We are getting quite close to another milestone on our big RTW… We’re almost to the point where we have been back to “real life” for as long as we were away.

One year ago today, we were exploring the colorful, lively markets of Mae Sot, Thailand!

We have returned to the jobs we took leave from, each with some exciting new challenges and difficulties. But, overall, it has been a bit of a difficult transition for us both.

One year ago this month, we were creating tasty Thai dishes in Chiang Mai.

One year ago this month, we were playing with elephants in a Karen village in Northern Thailand.

There are definitely some things that we love about being back. Things like:

1. Being able to see family and friends often and feeling more connected to the lives of the people we care about. Despite the fact that the worldwide web gave us the opportunities to stay in touch really well, we did feel like we were out of sync with a lot of the people we care most about. It is nice to be able to see them often.
2. Having access to a washer and dryer (mostly a dryer!!) any time we want! After living with really limited clothing options in really hot, humid climates, it is still really lovely to be able to put on clean clothes every day. Dryers are an especially amazing thing: delivering warm, soft, pleasant smelling clothes every time! Della, in particular, used to hate doing laundry, but now she appreciates it.
3. Everyday conveniences of the first world. Not surprisingly, it has been nice to get back the relatively quick internet speeds, the diverse array of appliances, and the dependable hot water of home. We really have begun to appreciate it even more often than we did before we went away.
4. The comfort of our own home. There is definitely something to be said for having your own space… A place where you can keep “stuff” that you don’t need at any particular moment. The comfort of our own bed, the familiarity of our own rooms, and the ease of having our own cars has definitely been nice.
5. A regular routine. We put this one last, because it has been nice, but also difficult and restrictive at the same time. While on the road, the freedom was amazing, but it was also a challenge. There was no normal. Decisions were required all the time, for every moment. Things like what to eat, where to go, and how to get there were constant questions. There is a comfort in having a routine again and knowing what comes next.

11 months ago today, we were celebrating Eric’s birthday by kayaking the karsts of Cat Ba, Vietnam!

However, despite our enjoyment of the list above, we have still felt… despondent at times. Somehow, regular life just isn’t as much fun as traveling. (Surprise, surprise!) We miss the constant stimulation, the excitement of getting outside of comfort zones, the beauty of the world, the exploration of other cultures, the challenges of figuring out new places that we don’t understand, the spontaneity, and just plain thrill of being on the road. 

On July 13, 2014 we were exploring the roads of Botswana – and even facing down a hyena and Camp Khwai!

For those reasons, we’re happy to say that recently, we were able to purchase tickets for not one, but two trips abroad in the upcoming year!

On Aug 13, 2014 we were doing an early morning beer tasting in Munich at the oldest continuously functioning brewery in the world….

…. before meeting up with Eric’s parents in Prague!

For spring break, we are thrilled to be meeting our friend Phill, who is currently on his RTW, in Nicaragua for a whirlwind week exploring Ometepe, Granada, and Leon. If you have any must-dos, please share.

13 months ago, we had just finished an awesome week with Phill in Bali!

In addition, we were able to purchase tickets for our honeymoon this summer. We took a long time to decide where we wanted to visit for this trip, considering places like Iceland, Scandanavia, Italy, and the Greek Isles. We ultimately decided to do what we should have done to finish our RTW, had we not come home early: Japan! We had already done a bit of planning for this final country, and are quite excited to explore it. Again, any recommendations would be welcome!

We’re super excited to be strapping on our packs again!