July 24, 2015

It's hard to believe that it has been one year since we began this adventure. It truly doesn't feel like it at all, probably because it feels like it is summer all the time. We are still in Southeast Asia and are working on our plan for the future.

I am unsure of what would be the best type of post to commemorate such an occasion. Lists are always favorable....Top lessons learned, best and worst travel moments, etc. For now, I think I will just post some of our travel facts to date.

Number of countries visited: 18

Type of travel

Number of flights (including layovers): 27

Number of trains: 16, 3 were overnight trains

Number of large buses: 9, 2 were overnight buses

Four boats, two rental cars and one rental motor bike. Countless taxis, Tuk tuks, vans and city trains.

Type of Accommodations

Apartments or condos: 16

Hotels: 10

Hostels: 14

B&B/Inn: 2

Houses: 7

Homestays: 7

Cabins: 2

Clothing

We have only two pairs of shoes each (hikers and sandals) plus flip flops (except Liam) which have proven to be most valuable. For the last six months we have mainly worn shorts and t-shirts. I have 3 pair of shorts, 5 shirts and two travel skirts. I purchased a sort of one piece sleeveless, very casual type of house dress in Tanzania and this became my 'uniform' after showers or just lounging. I quite enjoy the minimalist lifestyle, but doing laundry can be difficult sometimes.

Maeve bought the most clothes on the journey - no surprise there. We have only purchased what we needed, so we don't have any souvenirs. That makes travel easier. Our photos and blog will serve as reminders of our experiences.

I would be remiss if I did not mention a few family favorites.

Favorites

Maeve's favorite place was The Black Sheep Inn in central Ecuador. She enjoyed the outdoors, hikes and house cats. Her favorite food was potato tapas in Barcelona. They were served in a little place inside the open market. She also loved the salad made from leaves that were cut fresh off the plant at our table.

Liam's favorite city was Dubai. Everyone was rich and he particularly enjoyed the fancy cars and buildings (Interesting because other than that, he was enjoying the countryside of most places). He also loved the evening desert safari there. No shock that Emirates was his favorite airline too.

It is definitely difficult to narrow down a favorite for me, but a very special moment was our time with the elephants at the Happy Elephant Home. We enjoyed excellent company (people and elephants) for an overall magical day. As far as destinations, I am still a fan of Europe. It is a nice mix of old and new. I definitely want to explore more.

Michael enjoyed the wide open spaces and the physical beauty of Chile, the wine and meat of Argentina, and the food and light in Barcelona. His list continues with the hospitality of the Vietnamese and Cambodians and meeting our lovely new friends in Tanzania, Portugal and Dubai.

We are incredibly thankful for the time we spent together and our experiences this past year. We have acquired new friends; many who were kind enough to let us stay with them.

So it looks like our travel for now will come to a halt. Maeve and Liam are craving some stability and actually want to go to school. Yes, I will be reminding them that this was their desire. Liam has already confirmed this, but has stated that it doesn't mean he likes school. We will make a quick stop in Chicago before heading to St. John's, Newfoundland. where a new adventure will begin.

Until then, I have plenty of posts to write and update, so stay tuned.