Darin and his wife Natalie are now on "The Next Journey" -- a journey of discovery, adventure, and learning about themselves and the world as they seek to grow their family through Domestic Infant Adoption.
Sunday: Rotorua to Wellington Sunday was road trip day, as we made our way south from Rotorua, past Lake Taupo and into the southern wine country before arriving into Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. Our first stop was to Huka Falls, a huge rushing stream of the Waikato River as it makes its way downstream. Huka Falls is located just a few kilometers from...
Friday: Rotorua Rotorua stinks… But that’s a great thing when you are visiting one of the most active geothermal areas on the planet. The smell is sulfur and it is everywhere in this town. As volcanic steam is released through the surface via geysers, steam vents, and boiling mud, it also contains sulfur, among a number of elements and minerals...
Wednesday: Pahia to Waitomo and Glowworms Today was primarily a transit day, with a 7:30am start from Pahia, back aboard the NakedBus to make our way back to Auckland. Phillip, our driver, brought his own iPod and connected it to the coach’s stereo system and he provided us with a great range of music as we wound our way back into the City Center. From here...
Monday: Auckland to Paihia On Monday morning, as the big polar storm was making its way deep into New Zealand, Natalie and I headed to Britomart (Central Transport Centre for buses and trains) in downtown Auckland to pick up our bus to get to the North. A couple minutes before 8am, our jet black NakedBus arrived and Mike, our driver loaded the 7 of us and our...
It really wouldn’t be fair for us to have traveled thousands of miles to say that Auckland is a lot like San Francisco, but there seems to be something of a separated at birth feeling about this place. Tall buildings dominate the downtown area near the waterfront, there is a bustling workforce that floods the area each morning and afternoon as folks arrive for...
(Note: The best way to see all of the pictures from the trip on a regular basis is to check out the Photo page, where full galleries and slideshow are available…) After a new travel record of 6 total minutes from check in counter to completion of security checkpoints, Natalie and I made our way to gate G93 at SFO to meet up with a massive 747-400 that would be...
The International Date Line has a way of seriously messing with your head… Our flight takes off at 9:45pm on Tuesday, August 9th. We arrive at 5:40am, Thursday, August 11th and yet, we’re only flying 13 hours. This post pays a moment of tribute (because that is about all we will be able to experience of it) to Wednesday, August 10th, 2011. I’m sure...
Turning a dream into reality is not easy… Anyone that tells you otherwise is choosing to ignore many of the details between the start of the venture and when it all finally comes together, or is just plain lying to make you feel better about the process. Yes, there might be a moment of brilliant clarity when all of the pieces of the puzzle fall into place or...
Q: How does one pack for 100 days of travel? A: The same way as one packs for 3 or 7 or 10 or 14 days of travel. Apologies in advance if you were expecting a long post full of pictures and reviews on every single item that we packed for the big trip. You won’t find this here. Instead, we simply offer some suggestions and a downloadable resource that helped...
On August 1st, after 6 years with my current company, I said goodbye. I have been very fortunate to work with some really great people and as many of my colleagues have done, I sent a message to those that I have worked with over the years to reflect on the time and the experience. Here is the text of that message: It’s not often that someone gets the chance to say...
As we get closer to departure, I’ve had some time to reflect on some of the things I am looking forward to as we travel to New Zealand, Australia, and beyond. Would love to get your suggestions and input too! Left Handed Driving I’m sure that most Kiwis and Australians right now are probably sounding alarms for the previous admission, but I must admit...
As long as I can remember, listening to music was, and continues to be, such an important part of everyday life… Growing up, my parents would start each morning blasting Ronny Milsap (“I’m having daydreams, about night things, in the middle of the afternoon…”) on the record player at 33rpm. I remember at my Aunt’s and Uncle’s...
“I can’t wait to board the plane… I can’t wait to board the plane…” It’s turning into a mantra that I continue to recite to myself as I once again fold the lined 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper in half, in half again, and one final fold to get the result to a manageable size. As I tuck it away, this sheet joins its brothers and sisters as just one of a stack...
We are embarking on a 100-day adventure to include two continents, six countries, & over 40 cities. This map will be updated over time to reflect where we actually end up. The purple pins indicate “planned stops.” We will change the color once we actually arrive. You can always visit the Map in the main menu to view the most current version and see...
6 weeks from now, we are going to begin the next great adventure in our lives. We’ve both been fortunate to see many great places through the experience of travel. But, this one is going to be different… For starters, this trip is 100 days long. I know, I know, people spend years traveling, and we have those aspirations too, but this is a good first step...
Carefully balancing rest, relaxation, and adventure, our trip to Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the Hawaiian Islands was fantastic and though we wish it could have lasted much, much longer, the trip has come to an end and we have tons of great memories, photos, and of course, the travel log. Check out any link below for more information on the latest trip! Photos and...
It took some time, but we have put together the first draft of “The Map”, a growing, but comprehensive visual representation of everywhere on the globe we have been as a married couple. In addition, it also includes trips that are “confirmed in the not too distant future”, along with a ever-present “bucket list”. The bucket list is...
There is no mistaking it… We are ready for a vacation. N and I took stock of the places that we are interested in traveling and have identified a “Top 5” list of spots that we have on the bucket list. The best part is that as soon as one is crossed off the list, another takes its place! We’ll get into the exact nature of that list and...
[simage=2182,160,n,right,]It’s been a fantastic 18 days, but all good things must come to an end… We’ve had a blast in the southern UK, Dublin, Ireland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, Canada…
Enjoy the travel log and all of the pictures…
British Isles, Greenland, and Canada Travel Log
[simage=2181,160,n,right,]The photo to the right is an honest assessment of my mental state during the first few travel days each of the last several times I have traveled to Europe. The 8-9 hour time shift destroys the body’s internal clock and leaves both of us absolutely wrecked. To combat the effects of Jet Lag, there are countless ideas (specially tinted...
[simage=2180,160,n,right,]As the packing and final trip planning is underway, we recently picked up a new camera and I can’t wait to break it in on this itinerary… The Canon T2i is the newest Prosumer DSLR on the market and has made some significant gains from our extremely trustworthy and exceptional Digital Rebel… Some specifics… 18...
[simage=2179,320,n,right,]This trip has been a long time in the making… We first found a sweet spot with the Transatlantic cruise 3 years ago with our trip from Barcelona to Miami, which gave us our first exposure to Morocco and Africa… This time around, we elected to take the Northern route with the Crown Princess to visit the UK, Ireland, Iceland...
It’s taken a long time, but the photo albums for each of the travel logs is now online and available to view and have been incorporated into each of the Travel Logs… To view, click on the following links: Travel Logs: 7 Trips & Counting! Photo Albums: 8 Albums & More to Come! To See Any Photo Below, Just Click on a Pic...
[simage=2178,160,n,right,]For as much technology that surrounds me at work, with my degree, and the constant Geek Squad pastimes I have including websites, tech support, etc. I find myself constantly being asked about what kind of cell phone I have and use… Well, believe it or not, my primary cell phone is an LG VX3200. This marvel of mobile calling came into...
[simage=2177,160,n,right,]It’s been a while since I’ve been on the blog… Sometimes its comforting to read the postings about Makena, while other days, the pictures and words just bring back a lot of the emotion that came with her far too short a time on this earth… Though she is never far from our hearts, the blog is back and will try to...
Makena Christine Moss, our precious daughter, was delivered into heaven on September 22, 2009 at 7:46am after 30 Weeks and 5 Days of pregnancy. We are so thankful for the love and support of our family and friends during this difficult time. It is my personal hope that this website and blog will continue to grow as we hope that someday soon, there will be other...
[simage=1077,160,n,right]The last and final of our childbirth classes was this last weekend, where we had two sessions (one morning and one afternoon) covering Breastfeeding and Baby Basics. We were fortunate to have the same instructor as last class, so upon arrival knew that we would be getting a lot of great knowledge from someone who truly knew their subject...
[simage=1076,160,n,right]As Natalie transitions into the 3rd Trimester, it is time for the Glucose Tolerance Test (or the test for Gestational Diabetes). This test is completed in a couple of phases, the first being a 1 hour blood draw after consuming the orange liquid shown in the picture above… Natalie describes it as the most sugary substance known to man...
[simage=1075,160,n,right]So, I am not exactly sure how I came upon it (New York Times article?), but a concept known as Once a Month Cooking or OAMC was something that caught my attention… The idea of spending a day creating and freezing fully prepped meals that just got popped into the oven or a crock pot and would feed us for a month was intriguing…...
[salbumphotos=7,64,4,y,n,title]On September 10th, Peanut got another chance to say hello to the world via Ultrasound at the John Muir Perinatal center in Walnut Creek. Natalie and I were asked back up for a followup appointment to assess the growth of Peanut as there was a marginal cord insertion diagnosed in the last visit. Marginal cord insertion simply means that...
[simage=1074,160,n,right]For anyone that knows me, I am a math/technology person… Hand me a computer, a complex set of equations, even nasty tax forms, and I can pounce on it with the grace and power of a lion going after its nightly meal… Hand me a screwdriver and all bets are off. One of the most memorable moments of our dating relationship was an...
[simage=1073,160,n,right]In the last week, we have been in 5 different states… So, I think that is a fair excuse as to why I have not posted for a while… Natalie has spent the last week in Hawaii with her mom, visiting her sister and I spent a weekend in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana with my cousins, Greg and Jeff sharing a weekend of coasters and...
[simage=1072,160,n,right] On Saturday, Natalie and I spent the day with 40 other expectant parents at “Prepared Childbirth”, an education class for first time parents to introduce the clinical aspects of childbirth (labor, stages of labor, how the birth actually happens, and yes, we watched all of the videos…). Our instructor Faye did an excellent...
[simage=1069,160,n,right] A short post to let everyone know that there is paint on the walls in the new nursery! Many thanks to Dad Moss for the exceptional work (he should charge more given the quality of the finished product) No official pictures for sometime to come, as the Nursery will be a work in progress for some time (some more work on the carpet to come...
[simage=1068,160,n,right]Tuesday night, after work, we headed up to John Muir Hospital for a tour of the Birthing Center and the Labor & Delivery wards. We arrived a few minutes early to a small group (only 6 of us) and we were led on our tour by Gene, a docent who had been giving this introduction for expectant parents for 8 years! As we arrived onto the...
[simage=1067,160,n,right]Another weekend of prep work at the house… Trying to organize 5 years worth of stuff, cleaning it up, and clearing an entire room and closet has been a fun challenge, and we have crossed the first major hurdle. The guest room is now officially the nursery! Granted, it’s still an empty room awaiting paint, decoration, furniture...
[simage=1066,160,n,right]Last night was one of those times where you just want to never forget where you were or what you were doing… (I think I could write Hallmark cards in my spare time, huh?) Although both Natalie and I have felt the “flutter” type of sensation and constantly questioned whether we were actually feeling the baby or just a...
[simage=712,160,n,right]It’s been a couple of weeks since the last posting, and yes, I could have done better about keeping this website updated, but I have a good excuse. We were fortunate to be able to spend 12 days in Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon and seeing some truly amazing country. We were fortunate to have some excellent weather on this trip...
[simage=552,160,n,right]In little more than 4 months, a transition will take place from one doctor to the next as Natalie’s obstetrician will exit stage right as we welcome a new medical expert to help us care for the medical needs of our newborn. The selection of a pediatrician has been a process thus far and we are hoping to narrow down the field in the next...
[simage=545,160,n,right]Somehow the “Be Prepared” mentality is starting to take over and as part of our Birth preparation classes through our hospital, yesterday Natalie and I spent the morning learning Infant and Child CPR. Along with the core basics of infant and child life saving, our instructor (who was really good) also gave us the basics of choking...
[simage=544,160,n,right]Well, it’s been a little while since the last posting… We’re finding that there is a lot to do between now and when Peanut joins the family and we’re making good progress, but wanted to take a quick timeout to celebrate the HALFWAY MARK! Natalie has done a tremendous job with the first 20 weeks of her pregnancy and...
[simage=542,160,n,right]Although I wish I could say that I had some epiphany about the environment or had some mind altering dream that changed the very foundation of who I was and who I am going to be, the fact is that I am cheap. When gas prices rose to a mind blowing $4.00 plus a gallon here in California last year (2008), I pulled the nearly 20 year old mountain...
[simage=543,160,n,right]As we continue to get TAF v3.0 back up to speed, we have completed adding all of the recipes back into the site and these are now available from the Cook menu in the navbar. We now have more than 110 recipes in the database and it seems to only be growing, so stop by and check it what’s cooking in our kitchen! By the way, if you have a...
[simage=541,160,n,right]So, it’s time to start making room for our new addition, so this weekend Natalie and I channeled our best wannabe TLC vision of the show Clean Sweep and we went through the closets in the Master Bedroom and the Guest Bedroom (soon to be the Nursery) and we pulled 10 bags of clothing for donation and set aside a few containers for the...
It has been a while since the website has been updated, so we hope you enjoy the new format. It is a work in progress so please pardon the dust, but we wanted to launch it with the blog and photo gallery from our most recent adventure… the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. We hope that you will check back often as the new site permits us to more easily update you...