in a faraway place called San Diego, there lived a family by the name of Jones. They walked through life as most people do, working, acquiring home, things, children, and yet dreaming.

Mike (the Dad), who started his career in marine biology research, had become a software engineer and worked his way up to management level at companies like Home Federal, Britannica, and Lightspan. He made good money and kept his dreams going with a boat and a large tropical fish tank. But he always longed, in his heart of hearts, to return to a more nature-centric lifestyle, like the one he had as a youth in Guam. He wanted to swim every day with the fishes, in clear, warm water.

Then one day, as had happened several times in previous years, he lost his job. This time was different. He didn't like what war was doing to the country; he didn't like what growth was doing to San Diego; fires had destroyed many favorite mountain trails; and he didn't like what the dot-bomb fallout had done to his prospects. He decided that instead of looking for more of the same, he wanted a big change. He proposed selling the house and leaving.

He convinced the family that they should buy a boat and explore, perhaps linger, in the Caribbean. They sold the house, took the profit, and set forth for a midlife hiatus.

What about the others?

Johanna (the Mom), freelance tech/web writer, who loved her house, neighborhood and the beaches, didn't instantly warm to the proposal. However, she did harbor a burning wish to engage in creative projects. She had an inkling change would do her good. Plus, she really, truly loves to sail.

Richard from the very beginning was obsessed with nature and animals: Richard once wished for a green iguana so desperately that higher powers miraculously manifested a very large one for him in the backyard swimming pool. The iguana ("Ig"), the geckos, and a collection of frogs and salamanders lived happily with Richard in his room, and he took sole responsibility for their maintenance. Once a week, he would volunteer in the Herpetology Dept. at the Natural History Museum in Balboa Park, where he learned all manner of technical (to the non-professional, disgusting) skills. On weekends, he enjoyed surfing at the San Diego beaches and "herping" in the local canyons.

He was very happy there, but did not mind trading the uncertainties of high school for homeschool. Besides, think of the diving and herping! He would be ecstatic in the islands.

Christopher from the very beginning liked to test the world. He was always inventing contraptions that would "do things," or experimenting with recipes and reactions (e.g., Pledge sprayed in a burning candle). Christopher loved the beach even more than the rest of the family and was an avid windsurfer and skim-boarder. When the whole family took sailing lessons, Christopher was the least afraid to bury the rail for maximum speed.

He was happy there, but more than anyone else except his Dad, he loved this plan. He wanted this adventure to happen. We'd have a big boat! A windsurfing board! Homeschool sounded good (he's probably changed his mind since); life would be great!

They sold a good many belongings, gave a good many away, put more in storage, and then fit what they needed into an RV. They drove cross-country, stopping at national parks and homes of relatives, with the goal of reaching the East Coast and finding the perfect boat. And so the Odyssey began.