I have been putting off writing this entry for weeks. How do I summarize the events of the past year of my life? What words could possibly do justice to the incredible things I've experienced? And how do I begin to grasp that it's over?
Twelve months. Fifteen countries. SEVENTY THOUSAND kilometers. Eighty beds. Nineteen flights. Hundreds of new friends. Just the two of us.
Being home is completely surreal. In many ways, it feels like we never left. Which doesn't feel quite fair somehow. It seems like things should be different. It seems like I should be different. How is this life the same one that I left in 2009?
One of the most remarkable things I can say about this trip is how EASY it was. Embarking on this adventure, there were so many unknowns. So many fears and concerns about safety and security and stability. But the fact is, it was a piece of cake. Really. We didn't get robbed or lost or injured or sick of each other. We didn't cut the trip short or go into debt or ever for a moment question our decision.
But we did make a remarkable dream come true.
We did learn how to greet a stranger in Portuguese, order sheesha in Arabic, count in Swahili, and say thank you in Hindi.
We did get invited into strangers' homes, for lunch or a drink or a three week stay.
We did hike on a glacier. Make that two glaciers.
We did watch the sun rise over a dozen different horizons.
We did hike to Machu Picchu, get soaked by Iguazu Falls, party at Carnival, safari in the Serengeti, ride a camel to the Pyramids, watch the sun set over the Taj Majal, and live in a camper van for two months.
We did dive with great white sharks, ride ostriches, pet tigers and eat guinea pigs.
We did walk play soccer with schoolkids in the slums.
We did celebrate Ramadan with family across the globe.
We did eat new foods and meet new people and try new things. Every single day.
We did grow closer than we ever were before.
And we lived to tell about it.
December 2009 |
December 2010 |