A bit of background....

So, how did this trip come about? Last year Laura moved all the way from New York to Seattle to attend Bastyr University. She had hoped to include some of the West Coast in her road trip out here but unfortunately ended up not having time.

In September of 2007 Laura and I met at orientation for Bastyr's Masters in nutrition program. We got on "like a house on fire" from the moment she sat next to me at the departmental orientation party. Our friendship was firmly cemented after I talked her into co-teaching a cooking class with me for 4-6 year olds at the YMCA, which we barely survived. We spent so many hours together in the early months of our program studying and doing projects that I think it's safe to say I saw more of Laura than I did of my husband for a good six months.

The very first week or so we met Laura mentioned her disappointment in not being able to see the Pacific Ocean on her journey across America and mentioned wanting to take a trip to Southern California and back before her time in Seattle ends. I immediately volunteered to be her co-pilot, and we have been planning this trip ever since. Almost a year later we are about to begin our journey-- one I have taken several times as I lived in Southern California for 5 years in college, and so I feel a bit like the tour guide, though it has been several years since I have been to any of our destinations.

Laura and I have matching assistant jobs to two very busy dietitians in Seattle who share a practice. As we drive we will be making daily stops to check voice mail and make reminder calls as part of our jobs. I imagine the search for wireless internet and possibly cell phone coverage will cause a number of unexpected adventures, but we are used to such nonsense together.

We will be stopping at University of California at San Francisco to talk with the internship director there, and giving ourselves a tour of the VA Hospital in San Diego since the internship director there refused to meet with us, citing a busy schedule. There will also be frequent trips to Whole Foods, Wild Oats and any other entertaining grocery stores along the way, since Laura and I get great pleasure out of wandering through health food stores.

This trip will also be a gluten and dairy free adventure, which is old hat for me, since I have had a long time allergy to dairy and discovered a gluten allergy earlier this year. Laura is joining me in my gluten-free existence as an experiment. I promise a gluten and dairy free road trip IS possible, it just requires some planning ahead, and no stops at yucky road side diners, which I can't imagine we would have eaten at anyway.

So now, with less than three days to go until our adventure begins we are frantically trying to wrap up work, gather our supplies (fitting it all in the car will be the first challenge!) and finalize our route. (And a much cooking and shopping on my part so my poor husband doesn't starve while I'm gone!)

There will be much laughter, lots of singing to bad pop music and musical soundtracks, girly attempts at roughing it, and general mayhem-- we will share as much as we can with you on this blog-- we're all in for and adventure!