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Traveler Talk Back: Erin & Pete

August 28, 2011 By Jillian

I remember the day we sat in Erin and Pete’s apartment in DC and they told us about their Peace Corps adventures. Having played ultimate frisbee together for a few years, we knew each other pretty well and I wasn’t at all surprised to find out that they were also itching to experience a bit more out of life. It was 2008 and they had been accepted into the Peace Corps program and were assigned together to Georgia. A few months later fighting would break out between Georgia and Russia. Sitting around the table we were discussing the Peace Corps program and our upcoming RTW trip. The discussion got a bit animated and before long the four of us were chatting away like excited children about exotic places and new experiences. After many long discussions they decided that Peace Corps wasn’t the right opportunity for them.

A nine months or so later we left on our RTW and they were planning their own RTW trip.  We are so honored and humbled that in our own small way, we helped inspire them to take an RTW.  Inspiring others to follow their dream is by far the best reward we could ever ask for.

In July 2010, Erin and Pete left to travel around the world and eventually move back to their home state of Ohio. Their blog, the scenic route chronicles their long journey home. We met them in Delhi, two days before we left to fly home at the end of our journey. I remember the relief I felt seeing them in the tight corridor of their hotel. Sometimes a hug from a good friend is all you need to remind yourself that it’s going to be ok. We spent the afternoon together chatting away finally glad to be able to talk instead of email. It was emotional leaving them in Delhi. From that afternoon in DC we had both followed our dreams and here we were in Delhi sharing a beer and thali.
SAM_2646
Erin and Pete returned to the U.S. in May 2011. Soon after I interviewed them about the experience coming home.

1. How long did you travel for?  Where did you go?
We traveled for just over 9 months (278 days to be exact!) covering 21 countries, including countries in Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia (including India, SE Asia, China, and Japan), and Australia and New Zealand
2.  Why did you come home?
Our original plan was to be gone for 10 months and so we had pretty much completed our original itinerary.  We also wanted to be back in time for Pete (who is a teacher) to be available for interviews for the next school year.
3. Before coming home, how did you feel about your return?
Honestly, we were ready.  Ready to be in a familiar place where we didn’t have to guess where to eat or sleep every day, ready to hang out with people we had known for longer than a month, ready to wear jeans instead of wicking everything.
4. What was it like to be home the first few weeks?
I think our transition was a bit easier after spending some time in Australia and NZ; we kind of gradually re-Westernized ourselves as we traveled through Japan, Oz and NZ.

We were using our trip as a transition during a move from DC, where we had lived for six years, back to Ohio, where we’re both originally from. Our first several weeks in the US, we spent traveling a lot – we only spent 19 of the first 47 days in NW Ohio (our temporary home base)  From NZ, we made a stop on the West Coast to visit friends and family, then flew home to NW Ohio before heading to DC to visit friends.  After all that, we embarked on a tour of Ohio to do some job-related meetings and interviews.  It was great because we had almost constant reunions with people, but we’re still living out of a suitcase.

5. Tell us a little bit about how you went back to work, or what you were doing when you got home.
We actually started job hunting while we were still on the trip (Pete had a phone interview at 5am in China!), so getting home was a continuation of that hunt but in person instead of via phone and email.  The first week or so we were home we just caught our breath, but soon after that we were ready to start meeting with people/looking for jobs/making plans to visit friends.  We’ve also been gradually getting reaquainted with our stuff, which is stored in my parents’ basement.  As of this week, we are happy to report that we’re both gainfully employed (more luck in my case, but hard work on Pete’s)!  But now we have to figure out moving to our new city, buying a house, etc… etc…
6. How long did it take to feel settled?
Ask me again in 6 months!  We have moments of semi-settled, but it’s hard to be settled when you’re living in someone elses home.  Our parents and friends have absolutely bent over backwards to make us feel welcome, we are ready to have our own space that’s bigger than a bedroom.
7. Looking back on it now, what do you wish you had known before you came home?
It was funny because the first two weeks I was surprised how quickly things got back to normal.  It seemed like the whole trip was just a dream, which was very disconcerting.  I coped by reading travel magazines to reassure myself that yes, we did just travel around the world.  Also, I’m so thankful that we saved enough money as a cushion for when we came home.  Having that safety net made looking for a job less stressful/urgent and allowed us to enjoy time with our friends and family right after we got home.
8. Do you or would you want to long-term travel again?  (If you have plans to go back out, what are they?)
Yes.  I don’t think we would do another 9 month long trip, but who knows.  I would definitely be open to doing a shorter time frame (maybe a month up to 3-4 months) on the road again or doing a longer, more in-depth volunteer experience in one place.  One set of our parents joined us for a month in SE Asia and it was great to see them travel long-term and independently (with us at least) in their retirement years.

You can read more about Erin & Pete’s scenic route home at their blog.

Filed Under: Headline, Journey, Travel Reflections Tagged With: people, profile, travelers

Flashback: Colombia

July 28, 2011 By Jillian

I’m going to tell you a secret. I was scared to travel to Colombia. In fact, when we arrived at the airport in Bogota I was sure things were going to end badly. No matter how many people recounted their love for Colombia, I had a hard time getting over my stereotypes.

City Center, Bogota, Colombia

That was until we met our couchsurfing hosts. They immediately welcomed us into their home with such warmth and hospitality, I was completely blown away. They turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg, everyone we met in Colombia was overwhelmingly friendly, hospitable and genuinely kind. People went out of their way to speak with us on buses and even on the commuter train in Bogota, a place where in the US you don’t speak to anyone! We received countless offers to come for coffee, of assistance and even offers to stay in people’s homes. These were genuine offers, offers that I wish we could have accepted.

When we arrived in Bogota I felt like I had been pushed into the decision to come to Colombia. Buyers remorse I guess, but I seriously questioned whether we had gone too far in our attempt to get off the beaten path. As our taxi weaved through the streets, I was sure we were about to be kidnapped, I had read every horror story on the web, I knew how these cons worked. We weren’t kidnapped, we weren’t robbed by a gun toting drug cartel, in fact we weren’t even hassled by street vendors. It wasn’t the drug cartel run country I was expecting.

Paragliding in San Gil, Colombia

Colombia, was for me, not only an amazing travel experience, but also the country that single handedly taught me what off the beaten track could be. It doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable living on the edge experience. I went paragliding for the first time (and learned a new Spanish word -acro- in the process), swam in the coldest waterfall I’ve ever experienced, biked 40 miles in the hot tropical sun and saw what is still today the most breathtaking museum in the world (Museo de Oro). Locals sang Happy Birthday to me in San Gil, I drank chicha and I learned that cheese and hot chocolate really aren’t a bad combination.

Chocolate and Cheese in Colombia

Colombia shattered my stereotypes. That’s not to say its a secure paradise. It is not for sure, but for all my fear, it was nothing like the wild west I was expecting. Although we’ve had friends who have been robbed in Colombia, I stand resolute in saying that it’s no more dangerous than anywhere else in South America. Colombians constantly offered safety advice on travel routes and I was duly impressed by their determination to push past their recent experience.

San Gil Waterfall, Colombia, Juan curi

To be truly humbled in your life is an experience you’ll never forget. For me, the Colombian people did more than break down my stereotypes; they fundamentally changed the way I think about places, people and things. Colombia so fundamentally changed my way of thinking that the next time an opportunity arose at going to a “dangerous” country, I weighed the risks quite differently than I had before. Some of those “dangerous” countries we went to, others we skipped, but I took the time to really assess the information not just go with my prejudice. Those were some of our favorite countries of the trip, and as we flashback to them I hope I can do them justice.

Filed Under: Flashback, Headline, Journey Tagged With: activities, adventure, people, stereotypes

Photo: Meeting Ali Hippy

July 7, 2011 By Jillian

If you read any travel guide for Lamu, I’m sure they all tell you about Ali Hippy.  He’s a local man makes his living inviting tourists to his home for a traditional dinner and music.  He’s a good salesman and it was a nice experience visiting his thatched hut and meeting his family, mostly because of the atmosphere.

As you can see in the picture his family plays traditional swahili tunes on a variety of instruments.  Some tunes were better than others, but the best part of the whole show were the local children that seemed to pop in for a bedtime song.  Their little faces crowded our reed mats and they even sang a song for us.

We loved spending time on Lamu.  The traditional and genuine swahili hospitality was overwhelming and we felt completely at ease and welcome on the island.  It was a wonderful spot that has found balance between tourism and tradition.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

IF YOU GO: If you’re looking for a beach and a cultural experience, Lamu is a nice alternative to holidays in Mauritus or Zanzibar.  The island is still very traditional, so it certainly lacks the resorts and upscale nature of other beach destinations on the Indian Ocean.  Travelers should remember that the island is very sensitive to Western culture and should be respectful in both their dress and behavior more so than usual.  We had a wonderful cultural experience there, its a nice relaxed place to just hang out and soak it all in.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: culture, lamu, meals, people, sharing

Faces of the World

June 28, 2011 By Jillian

We took over 20,000 pictures on our RTW.  Honestly we’ll likely never go through them all (ahem, Danny took two full photo montages of a not to be named glacier in Argentina), but we do have some favorites.

Taking pictures of people can be tricky.  We usually asked or motioned with our camera before taking a picture of people- especially if the subject matter was a woman or children.  Besides being culturally sensitive, it’s also nice not to be akward when walking around with a camera.  Most subjects wanted to see their picture afterwards and we were happy to show them.  Sometimes they mugged for the camera, most often kids.

Here are some of our favorite shots of people:

IMGP7545Did I say mugging for a camera? Yea, I meant them.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

IMGP2147These women greeted us on our hike and smiled for the camera, but I love the composition of this shot from behind so much better.
Colca Canyon, Peru

IMGP9455It’s certainly a work out. Can you imagine the calluses on his feet?
Ninh-Binh, Vietnam

IMGP1261These people politely obliged our request for a photo, but then again I’m not sure from the expression on their faces that they quite understood.
Lalibela, Ethiopia

IMGP9311This man was painting calligraphy with plain water on the sidewalks around Summer Palace. No idea what the characters mean- do you?
Summer Palace, Beijing, China

IMGP2617This man was thrilled to see us at the Meroe Pyramids at 7am, but less than thrilled when we didn’t want a camel ride.
Meroe, Sudan

IMGP4600I love this shot, its so classically bohemian.
Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic

IMGP7902Have you ever seen a happier farmer? The people of Lesotho loved getting in front of the camera.
Malealea, Lesotho

IMGP0130My favorite Cambodian kid. He took a coke from the cooler, threw it on the ground to open it, drank it, and then asked for an ice cream. Love it!
Siem Reap, Cambodia

These photos were taken on our RTW trip March 2009- December 2010.  Don’t forget to check out our Photo of the Day.  Tell us your favorites and we’ll feature them in an upcoming post!

Filed Under: Headline, Pastimes, Photography Tagged With: kids, people

Photo: Oaxaca Zocalo

May 12, 2011 By Jillian

Oaxaca had one of the liveliest Zocalos (central squares) we’ve ever seen.  Every night the plaza fills with families, vendors, musicians and groups who mill around socializing and enjoying the night.  A living room for the entire community, the plaza served as a place to play games, catch up on the latest news and gossip, grab a bite to eat, have a drink, listen to some music and walk around with your sweetheart.

From the ice cream vendors to souvenir vendors, to home textiles and clothes, everything was for sale in the evening around the plaza.  Children ran about with toys and balloons begging their parents for another treat while teenagers bought their latest romance a flower.  Everywhere you looked people were buying little trinkets for the ones they love.  These women balanced heavy baskets of cut flowers on the head and simply wandered around the plaza looking for an interested party. I think business was pretty brisk for them given the number of couples in the plaza.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

carrying flowers on their head

Mexico turned out to be one of our favorite countries of the entire trip.  There’s so much more to the country beyond cheap package holidays – we spent a month exploring regions beyond the beaches and had a wonderful time.  From mountains and canyons to jungles and ancient ruins, Mexico is a great place to get a taste of adventure.

Filed Under: photos Tagged With: flowers, people, plaza

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