Saying goodbye to an amazing trip!

105 days, 14 countries, 30 planes, 11 trains, 9 automobiles and 7 boats. Relaxing on pristine beaches, hiking through mountains with the most amazing vistas, exploring the culture and cuisine of so many cities, and learning about ourselves through the amazing people all around us. As we sit on the plane heading to DC, it’s hard to capture the emotions that we feel. The past 3 ½ months have brought some of the most amazing experiences of our lives and it is so hard to believe that it is over, and we are also moving to a new and exciting city to begin a new chapter in our lives the moment that we land (literally, we pack the moving truck in 2 days!). So what do we take from all of this? There are tastes that will never leave our tongues, moments that we will always remember, and lessons that we hope never forget(sorry, those ones are just for us!).

The tastes…

Bun Bo Nam Bo, Hanoi, Vietnam

Egg Coffee, Hanoi, Vietnam

Bahn Mi Phuong #9, Hoi An, Vietnam

Every dish that we made @ Green Bamboo Cooking Class, Hoi An, Vietnam

Panang Curry @ NaNa's, Koh Tao, Thailand

Wild Boar Curry @ food stand outside of Sheraton Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

Coconut grilled amazingness @ Menega Cafe, Bali (Jimbaran Beach), Indonesia

10 dish tasting menu @ Kayaputi, Bali(Nusa Dua), Indonesia

Lekkar cheap Indian @ Eastern Food Baazar, Cape Town, South Africa

Wine and Chocolate pairing @ Vredenheim Vineyard, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Authentic Turkish @ Demeti, Istanbul, Turkey

'Superior breakfast' @ Kale Café, Istanbul(Bebek), Turkey

Peach gelato @ Giannaldo’s, Istanbul(Bebek), Turkey

Porchetta chop and amazing pasta @ La Tavernacca’s, Roma(Trastevere), Italy

Mouthwatering pizza and cold beer @ Ivo Pizzeria, Roma(Trastevere), Italy

Ara cannoli and gelato, Firenze, Italy

Sea urchin, octopus and sea bass @ Alhambra, Seville, Spain

Best jamon serrano @ small store by the bridge, Ronda, Spain

Pork ribs & truffle chips @ La Cerveteca, Barcelona, Spain

The moments…

The ‘organized’ chaos of the scooters in Hanoi, just keep walking and you’ll be okay!

The jaw dropping first turn on the hike above SaPa’s valleys

Little Pacho’s priceless smile when we gave him an empty water bottle

Cooking, cards, and rice wine with Mao and our homestay host

Dinner with Lac Thien in Hue Vietnam, possibly the happiest man on earth

Sofat’s experience learning to spot landmines at the age of 5

Braving the storm in a rickety long tail boat in Koh Tao

Spending a day with rescued elephants and Bahn Yen’s never ending hunger

Snorkeling with a shark less than 5 feet away

Bathing in the holy waters at Tirta Empul

Going to the wrong airport, twice, in one day

Seeing the incredibly agile cheetahs and female lion with 3 tiny cubs in the Serengetti

The almost unbelievably blue waters in Zanzibar and full moon reflections on the water

Our drive to the north of Zanzibar and newfound friendship with Yusef

Meeting Tim & Maz on a rock in Camps’ Bay

Mervin’s smile, Kaleb, Dre and Will’s pure awesomeness, Faithy’s resolve and Lewa’s chubby legs

Exploring the ‘open air museum’ and flying high over the rock formations of Cappadoccia

The fascinating East meets West, Islam meets Christianity at the Hagia Sophia

The instant bond and friendship of anyone that we met from Syria

The fascinating rays of sunshine filling St Peter’s Basilica

The power and grace of opera singers in a historic church

The incredible vistas and soreness in our hamstrings from hiking the trails of Cinque Terre

The pure magnitude and beauty of the naturally formed rock structures lining Portugal’s shores

The hilarious and scandalous dancing of a 70+ year old man with a toothless woman at Ronda’s Feria festival

Our first but not last sailing adventure, popping bottles whiles enjoying the sound of the ocean in the setting sun