Romantic Roads

July 7 2021 Cooper and I started our epic adventure. Since then, we have been to 23 countries across 5 continents and dipped our toes in 3 oceans and 5 seas. We traveled by plane, high-speed train, car, mototaxi, panoramic train, dune buggy, helicopter, cable car, gondola, funicular, hot air balloon, ferry, boat, bus, and by foot. Our accommodations have ranged from boujee/luxury to there being a pot under the bed in case we had to pee, and who knows when the last time the blankets were washed.

We had some amazing hikes, including the Portuguese Camino (135 miles), Peru at 17,000 feet, and the Albanian Alps. We saw some otherworldly landscapes like the fairy chimneys of Turkey, the lava fields of Iceland, basalt columns in Scotland and Iceland, and expansive sand dunes in Peru.

We have had some epic bucket list experiences, including visiting an ice cave, seeing the northern lights, seeing an underwater waterfall by helicopter, going on safari, sand sledding, riding in a hot air balloon, seeing Victoria Falls, and so much more…while working.

We saw so many iconic places and things: The Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Mona Lisa, Machu Picchu, the Parthenon, & Hagia Sophia. We have experienced a wide array of cultures, including people living on small floating islands made of reeds. We have eaten some crazy foods like alpaca, guinea pig, rabbit, haggis, and stuff we don’t even know we have eaten.

Travel does change your worldview; we move slower and our lives are more peaceful, and I am grateful every day I get to do this. You gain a whole lot of perspective when you see people living in abject poverty in developing countries: people who work for $13/day and feed seven family members; people who spend 12 hours a day collecting paper to earn a pittance. I love, and I love with a whole lot of gratitude.

We learned a lot about ourselves and each other as we pivoted and navigated our new lifestyle. We now know central air conditioning is rare outside of the US, and not every room comes with ductless a/c. Most countries do not have functional door knobs on the front door, and we are likely to die if a serial killer comes after us because it takes us forever to open a door.

Washing machines work differently in almost every country; a frozen bottle of water gets the refrigerator to the right temperature; we have to add salt to the dishwasher; and using the pictures on the packaging to decipher what it is, which is not always accurate. Most importantly, if there is a cat, Peter will stop to pet it.

We have traveled on our own and had occasions for family and friends to join us. We have made some wonderful friends along the way. We have done and seen so much but barely scratched the surface, looking forward to year 3.

Happy 2nd Nomadaversary Love!