The Halfway Check In
Wow, I can't believe that we are already halfway through our unforgettable year. So far we have met great people, seen a lot of amazing places and the most importantly enjoyed it together.
Upon Libby firmly asking me to write this section I realize how happy I am that I am no longer in college with writing assignments and due dates, they were the bane of my existence.
For me the first six months have been a whirlwind. Twenty flights, twelve boat trips, ten countries, eight languages, about 7,000 miles driving in van, car and motorbike, and dozens of city bus, train, tram, and tuk-tuk rides. It all amounts to a lot of movement. We have been in go-mode since we have left. I have enjoyed covering so much ground and the variety has made these six month very interesting and memorable. Looking ahead to our next 6 months we will visit more countries but far fewer flights and much less distance to cover. I am looking forward to the month of May where we are spending two weeks in our own apartment in both Dubrovnik and Split Croatia, as well as having friends come out to visit for twelve of those days.
Things Ive learned :
Its important to have good company. Although I have enjoyed everyday of the last 6 months, I don't think I would have been happy or even kept going if I didn't have Libby. Doing it together has been the reason the trip has been so good thus far. I do miss friends and my Mom and Rick so being able to see lots of people this summer in Europe will be a nice perk.
The van life is a good life. I really enjoyed having a home on wheels in Australia and New Zealand. It is something I will want to do again and would be great to do in the western US, Canada, Alaska.
1. If you want the best beaches go to Australia.
2. If you want the best scenery and variety of landscapes go to New Zealand.
3. If your visiting SE Asia its important to go the correct time of year. We went at in ideal time but if you go during the monsoon season or high summer you will have to live indoors in your AC room.
4. Visiting the main Asian hot spots is easy but its tricky to get to smaller towns or places off the beaten path. Outside of the big cities or attractions it was hard for us to find places to stay, or get transportation to them which is why we stuck to the usual spots. It would be great to visit more of the countryside in Asia but logistically it was very challenging to do that.
5. If you have the chance to go to the Maldives, take it ! Try a few different islands
6. Best food has been in Istanbul and Greece so far.
7. Buy a good camera and even a drone ! I only have my Iphone 7 as my camera perhaps I could of brought a nice one, but then its just one more thing to carry. The drone has been cool to have and I have enjoyed flying it, I can teach you if you want to learn.
After many many meals, layovers and car rides I can say that Jesse and I are starting to get the hang of this. Where something small used to overwhelm us, we now know it isn't worth the time stressing because it will all work out. Jesse has been an amazing travel agent and has opened me to a new world. I appreciate his kindness and most of all his patience. All in all I think I will keep him!
I have really enjoyed being able to see the difference in day to day lives of different cultures. In the US we are very fast paced, always on the go, which in many ways is good because that means we are contributing to the economy so we can have jobs, but that also doesn't allow us to take a step back and enjoy the small things that make us happy. On the opposite side, in Asia they didn't have the opportunities like we do for work. Instead they were cooking from items only grown in their garden rather than a grocery store, or they were making their own herbal medicine because doctors weren't readily available or something as easy as making soap. Not that I want to go live in the middle of the woods, but I enjoyed knowing where the products I used came from. I do love my pizza Lunchables from time to time, but I think that when I am home I will enjoy making my own products and produce.
Libby's Lessons Learned:
1. Leave the directions and navigation to Jesse
2. Find where your products come from. The US is filled with the big brand and easy to grab items, but a lot of the items you can make yourself.
3. Turn off the TV and cell phone and get out.
4. It is good to get out of your comfort zone. All though scuba diving was a "holy shit why am I doing this" kind of moment, I have found a new hobby.
5. Don't worry about the small things. A lot of people live a very different life than us and they do it with a smile on their face.
6. Ditto on van life. It was awesome!
1. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is amazing. We have gotten about $2,500 worth of airline tickets on points and have utilized the lounge pass as if it were our second home. That was not a plug, but Chase if you want to sponsor us... wink wink.
2. Stay flexible. I know this is hard to do for shorter trips, but if you are traveling for a while than stay flexible with dates. More specifically if you are traveling to locations that don't need much planning ie Asia (not Europe in the summer). We had considered going to the Maldives when we were in the US, but it was SO expensive. We figured flights and places to stay were expensive no matter what, but we looked up flights one afternoon about a month out and found great options for a good price.
3. Insulated water bottle. So far we have traveled to a lot of locations where you cannot drink the tap. Some accommodations provide water, but not enough for a full day. We would buy gallon water jugs and fill it as needed into our water bottle rather than buying a new plastic water bottle every time we needed one. Save the earth!
4. Buy Local. For the most part you can go into a 7/11 and get you basic items, but instead try a local joint. They are going to be much kinder and helpful to you and will have better items with fresh local ingredients.
5. Tip. Be a good ambassador of the US. We want people to think of Americans as kind and generous. In most cases especially in Asia where the dollar went far we would leave extra tip for the waiters or guides. A little goes a long way and they are very appreciative.
6. Stay organized. With so many flights, buses and accommodations it would be easy to lose an email. Jesse and I both have organized our inboxes by country so that we can easily find a confirmation email. Most hotels will want your confirmation number when you check in or when you are traveling to another country some airports will want proof that you have a flight out of that country before letting you on the plane. Jesse utilizes many apps on his phone which were a big help. Many of them work offline so we weren't reliant on having service. There are tons of travel apps out there but we mostly used ones related to transportation.
7. Do your research. Prior planning prevents poor performance ! I remember that one from school (Jesse) .When we needed to get to a new city or country we took our time and looked far in advance what options were available and what the costs were. This made a huge difference in time and cost savings. Sometimes watching a flight price, or using an app that predicts flight prices and buying at the right time saved money. In other situations taking a sleeper bus in Asia was better in every way compared to a train or flying. In Asia it was better to not book hotels or flights till you were less than a month away but for Europe you have to book months in advance.
We would have liked to learn to dive before the trip so we could have gone diving in various places in Australia and Indonesia. We are already thinking about places to visit in the future specifically for diving.
Onto the next 6 months!
Jesse's Check In:
Upon Libby firmly asking me to write this section I realize how happy I am that I am no longer in college with writing assignments and due dates, they were the bane of my existence.
For me the first six months have been a whirlwind. Twenty flights, twelve boat trips, ten countries, eight languages, about 7,000 miles driving in van, car and motorbike, and dozens of city bus, train, tram, and tuk-tuk rides. It all amounts to a lot of movement. We have been in go-mode since we have left. I have enjoyed covering so much ground and the variety has made these six month very interesting and memorable. Looking ahead to our next 6 months we will visit more countries but far fewer flights and much less distance to cover. I am looking forward to the month of May where we are spending two weeks in our own apartment in both Dubrovnik and Split Croatia, as well as having friends come out to visit for twelve of those days.
Things Ive learned :
Its important to have good company. Although I have enjoyed everyday of the last 6 months, I don't think I would have been happy or even kept going if I didn't have Libby. Doing it together has been the reason the trip has been so good thus far. I do miss friends and my Mom and Rick so being able to see lots of people this summer in Europe will be a nice perk.
The van life is a good life. I really enjoyed having a home on wheels in Australia and New Zealand. It is something I will want to do again and would be great to do in the western US, Canada, Alaska.
1. If you want the best beaches go to Australia.
2. If you want the best scenery and variety of landscapes go to New Zealand.
3. If your visiting SE Asia its important to go the correct time of year. We went at in ideal time but if you go during the monsoon season or high summer you will have to live indoors in your AC room.
4. Visiting the main Asian hot spots is easy but its tricky to get to smaller towns or places off the beaten path. Outside of the big cities or attractions it was hard for us to find places to stay, or get transportation to them which is why we stuck to the usual spots. It would be great to visit more of the countryside in Asia but logistically it was very challenging to do that.
5. If you have the chance to go to the Maldives, take it ! Try a few different islands
6. Best food has been in Istanbul and Greece so far.
7. Buy a good camera and even a drone ! I only have my Iphone 7 as my camera perhaps I could of brought a nice one, but then its just one more thing to carry. The drone has been cool to have and I have enjoyed flying it, I can teach you if you want to learn.
Libby's Check In:
After many many meals, layovers and car rides I can say that Jesse and I are starting to get the hang of this. Where something small used to overwhelm us, we now know it isn't worth the time stressing because it will all work out. Jesse has been an amazing travel agent and has opened me to a new world. I appreciate his kindness and most of all his patience. All in all I think I will keep him!
I have really enjoyed being able to see the difference in day to day lives of different cultures. In the US we are very fast paced, always on the go, which in many ways is good because that means we are contributing to the economy so we can have jobs, but that also doesn't allow us to take a step back and enjoy the small things that make us happy. On the opposite side, in Asia they didn't have the opportunities like we do for work. Instead they were cooking from items only grown in their garden rather than a grocery store, or they were making their own herbal medicine because doctors weren't readily available or something as easy as making soap. Not that I want to go live in the middle of the woods, but I enjoyed knowing where the products I used came from. I do love my pizza Lunchables from time to time, but I think that when I am home I will enjoy making my own products and produce.
Libby's Lessons Learned:
1. Leave the directions and navigation to Jesse
2. Find where your products come from. The US is filled with the big brand and easy to grab items, but a lot of the items you can make yourself.
3. Turn off the TV and cell phone and get out.
4. It is good to get out of your comfort zone. All though scuba diving was a "holy shit why am I doing this" kind of moment, I have found a new hobby.
5. Don't worry about the small things. A lot of people live a very different life than us and they do it with a smile on their face.
6. Ditto on van life. It was awesome!
Travel tips from both of us :
2. Stay flexible. I know this is hard to do for shorter trips, but if you are traveling for a while than stay flexible with dates. More specifically if you are traveling to locations that don't need much planning ie Asia (not Europe in the summer). We had considered going to the Maldives when we were in the US, but it was SO expensive. We figured flights and places to stay were expensive no matter what, but we looked up flights one afternoon about a month out and found great options for a good price.
3. Insulated water bottle. So far we have traveled to a lot of locations where you cannot drink the tap. Some accommodations provide water, but not enough for a full day. We would buy gallon water jugs and fill it as needed into our water bottle rather than buying a new plastic water bottle every time we needed one. Save the earth!
4. Buy Local. For the most part you can go into a 7/11 and get you basic items, but instead try a local joint. They are going to be much kinder and helpful to you and will have better items with fresh local ingredients.
5. Tip. Be a good ambassador of the US. We want people to think of Americans as kind and generous. In most cases especially in Asia where the dollar went far we would leave extra tip for the waiters or guides. A little goes a long way and they are very appreciative.
6. Stay organized. With so many flights, buses and accommodations it would be easy to lose an email. Jesse and I both have organized our inboxes by country so that we can easily find a confirmation email. Most hotels will want your confirmation number when you check in or when you are traveling to another country some airports will want proof that you have a flight out of that country before letting you on the plane. Jesse utilizes many apps on his phone which were a big help. Many of them work offline so we weren't reliant on having service. There are tons of travel apps out there but we mostly used ones related to transportation.
7. Do your research. Prior planning prevents poor performance ! I remember that one from school (Jesse) .When we needed to get to a new city or country we took our time and looked far in advance what options were available and what the costs were. This made a huge difference in time and cost savings. Sometimes watching a flight price, or using an app that predicts flight prices and buying at the right time saved money. In other situations taking a sleeper bus in Asia was better in every way compared to a train or flying. In Asia it was better to not book hotels or flights till you were less than a month away but for Europe you have to book months in advance.
Do-Overs-
PACK LESS! We brought too many things and simple items are easy to buy along the way so no point in bringing something you will only use a few times.We would have liked to learn to dive before the trip so we could have gone diving in various places in Australia and Indonesia. We are already thinking about places to visit in the future specifically for diving.
Onto the next 6 months!
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