Reflections

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

    

From Allyson:

Eight countries in eighty-eight* days. When I calculated our stats a smile came to my face. Eight is my favorite number. It seemed fitting; auspicious numbers in a part of the world where that means something. In China, eight is a lucky number signifying good fortune and 88 means “double joy”. I can’t think of a better way of summing up this trip. We were very fortunate to be able to have done it and our grateful to our friends and family who helped us make a dream a reality. Thank you 88 times.

This experience has also brought us great joy, which I know we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. We have climbed the Great Wall, haggled in multiple languages, trekked through spider-filled jungles, shared laughs with strangers, dove for purple starfish, lost shoes, made new friends, and so much more. It was an absolute blast. The people we met, the places we saw, and the experiences we had, both grand and small, have left their mark on us.

That is not to say all was perfect. It was not. We were after all two Westerners traveling through hot and humid lands, where we often couldn’t communicate, sleep, and eat in the manners we were used to. There was travel fatigue. There was crankiness. There was mangry.  These were the times that showed our mettle as a couple. If one of us was sick, the other would scout out juices and snacks; if one of us was tired, the other would take control of the map and plan the day; if one of us couldn’t handle another “taxi taxi”, the other would make a joke to lighten the mood.

So to Pearce I say thank you. Thank you for taking a leap of faith and traveling across the world to unknown places. Thank you for being funny and patient and kind. Thank you for being willing to explore.dream.discover. I love you and look forward to our next great adventure.

 

From Pearce:

It is amusing to think about how nervous I was about this trip before we went.  I had several fitful nights sleep in increasing frequency leading up to our departure date.  Now it seems this time away from home was the only rational thing to do.  Three months is a long time to be gone but given the amount of geography we covered it is also not enough.
 

We experienced an incredible amount in Asia: celebrated a National holiday in Mongolia, walked the Great Wall in the early morning, climbed up karst peaks in the bays of Vietnam, did amazing SCUBA diving in Thailand, and watched the sunrise from a volcano in Bali.  As I told Allyson when she got home, this journey would have been just a collection of life list items and great pictures without her.  She is the best travel companion, leading me into and through one of the great adventures of my life.  Her ability to inspire and embolden a provincial person like me is one of the many reasons I love her.

We are blessed to have this opportunity both in time off and support from our friends and family.  Thank you.

Although our trip is over, there are still blog entries coming.  Writing about our experiences has really enriched the whole experience.  Creating this blog was the brainchild of Allyson and it has been very successful.  Instead of my usual travelogue modis operandi, in which I start a pen and paper journal and diligently keep it up for about four days, this has stuck.  Ultimately it was for us, to have in the future a chronicled reminder of most of what happened.  But I am really glad others have enjoyed it.  As we recover from our jet-lag and reflect on the trip we will post these musings online.  In addition there were several videos and pictures that could not be uploaded that we will post as well, so stay tuned. We hope you have enjoyed this blog and that it has inspired you to have a journey of your own.