Purpose and intent of this blog

So Gary works for Genentech a company that manufactures cancer treating drugs. His company acknowledges that this is hard work. So to reward all these smart people they make them go on sabbatical EVERY six years. They want their people to stay smart and innovate so they say go away for six weeks and come back with great ideas. If it weren't for Genentech -- our family wouldn't be taking this awesome trip and doing it as our fivesome genetic unit. We are so grateful to the DNA folks. Beth works for an equally cool company -- Levi Strauss & Co. a native California company that has been around for 160 years. Beth just started with LS&Co. four weeks ago and she never stops talking about jeans and khakis and the company's focus on innovation, sustainability, heritage and the fact that you can get yummy lattes early in the morning and in the later afternoon for free. She hopes to take great pictures of her family in their Levis gear to celebrate this wonderful company. We have three kids going on this trip. Our oldest Madelyn gave up her new driver's license, texting regularly with friends and all the fun of back to school shopping to go on this trip. But we are thrilled she is coming as she will be a junior at St. Ignatius Prep in San Francisco and we know her college plans will send her far away from us. She plans to contribute to the blog when she isn't working on her summer reading list, reading history lessons and working on her core journal. Our boys Charlie and Ben will be entering 8th grade and 6th grade at BIS Middle School this fall. They have not let us forget that they will give up MineCraft, the video game with Scout, reruns of Full House and hanging out on Burlingame Ave to come on this trip. They are also forced to contribute to the blog with content about the countries we are visiting along with providing technical help for any blog issues we come across. So the point of the blog is to express family opinions and chronicle our adventures. But if you have any thoughts or suggestions on where we should go post a comment. We need ideas for our travels.