Who's Going and Why?

I wanted to use the blog to give everyone details about the trip and answer questions. Two of the most common questions I have been getting are "Who is going?" and "Why are you going?" (Travelers, If I leave anything out, please feel fee to add to what I've listed.) Here goes it.

Travelers:

1. Kate - I am Kate. I am married to Ron. Ron went to law school with Brad, Ann Marie and Jennifer. We have all been good friends for quite a while. Ann Marie and I work together at ASU, Ron and Brad have a law firm together, and I used to work with Jennifer. I am leaving two small children and a husband at home to take this trip. I've traveled abroad before and am excited to share this experience with the others. (For the record, Ron and the kids were originally going to go on the trip with us. After much thought and deliberation, we decided that the kids were not ready for this big of a trip. Ty is 5 and Cody is 3. The airplane trip alone would have been ROUGH!) Grandparents, Auntie and Uncle Peter are going to help Ron out while I am gone.
   
   
2. Ann Marie - Ann Marie celebrated a "special" birthday this year. (I will leave it to her to tell you how old she is) New Zealand is her dream trip. A bunch of us started celebrating our "special" birthdays in a big way a couple of years ago. Ann Marie had not been out of the country and had always wanted to go to NZ. So . . . we are doing it! Ann Marie is the wife of Brad and mom of Mikaela and Zach.
   
   
3. Brad - Brad is Ann Marie's husband. I think he is brave for traveling with all of us ladies. Luckily, he has his son Zach with him. Brad is a busy attorney, dad, and softball coach. I think he has travel abroad before but it has been several years.
   
   
4. Mikaela - Mick, 14, is a freshman in high school. This is the first time travelling out of the country. She is now on break from school and softball.
   
   
5. Zach - Zach is our youngest traveler at age 11. He is on break from Middle school and baseball! The only other guy besides Brad on the trip.
   
   
6. Jennifer - Law School friend of Ron, Brad and Ann Marie. She is also the girlfriend of Kate and Ann Marie. She has probably traveled more than all of us. She once did a cruise around the world! She is taking an overdue vacation. It will be a big break for her. Jennifer and I have vacationed together for the past 5 years to San Diego. We will be roommates with Helen during this adventure.
   


7. Helen - Helen is my mother-in-law. She is 72. She has always wanted to go to New Zealand! As a bi-lingual educator she has always been intrigued by the Maori culture. We invited her to go with us and she was very excited. She immediately started working on getting her birth certificate. Since she was born on the Navajo reservation in a hogan, she never received a birth certificate. Getting one was quite a challenge for her. Luckily, one of her elderly aunts who was in the hogan when she was born signed an affidavit that she witnessed Helen's birth. Once her birth certificate was received, she was able to get a passport. This will be Helen's first trip abroad. I'm excited to escort her on this journey.