Thursday, July 28, 2011

5 Continents. 5 Months. Done! Reflections from our journey.

Two people with a dream set out to see the world.  Two people returned home changed & forever grateful of their new perspective. Two people who celebrate a bond forged by a unique journey -  5 Continents.  5 months.
Memories:

     -          Exploring Buenos Aires in the wee hours of the night 
     -          Tasting the wines of Mendoza 
     -          Exploring the mountains of Mendoza
-          Realizing sometimes things don’t end up as planned: like rain on your wedding day!
-          Sharing vows in Mexico with family & friends & having my grandma share with us her marriage advise
-          Exploring Paris again but this time with the man I love
-          Cooking in our Parisian jail cell apartment
-          Attempting to learn French
-          Taking Tango classes in Buenos Aires
-          Taking French classes in Paris & revisiting Spanish in Buenos Aires
-          AFRICA!
-          Being inspired by Rob & Sima – thank you for making me realize that it takes drive and courage to make great things happen and change lives
-          Feeling whole in Africa while seeing nature in the Serengeti
-          Seeing my dear friend jump about 10 feet in the air as my husband rubbed a green rope on her shoulder while sleeping and waking her up shouting “green mamba”
-          The sunsets of Zanzibar
-          The poverty of the world but the hope the people and drive of individuals working to change it
-          Village trek through Cambodia
-          Hiking through Sapa with the local Hmong people – getting a better understanding of their struggle
-          Realizing the audacity of some individuals and their disgusting treatment of people
-          Tasting & learning how to cook cuisines from around the world
-          Exploring the Mekong
-          Navigating the streets of Ho Chi Minh
-          Dune Bashing in Dubai
-          Feeling the change inside of me
-          Sharing this trip with people I love & adding new friends to my life
-          Knowing that I can walk away from comfortable situation only to be intruiged by the unknown
- AND SO MANY MORE......
I have no regrets from this trip.  Only new beliefs. We can do so much with so little as I learned from so many  people along the way.  Traveling teaches you more than any classroom about yourself, about people, and about the realities of the world it awakens the souls and reminds you to live life everyday.
I am happy to have realized a dream I set out to conquer when I was 18 and even more thrilled that I was able to share it with someone I love dearly.  I am thrilled that he worked to explore his own passions in medicine during our travels.  I will forever cherish the memories made and I will forever hold dear to me the changes that occurred in my person.