So long ...San Francisco

Day 1 of the 2010 worldwide scavenger hunt started in San Francisco at 3 PM on Friday with a "rules and regulations" meeting followed by a "meet and greet" dinner. Once again there are new rules. This year, instead of just trying to amass as many points as possible, each rally leg becomes it own unique competition. If you win a leg – your score is then 1 (for being first) multiplied by the value of the leg (which is weighted according to how long, difficult and paralyzing that country is - anything from a 1 to a 6). To win, you have to get the LOWEST score at the end of the 25 days. It makes the trip harder because you cannot build up a lead and then slow down in one rally or even take a day off. You have to go out hard every day. It keeps the trip competitive for everyone until the last day. And it will certainly make all of us up our game.

There are a great group of competitors this year: Carol & Rebecca (Carol was in the 2002 hunt and came back this time with her grown daughter); Brian and Sammy (a very adventurous couple from Dubai who actually arrange adventure races for a charity called "Gulf for Good"), Kit & Joanne (a returning team from the 2008 Hunt who were great competitors last time), Barbara and Mom (who are both exceptional travelers),

Heidi and Lily (my sister and 13 year old niece who is so excited she has not slept in nights in anticipation).

And .. last but not least ...April and Travis (April, our office manager, and her 7 foot former-NBA basketball player friend who we all have bets will really turn some heads in the Far East). A nice sized group. And US... the most excited team in the group.

At dinner, we learned that we are leaving for Hong Kong tonight … YEAH…. I have never been to Hong Kong (at least not out of the airport)… can’t wait.