Today is September 3rd, 2008.  Rachel and I have purchased our tickets - one-way tickets, that is - to Palau.  Yep, we're diving in, taking the plunge and just going for it.  See, we recently picked up the sport of Standup Paddling and we recently returned from a month-long adventure in Palau.  So, we've decided to try both at once.  We're heading to Palau to start a business, rather an adventure, called Standup Paddle Palau.

We believe that the beautiful, calm waters of Palau inside the reef are perfect for distance SUP boarding.  So, we'll leave our cushy home in Santa Barbara, CA and head out and see what we can make happen.  Someone once said (and Rachel says this a lot!) that life is just a daring adventure or nothing at all!  

Our departure date is set for November 16th, 2008.  Before that time, we have a LOT to figure out.  Like how do we get our stuff there?  How and/or where do we buy the boards so they can be shipped from the closest location - we hear they are made in Vietnam, so that would cost a lot less if we could get them directlly shipped from there.  Should we take the latte maker?  What about our coconut ice cream?  Ok, so there will be some things we'll have to live without, but I am NOT leaving home without the bread machine or my Bamboo towels.

Then there is the minor detail of finding a place to live.  We'll arrive in Palau on November 17th, with no friends to pick us up from the airport and no place to live.  At this point, we will probably stay at the Desekel hotel for a few nights until we sort things out.  And do we need a business license in Palau and insurance and how will this affect our taxes?  All things we will be learning over the course of the next year.

Stay tuned for future updates on our preparations for Palau.  The internet is a bit spotty there, so the updates once there may become a bit less frequent, but they will still be here - so come back and leave us comments too - we'd love to hear from all of you!