Full Circle

Happy August 1st Friends!!

I think it's really neat that you can find amazing prints like this online archived on the Conde Nast website. Honestly; is there anything more fitting to welcome August than an Olympic centered cover of The New Yorker....from 1960!?!?

Sidenote:: I know it was only 12 years ago, but I really miss the 20th century.

Now- If you are anything like me you eyeballs have been glued to the telly while you are holding your breath and waiting for Michael Phelps to become the most decorated Olympian of {ALL} time.

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It's odd that all around me {I have a brother going into 8th grade} summer is "winding down" and kids are getting ready to go back to school this Monday. MAJOR yuck!! I on the other hand am still enjoying summer and planning my lessons for school that doesn't start for another 5 weeks. This is what I love to refer to as a perk of homeshooling:)

In other wonderful news we are moving into our new place tomorrow!!

Let me say that again...WE ARE MOVING INTO OUR NEW PLACE TOMORROW!!

I am really excited to finally sit down and put my fingers to work as I unravel the story that has been in the making for the last two months. From South America to the USA it's going to be a fun story you won't want to miss. Maybe when all is said and done you will understand why my friends have started playing "Where in the world is Etheline" {insert Carman Sandiego music here}

Good night friends<3 Sound off in the comments below and share with me your favorite even to watch during the Olympics thus far.

xO- Etheline

Dang- is that the date already??

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I'm sitting on the sofa biting my nails because I know I've been a naughty blogger lately. Sorry!! You know-- it's not in my nature to be mysterious, but I can't talk about it {what's happening} and I can't talk about why.

Can anyone name that movie?? {Think men-- think classic-- think 11+1}

It's like when someone says don't tell....and all you wanna do is tell. So as previously stated I'm avidly hunting for other things to keep me more than preoccupied. Unfortunately my blogging has suffered from it, but I am still here!! I'm still loving comments you leave for me and also reading up on your lives as well. You guys always have the greatest bits of wisdom that some how fit so perfectly in my life at any given moment.

One thing I can divulge is that Royal has been otherwise preoccupied for over  3 weeks now. Ans as luck would have it that aforementioned preoccupation hasn't allowed for us all to be together. I miss him most fiercely. My heart aches for him and I long for the day when we are reunited. When I finally can feel his strong arms wrap around me and bask in the feeling of my bones melting and the invisible knots that have formed begin to loosen and then disappear. When all is right in the world again because we are together. It's amazing to me how much power his mere presence has over me. So because I am having a {massive} "I miss Royal moment" I'll leave you with this quote from a master storyteller.

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So, now having heard my "tragedy" tell me-- what is your favorite Shakespear anything....quote, play, factoid?? Shout off below in the comments.  Ready-- Set-- Go---->

xO-Etheline

all by myself

This post is all about misdirection today. Here, let me show you...

This is me {no, not really} as I'm sitting here on my typewriter laptop drumming my fingers on the keys trying to figure out a way to navigate today's post. I'm getting no where fast, I'll tell you this much. 

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Life is indescribably hectic right now for our family of 5. Exciting, but hectic. We have tons of possibilities popping up at every corner {thank you Heavenly Father} but this doesn't make things easier necessarily. The worst part is:: I have to keep a lid on it all. I hate secrets, folks! Hate!! I can't spill any of these amazing things right now and it's killing me. I feel like a kid who is bouncing up and down and at any second could burst and let the cat out of the bag.

So until I can spill I have instead decided to keep myself preoccupied with things like this-- 

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and this....

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Well Audrey here has read my mind I'm gonna scoot before I spill the beans. Don't worry though-- you won't be in the dark forever friends. As soon as we have something concrete the flood gate will be lowered! Trust!!

-xO- Etheline

A Few of My Favorite Things

While I am out on the road seeing this beautiful world I decided to think up some creative series to introduce that I can crack out fairly quickly since I need to focus mostly on Dissect the Planet. Although, seeing as how Dissect the Planet is a more professional platform I still am keeping Her Eclectic Life up and running so that I can have a place to laugh, cry, and share my emotions with old friends and new friends. Hope you will stick around for all the exciting things to come. Don't forget to check out the first new series post "Words To Live By" here, and tune in every Tuesday for new and uplifting words.

And without further ado:: Series 2:: A Few of My Favorite Things

Current style icon: Rooney Mara

Current go to for clothing:

Current favorite web addiction: Polyvore

Current favorite destination: Bogota, Colombia

Current favorite tunes:

Currently craving: Really amazing Mexican

Currently reading:

These are just some of the things that brighten my day, and after a long rainy weekend here in Bogota, I have been listening to loads of Dianna Ross and the Supremes. What are some of the things that bring happiness to your day?

x0- Etheline

What we're really up to--

As some of you may know we have turned our lives upside down in a pretty dramatic fashion in the last 6 months.If you are new to this news, please grab a drink, have a seat, and let me tell you all about it--

My husband, Tyson, and I have been married almost 6 years. We have been blessed with 3 beautiful children, two boys and a girl, ages 5,3, and 1. We have been residing in Atlanta, Georgia for the past 5 years and bought our house there 2 years ago. Life was moving pretty wonderfully. We had ups and downs like all, but over we had it good.

In the last year however, we had decided that as much fun as this was we wanted more from life. We didn't want to have to wait until we passed our prime to enjoy the fruits of our labors and travel the world, and weren't about to let the fact that we had small children stop us. I have been (and planning) to homeschool our kids and the two ideas seemed as two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.

We made the opportunity to take our family and explore this beatiful world we live in. Life is to short to not grab every chance you get to meet new people and explore different cultures. We kept a few precious momentos that, in the end added up to about nine 18 gallon plastic totes, and sold everything else we owned. We purged over and over until it was gone, by way or garage sale, craigslist, and donations.

In the beginning of April our family grabbed our Osprey backpacks and passports and boarded a plane for our first destination; Bogota, Colombia.

We will be staying for 6 months and have created a website were we hope you will follow along and share with your friends. The idea is to share and inspire as many as we can. The world is a big place, but everyone knows someone:)

Please visit Dissect The Planet and follow our families adventures.

xO- Etheline

In which I reveal partial secrets

Several of you have asked where are you going, why are you going, how long are you going, and how are you paying for all of this?? Well, I'm going to you my darlings.

Let's start off with the most popular question shall we?

1. Where are you going?

We were originally planning on going to Prague, as some of you know, but due to hike in airline prices {nasty business} we reverted to another location that was on the short list. After careful thought and prayer we decided on a place, bought the airline tickets for all 5 of us and we leave the first week in April.

*Yes, I did notice I didn't say were we are actually going; we are keeping that top secret a little while longer.

2. How long are you going for?

We will be in our first destination for 6 months. Ideally the plan is to continue on from there with more travel, but we may have to come back home for a while and regroup/take care of a few things before we go back out. All in all, extended travel is the plan.

3. Why are you going?

I have lived in my dream house for just about 2 years now. We have updated the kitchen, spruced up the back yard, painted every room, installed hardwood throughout the entire bottom floor, renovated bathrooms and our dining room and have had a blast doing it. We have played together and laughed together, welcomed a new baby, and helped out family members in this home. It's not that we aren't happy here, but if I'm being honest with you all, Georgia is not a place I've ever wanted to call home forever. We are northeastern folks. Five years in Georgia is enough for us.

Instead of plotting the next places we want to spend 5 years waiting to be bored yet again we thought why not do something radical. Have you looked at a map lately? There is a whole lot of world out there. So many people to meet and cultures to experience. In our family we home school and the plan to see the world just fit together so perfectly. The idea of learning through hands on experiences resonates with me so strongly that one can only ask, what better way can we teach our children about the world than by exploring it together as a family?

4. How are you paying for this?

Well I think the biggest way we can afford to do this is the fact that we are totally debt free. No student loans, credit card debt, car payments, etc. We are finding it leaves us with extra funds to play with.

We are in talks with a home management company so that we can rent our home out while we are away. So that makes our mortgage payment a nice little wash.

Besides special keepsakes, everything else we own is being sold to friends or via craigslist to help fund this adventure. We are going to be using it so why not get rid of it.

Royal has the ability to work from anywhere. He is currently the IT director for an Atlanta based company, and is also a contract employee for other local companies. If he is hired via elance to build a website for a company to bring in some extra cash he can do it from our back deck or a mountain base camp in Nepal. {presuming they have internet at said base camp...lol} It really is a beautiful thing.

Well I hope this clears up some questions that you may have had. If not...please do NOT hesitate to ask. I'd love to answer them.

Happy trails,
Etheline

In which I make a front page announcement

In my relationship with my husband this how things go when it comes to new things:

Royal: (totally stoked) Lets do this- it will be awesome!!

Me: (kicking and screaming, finger nails clawed in dirt as I'm being drug to see the light) No you can't make me!!

Not in a horrible way mind you, I just..well; I can be stubborn.

Then a few weeks pass and I'm totally on board. I come to see the light. He can be very persuasive. Have you met him?

More often than not though things come up that we are both on board right away. Like traveling, no need for theatrics there.. Another thing we agree on is the idea that we shouldn't have to wait until after we retire to explore and see the world.

So we decided to do something about it. Something that people constantly ask, "You're doing what? Why?" (or...we get; that's cool). We have decided to go against the normal idea of the norm and make our own blue print. As of right now we are makingtthe preparations to go to Prague in the beginning of April. For 3 months.

In true blog fashion I will document the journey and will start off with some follow up posts about why Prague and the preparations that we will be making in order to get going. Stay tuned. You won't wanna miss this.

xo- Etheline