Champa and I have had a wonderful life, filled with family, friends and colleagues we treasure. We wouldn’t trade any of it. But after more than 35 years of working 9 to 5 — actually, often more than that — we’ve decided to make a change. This past Tuesday, I stepped down from my position at Duke University, where I served as the head of news and communications for nearly 14 years. (The photo was taken at the farewell party they held for us. I don’t expect to be wearing a tie again anytime soon.)

In three days, we’re heading off on a two-month trip across the United States. We’ll be driving across the top of the country, to Seattle, then down the Pacific Coast to San Diego. From there, we’ll drive east across the bottom of the country, through Texas, eventually working our way back to Durham. After a brief break, we’ll depart for another two months, this time to Nepal, where we met back in 1977. And after that … well, who knows? We’re taking these trips to help us figure out the answer.

We invite you to make the journey with us. Are you ready? We are.