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| Can you believe this was an actual sign we found at a random stall at the world's largest central market in Bangkok? |
For those that have followed along, thank you. This blog was a labor of love, but something I was determined to keep alive so that this trip would live on forever. On to the final post....
Life After:
We're a little over one month back and the memories are fading fast. It almost feels like we never left. Work and day to day life takes over quickly. I'm three weeks in to my job and my to do list and calendar is as full, if not fuller than when I left. The boys are moving from one summer camp to the next, and Autumn is out with friends more than ever. Nicole has whipped our house back in shape and is about to launch her next chapter of work life.Before we get any further in to the "real world", I want to ensure we capture any final thoughts. I'd like to clear out some of my old notes to make sure those thoughts don't get lost for time.
It's difficult to describe just how important this adventure has been for our family. We are tangibly closer and more honest with each other. We can sense each other's moods better, and it is never more clear that we will always be there for each other. This trip was definitely not all fairy tales and unicorns. We got on each others nerves, and we all had our bouts of intense homesickness. On a regular basis, we had to fake it to make. But like most memories, the struggles in life erode away and leave behind those beautiful bedrock moments.
We did it. We set out to show the kids the world and broke out of our precious little East Bay bubble. We scraped away the surface of each place, and explored one level deeper. We lived and ate like locals. We shopped at the local grocery stores and central markets. We rode every subway and bus we could find, and drove through the highways and byways wherever we could. We made new friends and connected with old.
While we would do it all over again in heartbeat, this trip was definitely not a vacation. It was hard work. All those other travel blogs about the joys and freedom of being a nomad are only partially telling the truth with glowing praise of this place and that, of beautiful sunsets, and carefully crafted shots of worldly monuments cropped of the throngs of tourists. More time than we would like to say was spent struggling to accomplish everyday mundane things like grocery shopping, cooking in awkward kitchens, drying clothes without a dryer, keeping up with school, researching where to go next and how to get there, and, quite frankly, motivating each other to get out there and explore (when our energy levels were waning). It's this reason that makes me even more proud of our family when I look back on the tens of thousands of photos and videos we took. Whereas we might make a fresh memory a couple times a month here at home, we quite literally explored our surroundings for 366 days in a row. Those lazy days we all enjoy in the comfort of our own homes didn't exist for a year.
Final Stats:
# of Countries Visited: 26
# of Flights Taken: 40
# of Different Accommodations: 100 (That is not a rounded number. We actually slept in 100 different beds)
# of Subways Ridden: 15
# of Rental Cars Driven: 21 (9 of which with the steering wheel on the right)
# of Nights Afloat: 9
# of Barber shops visited: 1
# of Species of Animals seen: Innumerable
Final Map:
Click Here to see a map of every place we stayed.
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Q&A
Over the past month we have had so many wonderful conversations with friends and family thirsting for our final thoughts. I've assembled a list of the most common questions, with our responses.What was your Favorite Place? (by far the most common question)
B - Skenes Creek (outside Melbourne). I got to hold wild parrots
Z - The Safari
A - Japan. Everywhere and Everything about Japan is awesome
N - There were different places for different reasons. Italy was easy and chill. South Africa was amazingly beautiful.
S - Every place had it's special joys, but if I were to look at the entire package, my favorite was Capetown, South Africa. Perhaps it was because we settled there for four weeks; but the combination of the people, the scenery, the ocean and mountains, the food and wineries, and the side trips made it particularly awesome. (Thanks Sam for your hospitality)
Where would you love to go back to?
B - Skenes Creek
Z - I think I would like to go back to Japan. There are actually so many places I would go back to. It's so hard to say. Because I was sick for half of Iceland, I would want to go back there.
A - Japan, Iceland, South Africa, the UK, Amsterdam, Spain (but not Barcelona), Busan instead of Seoul, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Singapore.
N - Iceland and Lofoten in different seasons. Actually, pretty much everywhere (even different parts of Vietnam)
S - Probably Capetown, but that would be as a launching point to Namibia and Botswana.
Least Favorite Place?
B - Vietnam
Z - That central market in Arusha
A - Vietnam and Dubai
N - Vietnam, hands down
S - Dubai. It's a soul-less brown mess of nondescript buildings baking in muggy air.
What would you do differently?
B - Stay in less places but for a little bit longer in each place.
Z - I don't really have anything. I suppose I would stay longer in Skenes Creek.
A - I would go for six months then come back for a little bit, then go back for another six. I would pack more warm stuff.
N - I wouldn't worry so much. Everything always works out. I did a lot of worrying for no reason. Use lighter luggage (pull kind only. We never used the backpack mode).
S - I would love to settle in a couple places a little longer. The constant packing and moving around was tiresome. I would definitely do Southeast Asia differently (and probably more quickly).
Would you do it again?
B - Probably not. I would definitely go back to Skenes Creek though.
Z - I would if it was six months
A - Hmmmmmm, maybe.
N - Yep
S - In a heartbeat, yes (if we had never done it before). Now, would I do it again, having just done it the way we did?... Probably not. If we were to tack on another one year adventure, Nicole and I would make it a couples adventure to explore sites unfit for a family of five. So.... Bryce will be 18 in 2028. That gives us 10 years to put the wheels in motion again!
How have you changed?
B - I don't know. (Editor's Note: In my view, Bryce is Bryce. He stays the same as the world evolves around him. He is an old soul that does what he does, says what he says, regardless of what others do around him. It's really quite endearing).
Z - I think it made me more brave and willing to talk to strangers. It made me willing to go out and put myself out there. It made me think about how much there is around here in California to explore.
A - I think I have a better understanding of the world yet at the same time the new knowledge that the world is bigger than imaginable makes me know that I still know just a small percentage of all there is to know. I'm still a teen trying to figure out who the heck I want to be, but seeing so many other peoples and ways of life, I see what is important in a person, and I'm going to try to be those important things. I'm taller. I have noticed now how much more rich this area is. I'm a different person than I was before the trip, and in my opinion, a slightly improved one.
N - I am more patient. I appreciate the United States a lot more. I think I have more courage than before. (Editor's Note, I've noticed a greater passion in Nicole for saving the planet...)
S - Perhaps it will fade away, but at the moment, I'm not overly concerned with the small things (or the grandiose things for that matter). We lived a minimalist life for a year and I know we don't need fancy things to get by.
What do you miss about the trip?
B - Wesley (Editor's Note: It's really quite amazing that Bryce met him in New Zealand, then spent time with him in Tokyo, and said his farewells in Georgia. It's such a small and wonderful world now.)
Z - The airports. And then when you step out of the plane. Especially the cold places. I miss the feeling of going like... "Haaaaaaaa"
A - I miss taking pictures everyday
N - I miss being around Steve as much as we did. Miss learning something new about cultures so frequently.
S - The freedom to choose our own adventures everyday.
What don't you miss?
B - Moving all the time.
Z - Seeing garbage everywhere in certain places, and the humidity in certain places. Foreign TV where they only have one kids channel. Doing school all the time.
A - All that homesickness. Having to unpack and repack every few days.
N - Uncomfortable beds and pillows. Conversions of money. Foreign grocery stores. Certain smells of certain places. Having challenges every single day. Keeping everyone happy all day everyday. Looking at Airbnb and finding different modes of transportation all the time. Repacking every few days. Crappy sponges and knives.
S - Actually, Nicole summed it up nicely.
What was most surprising for you?
B - ???
Z - It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. I got over my fear of turbulence and it got fun for me. I was surprised I could eat a lot more things and that I didn't get diarrhea. I didn't expect how nice it was going to be in Cape Town and that our host would become our friend.
A - I was surprised at how nice the Safari accommodations were. I was surprised to be able to see Kaitlyn on the trip.
N - How difficult it was. How much this trip would make me appreciate America more.
S - This was not as "fun" as we had originally expected. I was surprised how universally accepted we Americans were around the world. By in large, foreigners love Americans. Our politics don't really concern other lands, because, as most would say, they have their own problems to worry about.
How has it been getting back in to the work world?
My coworkers seem to have an expectation that I can perform at the exact same level as before, but I find my mind is a bit mushy. It's hard to just plug back in like I was only out for a couple weeks. Even mundane things like how I used to file my emails took me a while to remember.
Would you live somewhere else?
I'll speak for the entire family because we are unified on this front. The short answer is NO!. While every place we visited had it's appeal, there really is no place like California. We're very lucky to live here. The combination of cultural diversity, the variety of food, the coast and mountains, the perfect weather, the vibrant economy, and all the modern conveniences are truly unparalleled around the world.
_____________________________________________________
- Patience and Perseverance
In addition to the standard ability to wait in queues, putting the pieces together to wander for a year takes time. Grinding through schoolwork most mornings is a constant test of wills. Working through language and cultural barriers can be incredibly frustrating. Living so closely with everyone exacerbates the little nuisances, and pushing through that is a constant challenge.
- Teamwork
The group needs a CEO, COO, and CFO. Each plays a role and supports each other. When one is tired or sick, the other steps up (even the children). When one is nervous, the other one must put them at ease. Someone has to keep the trains running on time and the team fueled for action, and someone has to watch the Euros and Yen.
- Adaptability
Change is the only constant. We were constantly adapting to our surroundings.
- Resourcefulness
Most of the conveniences of home don't exist on the road. How do you warm a meal without a microwave, or start the charcoal with just a roll of aluminum foil? No drying rack - just string a line between two chairs. Don't throw away that ham container!.. We could use it to pack a lunch.
- Long Range Planner
Getting a family of five around the world takes planning. We were constantly 8 to 10 weeks out on booking flights, and accommodations. The spontaneity of the gap year traveler doesn't work very well with a family of five.
- Spontaneity
While looking a couple months out is critical, over-planning is a waste of time and effort. We learned to let our days be fluid and follow our mood.
- Compromise
Five people means five different opinions about what to do, what to eat, where to go, when to go, and how to get there. Late night exploration for Nicole and I was commonly sacrificed, and we judiciously visited museums and historical sites in favor of the occasional amusement park or mini-golf outing.
- Thrifty
With a fixed fund and no revenue, we needed to be very careful in gaining maximum utility from every dollar we spent.
- Optimism
We learned that things always seem to work out in the end if we maintained a positive attitude. Being a poopy pants only proved to make matters worse.
________________________________________________________
1st Tier - The absolute must see attractions (Eiffel Tower, Colosseum, Sydney Opera House, etc) that you would be ridiculed if you missed (but are overrun with tourists)
2nd Tier - Places with a mixture of locals and tourists alike
3rd Tier - Hidden gems typically only found by having a conversation with a local.
4th Tier - Doing what the locals do (picnic at the local park, trivia night at the dive bar, etc)
- Travelling is getting both harder and easier. The web has made it so easy to plan and execute a trip. The result? Huge crowds everywhere, and sold out attractions. I recall rolling in to a city in 1998 and simply queuing up to get in to the premier attraction. Twenty years later and we needed to book 2 months in advance to ascend the Duomo (which is why we ended up scaling the Campanile instead).
- Furthering this line of thinking, because everywhere is crowded, it's getting harder to feel the thrill of individual discovery. I suppose that is why our best memories were typically the journey, not the destination.
- The world and it's people never cease to amaze me. Every country is special in some way.
- Was the robbery in France a blessing in disguise? - Perhaps. Would I want it to happen again? - No. But I am convinced that it brought us closer together. It gave us the opportunity to finish our trip on the east coast and better understand who we are as a country and how we compare to the rest of the world. It gave us a unique opportunity to connect with friends and family. It's not where we've been or what we've seen, it's the friends and family that make life worth living.
_________________________________________________________
What's Next
So what's next for our family? The world is vast and we have only scratched the surface. We will eventually finish our original itinerary through Eastern Europe; We missed an entire continent (South America); and Spain/Portugal/Morocco are calling. It's difficult to say when and how we will check these off our bucket list, but nothing will happen unless we stake our thoughts in the ground. In the mean time, the western states affords us an endless supply of amazing places to explore, and explore we will.
Farewell...
This blog was written for our children, and our children's children. My dream would be for this to be a yearlong bedtime story for our grandchildren...So if you've made it this far little ones: sleep tight, dream big, and make sure you face your fears head on and explore your world to the fullest.
________________________________________________________
2@2
If you have 12 more minutes to spare, you might enjoy this video (best if you can hear it too). Every day, for 365 days, I took a 2 second video during the 2 O'Clock hour, and I stitched them all together. It truly provides a real window in to our daily lives. Sometimes we were deep in action, and sometimes we were just trying to get from point A to point B. Occasionally we had a late lunch, and sometimes we were in the middle of some down time. Suffice it to say though, every day of our year long adventure was spent exploring, it just might not have happened in the 2 O'Clock hour.
Enjoy: https://youtu.be/Yj7g_zXXDts
________________________________________________________
Post Script...
For those that know me, I'm not much of an Apple fan - The computer company, not the fruit. However, I have much respect for Steve Jobs and his legacy. Like many things on the internet, somebody faked up his final thoughts, yet it still moves me every time I read it because it so eloquently narrates why we wandered...
"I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.
At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.
You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – "Life".
When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading – "Book of Healthy Life". Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.
Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends... Treat yourself well. Cherish others.
As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300 or $30 watch - they both tell the same time... Whether we carry a $300 or $30 wallet/handbag - the amount of money inside is the same; Whether we drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and distance is the same, and we get to the same destination. Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $10 wine - the hangover is the same; Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq ft - loneliness is the same.
You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down - you go down with it...
Therefore.. I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, .... That is true happiness!!
What Does it Take to Travel Around the World with a Family?
If you googled "Travelling the World with Family", there would be thousands of results and blogs promoting how fun and easy it is - How everyone should shutter their workaday lives and become nomads. The truth of the matter is that it's not easy, and definitely not for everyone. Aspiring world travelers must deeply understand how they tick, and moreover, how the family ticks. The following are some thoughts on important traits necessary to sustain for a year on the road.- Patience and Perseverance
In addition to the standard ability to wait in queues, putting the pieces together to wander for a year takes time. Grinding through schoolwork most mornings is a constant test of wills. Working through language and cultural barriers can be incredibly frustrating. Living so closely with everyone exacerbates the little nuisances, and pushing through that is a constant challenge.
- Teamwork
The group needs a CEO, COO, and CFO. Each plays a role and supports each other. When one is tired or sick, the other steps up (even the children). When one is nervous, the other one must put them at ease. Someone has to keep the trains running on time and the team fueled for action, and someone has to watch the Euros and Yen.
- Adaptability
Change is the only constant. We were constantly adapting to our surroundings.
- Resourcefulness
Most of the conveniences of home don't exist on the road. How do you warm a meal without a microwave, or start the charcoal with just a roll of aluminum foil? No drying rack - just string a line between two chairs. Don't throw away that ham container!.. We could use it to pack a lunch.
- Long Range Planner
Getting a family of five around the world takes planning. We were constantly 8 to 10 weeks out on booking flights, and accommodations. The spontaneity of the gap year traveler doesn't work very well with a family of five.
- Spontaneity
While looking a couple months out is critical, over-planning is a waste of time and effort. We learned to let our days be fluid and follow our mood.
- Compromise
Five people means five different opinions about what to do, what to eat, where to go, when to go, and how to get there. Late night exploration for Nicole and I was commonly sacrificed, and we judiciously visited museums and historical sites in favor of the occasional amusement park or mini-golf outing.
- Thrifty
With a fixed fund and no revenue, we needed to be very careful in gaining maximum utility from every dollar we spent.
- Optimism
We learned that things always seem to work out in the end if we maintained a positive attitude. Being a poopy pants only proved to make matters worse.
________________________________________________________
Random Thoughts & Remembrances
- All of our trips leading up to this adventure have been the traditional one to two week sprints to see what I call the 1st and perhaps 2nd tier attractions. Our goal this past year was to explore tiers 3 and 4. While we couldn't do that everywhere we went, we did admirable work. The joy of a year long trip is being able to skip the "must see" zoo or museum because we had already done that in the last place.1st Tier - The absolute must see attractions (Eiffel Tower, Colosseum, Sydney Opera House, etc) that you would be ridiculed if you missed (but are overrun with tourists)
2nd Tier - Places with a mixture of locals and tourists alike
3rd Tier - Hidden gems typically only found by having a conversation with a local.
4th Tier - Doing what the locals do (picnic at the local park, trivia night at the dive bar, etc)
- Travelling is getting both harder and easier. The web has made it so easy to plan and execute a trip. The result? Huge crowds everywhere, and sold out attractions. I recall rolling in to a city in 1998 and simply queuing up to get in to the premier attraction. Twenty years later and we needed to book 2 months in advance to ascend the Duomo (which is why we ended up scaling the Campanile instead).
- Furthering this line of thinking, because everywhere is crowded, it's getting harder to feel the thrill of individual discovery. I suppose that is why our best memories were typically the journey, not the destination.
- The world and it's people never cease to amaze me. Every country is special in some way.
- Was the robbery in France a blessing in disguise? - Perhaps. Would I want it to happen again? - No. But I am convinced that it brought us closer together. It gave us the opportunity to finish our trip on the east coast and better understand who we are as a country and how we compare to the rest of the world. It gave us a unique opportunity to connect with friends and family. It's not where we've been or what we've seen, it's the friends and family that make life worth living.
_________________________________________________________
What's Next
So what's next for our family? The world is vast and we have only scratched the surface. We will eventually finish our original itinerary through Eastern Europe; We missed an entire continent (South America); and Spain/Portugal/Morocco are calling. It's difficult to say when and how we will check these off our bucket list, but nothing will happen unless we stake our thoughts in the ground. In the mean time, the western states affords us an endless supply of amazing places to explore, and explore we will.
Farewell...
This blog was written for our children, and our children's children. My dream would be for this to be a yearlong bedtime story for our grandchildren...So if you've made it this far little ones: sleep tight, dream big, and make sure you face your fears head on and explore your world to the fullest.
________________________________________________________
2@2
If you have 12 more minutes to spare, you might enjoy this video (best if you can hear it too). Every day, for 365 days, I took a 2 second video during the 2 O'Clock hour, and I stitched them all together. It truly provides a real window in to our daily lives. Sometimes we were deep in action, and sometimes we were just trying to get from point A to point B. Occasionally we had a late lunch, and sometimes we were in the middle of some down time. Suffice it to say though, every day of our year long adventure was spent exploring, it just might not have happened in the 2 O'Clock hour.
Enjoy: https://youtu.be/Yj7g_zXXDts
________________________________________________________
Post Script...
For those that know me, I'm not much of an Apple fan - The computer company, not the fruit. However, I have much respect for Steve Jobs and his legacy. Like many things on the internet, somebody faked up his final thoughts, yet it still moves me every time I read it because it so eloquently narrates why we wandered...
"I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others’ eyes my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.
At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.
You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you. Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – "Life".
When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading – "Book of Healthy Life". Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.
Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends... Treat yourself well. Cherish others.
As we grow older, and hence wiser, we slowly realize that wearing a $300 or $30 watch - they both tell the same time... Whether we carry a $300 or $30 wallet/handbag - the amount of money inside is the same; Whether we drive a $150,000 car or a $30,000 car, the road and distance is the same, and we get to the same destination. Whether we drink a bottle of $300 or $10 wine - the hangover is the same; Whether the house we live in is 300 or 3000 sq ft - loneliness is the same.
You will realize, your true inner happiness does not come from the material things of this world. Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down - you go down with it...
Therefore.. I hope you realize, when you have mates, buddies and old friends, brothers and sisters, who you chat with, laugh with, talk with, have sing songs with, talk about north-south-east-west or heaven and earth, .... That is true happiness!!