. It’s now or never.

See this movie

After our trip to Europe and the Big Fat Greek Wedding in June 2011, Liesl and I decided it was time to make things happen.

After much planning and deliberating (READ: lengthy discussions including copious bottles of wine resulting in nothing more than a bitch of a hangover), we decided that I should quite my job in Nov. Which I duly did. That was the first big step. CRAP!! What did I do? I willingly said goodbye to gainful employment and financial freedom. WTF!??

Being unemployed is a scary feeling. Everytime I spend one cent, I’m reminded that it’s not going to be replaced anytime soon! I’d better be damn sure I like canned beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner!!

Beans! nom, nom, nom...

Next step: we gave notice on our lease. Great! Now I’m unemployed AND homeless… and all by choice. I think I’ve lost my tiny mind. *Breathe* Everything will be ok. It has to be. This is my decision, and I’m sticking to it!

I am freaking out a little, but in all honestly I only ever had one choice. That is to do exactly what I’m doing now. I have to do this. We have to do this. There has to be more to life, and I want to find it. So I’m going to follow the proverbial Yellow Brick Road. And if the Emerald City turns out to be made from nothing more than old Heineken bottles and some wrinkled cellophane, then so be it. At least I know I tried.

 So here’s the plan:

15 Feb 2012 – fly from Cape Town to US. Land in San Francisco 14 million hours later.

•  In San Francisco – visit all the movie sites from “What’s Up Doc?” (my favourite Barbra movie); catch a trolley car; go to Alcatraz; walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. Get caught up in an elaborate car chase scene which involves a mix-up between 4 identical travel bags, smashing through a glass pane and being caught inside a Chinese Dragon (see “What’s Up Doc”).

San Francisco, open your Golden Gate, you'll let nobody wait, outside your door.

23 Feb 2012 – drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles (another 14 million hours).

• In LA – watch the Oscars. Stalk Meryl Streep. Go to Jay Leno. Stalk Meryl Streep. Do tours of the Studios. Stalk Meryl Streep. Lunch at The Formosa and The Ivy. Stalk Meryl Streep. Stand in Judy Garland’s footprints at Grauman's. Stalk Meryl Streep.

Guess who's going home with the Golden Boy this year!

6 March 2012 – drive to Las Vegas baby

I can’t talk about this part of the trip because whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

12 March 2012 – fly to Miami

• In Miami – go to the Beach. Get on a yacht. Swim with some dolphins. Take pics of awesome art deco buildings. Go to Key Largo (where we can have it all, just like Bogie and Bacall).

Sailing away to Key Largo...

19 March 2012 – Fly to New York.

• In New York – BROADWAY. Knicks game. Joan Rivers. Atlantic City. Liza Minnelli. Empire State building. Statue of Liberty. Carnegie Hall. Radio City Music Hall. NBC. Central Park. Washington, DC. Marielle. Michael and Stephanie. Connecticut – stalk Meryl Streep.

New York New York, a wonderful town. The Bronx is up and the Battery down. The people ride in a hole in the ground. New York New York. It's a wonderful town!

6 April 2012 – drive to Rockport, Maine

• In Maine – eat lobster. Freeze to death. Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Nantucket.

Stephen King lives in Maine. He's weird.

 10 April 2012 – drive to Boston 

• In Boston – Randomly walk around shouting out “Denny Crane”. Look for the house where Dr Quinn grew up. Have a tea party.

Denny Crane!

13 April 2012 – drive back to NYC.

15 April 2012 – fly back to Cape Town.

17 April 2012 – sleep.

 To be continued...

xxx