All great journeys take preparation and this one is no different. For several days now, Alisha and I have been packing and making check lists (OK, Alisha makes the checklists) as we prepare to leave for training at 5:30 a.m. this Sunday morning.

I figured that, as skeptical as I am of blogging as a form of meaningful communication, having a site such as this would allow some of the many people who have supported us thus far in our fund-raising ventures the opportunity to "tag along" as we journey across the ocean.

We are unsure how accessible the Internet will be once we fly out from Pennsylvania on Tuesday evening, so this could be a big flop. If that is the case, our apologies!

To all of you reading this who have supported us so far, you have our deepest thanks. For those of you who are just joining us, buckle up -- the adventure is just beginning!

P.S. If any of you have traveled overseas before and have any advice regarding what to bring/what to leave at home, we would appreciate your words of wisdom!