Around the World in 137 Days

We've been home now for almost 3 months. It's taken me forever to write this final blog post....I was so good on our trip....somehow being in the real world has slowed me down. But in a way, I'm glad it took me this long as I've had a chance to reflect on our incredible adventure.

We were on the road for 137 days! I still can't believe I lasted that long. Seriously for someone who likes routine, it wasn't always easy. We traveled to 11 countries, stayed in 59 different hotel rooms, and traveled on 22 planes, 21 trains, 11 buses, 9 boats, 8 subway systems, and many more cabs, tuk tuks, and bikes than I can remember. That really just sounds insane! Luckily we both made it back in pretty good shape. We did have some great travel karma though - neither one of us got too sick, nothing was stolen, all we lost was a sweatshirt, and we hardly had any travel delays. We definitely got tired and homesick but we made it through....it helped that we had each other....and friends/family who met up with us along the way.

I really do have to say that the most important thing about a trip like this is travel compatibility....and lucky for us we travel well together. :) But I must say Darsh was a trooper when I had my moments of homesickness and just plain freaking out in general. Thanks Darsh - you will always amaze me with your ability to deal with the "crazy" me.

Since we've been back, people seem to ask the same questions so I figured I'd answer them here.

Is this something we've always wanted to do?
Well we both love traveling and I've always said I'd love to take a year off and travel....but honestly I don't think I ever thought it would really happen. We were given the gift of unemployment....at the same time. Things just fell into place and we took advantage of the situation. Yep - it really was that simple....well that and the fact that we don't have kids or a mortgage. :) No but seriously we both know how lucky we are to be able to do something like this and I'm thankful everyday.

What was our favorite place?

This is a really hard question as every place was so different. I can't answer for Darsh but I would say Siem Reap, Cambodia because it's so unique. Sunrise at Angkor Wat was one of the coolest things I've ever experienced and the Khmer people are so warm and have been through so much that you couldn't help but feel a strong emotional attachment. From a city perspective, I loved Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Barcelona. Then I also loved France and Ireland. You see why this is hard? I think I should just stop now before I list every city we visited!

What did we learn on this trip? Do we see life differently?

While I can't say that I had any "Wow this is totally life changing" moments, I definitely do see things from a different perspective. Now that I'm in the real world it's pretty easy to get back to your normal way of thinking....and living life in general....but I'm hoping that some of the "new" perspective I've gained will still stay with me.

You only live once....so just do it! And don't over think it.

We really only have one life to live so we might as well make the most of it. The over thinking - well this is hard for me. I over think everything. If I let myself, I can obsess about the smallest things. Honestly it isn't worth it....and it never changes anything. Bottom line - Life really doesn't have to be that complicated. Yes we will all face situations that we don't know how to deal with but in the end we somehow will figure out a way to deal....hopefully. That said, it's all about focus. If there is something you want to do....just do it. Everything else will fall into place. There were a million reasons why we shouldn't have taken the year off. Trust me I thought about them all - I'll be out of work for a year....what if I never get a job, especially since the economy is crap, what about the money?, shouldn't we save and buy a home?, we're getting older and shouldn't we settle down and have kids?, etc. It's never ending. And yes there are always reasons to go another path but it's all about what feels right for you. Everyone's path is different. I think we often forget that. I mean really if you had the opportunity would you want any regrets? Life ultimately is what you make of it.

See the world through the eyes of a child

When you finally stop thinking about all the unnecessary stuff, things are so much simpler. Once we got to that point it was amazing how much we really "saw". We were in the middle of countries not knowing anything - I mean we couldn't speak the language, we didn't know how to get around, we didn't know how to order food, we were forced to learn how to get by. It's kind of like a child experiencing everyday things. While this can get annoying at times it's such an eye-opening experience. We saw things in such a different light - we didn't know what to expect and we just let things happen. Sometimes it was good and sometimes it wasn't so good.... But in the end it forced us to look at things differently. We actually "saw" things that we would normally never see. Can you imagine waking up and seeing things as if it was the first time you saw them? It's pretty cool. We should all do it more often.

Appreciate what you have

This by far is the most important thing for me. Not "in a materialistic or what I've accomplished way". But the things I may have taken for granted at times - love and support from my beautiful family and friends, a home to live in, food to eat, clean water, freedom and the most amazing person I can share it all with, Darsh. I can go on forever. Not everyone has this which makes me sad but it's important to know because it reminds me of what I have....and what I am so thankful for.

So that's it. We definitely had the trip of a lifetime....and memories that will last forever. Thanks for reading!! Until our next big adventure. :)

xoxo

sej

There’s no Place like Home

After 11 countries and 59 different hotel rooms we’re on the first leg of our flight home (9 hours to New York and then another 6 hour flight to LA). Normally I sleep the whole plane ride but for some reason I can’t. I think it’s because I’m so excited to come home!! I can’t wait!! Don’t get me wrong – we’ve had a great time on our adventure but all good things must come to an end.

In a way I’m sad that it’s over because I’m just a softie and hate saying goodbye to anything/anyone…. but I’m really ready to get back to the real world. It’s weird to think that in a few hours we’ll be walking through the door of our LA apartment. I think the first thing I’ll do is lie on the couch and watch some good old American TV….followed by a good night’s sleep in our own bed. Oh and the best part – we get to wake up to watch Michigan Football….it doesn’t get better than that!!

But most importantly we both can’t wait to see all our friends and family very, very soon!! ☺

Back in Barcelona – It’s Like We Live Here!

We spent the last few days of our trip in Barcelona. This was our 4th stop here on this trip (although the 1st one was only at the airport). Crazy! It’s like we live here. We did all the normal things locals do – eat tapas, drink wine, do laundry, did nothing during siesta time….we even had visitors, our good friends Berni and Dan from Chicago!

Berni and Dan were celebrating their 2 year wedding anniversary and decided to come meet us…..Congratulations guys! We only spent a day with them but we did so much it felt like longer. Darsh was the best tour guide. Since our hotel (Barcelona Catedral Hotel) was literally right next to the Cathedral we took them there first and then walked around the Gothic Quarter and El Born. We stumbled upon a great find of a restaurant, Casa Delfin, which had a nice selection of tapas. After lunch, we went to the Sagrada Familia and then walked through L’Eixample so they could see Gaudi’s other masterpieces, La Pedrera and Casa Batllo. Finally, we ended the day with a stroll down La Rambla. We covered a lot of Barcelona ground in a few hours….we were all beat by the end! It was so good to see them – thanks for coming!!

Since we had already been to Barcelona we had lots of time to just chill and walk around the different neighborhoods while stopping whenever we felt like. We did make it to Casa Batllo, which was one of my favorites. It’s not at all like me – totally asymmetrical and wacky but so very cool. We couldn’t decide if it was more Dr. Seuss or Willy Wonka. We also finally made it to the Picasso Museum which did a really good job of telling Picasso’s life and how his style changed throughout the years….I also liked it because it was small.

By this point in the trip we were both pretty tired of tapas but we got a recommendation for Tapas 24 so we had to try it. I’m so glad we did. It was amazing! Really innovative tapas….and I’m amazed at the staff - it was packed but they were so on top of things! It was not the healthiest meal but totally worth it. Some of our other favorite restaurants the last few days were Les Quinze Nits (nice Placa Real location and great Menu of the day), Bun Bo (pretty health Vietnamese), and Udon (good Japanese).

Our last day we were hoping to do nothing but relax but somehow we ended up shopping for gifts all day. We really hadn’t shopped at all on the trip since we couldn’t carry much so it came down to the wire….and I really hate shopping! But we got it done and we ended the day with a fabulous meal at La Crema Canela. We randomly came across this place after doing our routine 1-hour search for a decent place to eat. I’m so glad we found it! It was so cute and non-touristy with great Mediterranean food and good wine. It was the perfect place to have our last dinner.

I really can’t believe we’re almost done. Wow! I’m so happy we ended the trip in Barcelona – It still is my favorite European city. Until next time! ☺

Gotta Get a Sweat On!

I know that I’m at a workout low when I choose a stationary bike over running outside by the beach (I love the beach but am soooo tired of running). Ugh! I’m not going to lie, working out (and being healthy in general) sucks when you’re on a long trip like this. I’ve been good….and I’ve been bad. I would say I’ve done some kind of workout 50% of the days on the trip….and probably made it to the gym about 25%. I think that’s pretty good considering it’s hard to keep up a routine when you’re on the road and most of the hotel gyms have been LAME. I will never appreciate Equinox more! ☺ When we haven’t had the luxury of a gym, we both do exercises (push-ups, sit-ups, band stuff) in the hotel room (this totally sucks) or I run outside (usually at ridiculously early times since it gets so hot). I guess that’s the price you pay for being neurotic about working out. ☺

Asia was much easier to be healthy. We walked a ton and the food was just better with a ton more healthy options. We both lost weight. Of course Darsh lost more despite the fact that his diet was made up of chocolate croissants, spring rolls, noodles/rice every meal, ice cream, and 4 beers a day (as opposed to my omelettes, papaya salads, occasional noodles/rice, fruit smoothies, and a couple drinks/twice week). In fact, Darsh was the most lean he’s ever been while I’ve lost all my muscle mass! Ugh Boys!! ☺

Europe on the other hand has been a nightmare! I have never eaten so many crappy salads with lame iceburg lettuce and processed meat. And I’ve stopped asking for dressing on the side because they often just don’t get it….so full fat it is! Not to mention no skim milk so full fat milk as well! Italy and parts of Spain (Basque region and Madrid) were the hardest….it’s been much better everywhere else. I just had to get used to eating more fat than normal....

While I generally try to be healthy, I do love “bad” foods….especially bad carbs so it makes it that much more difficult to refrain when there are so few options! I also like Happy Hour – who doesn’t when you’re on vacation? And of course you think of every reason in the book to be bad – “It’s my first night here” or “It’s my last night here”, or “Of course I need to have a crepe from France” or “Tiramisu from Italy”. Funny how your mind works to rationalize the bad stuff. ☺

When I was in Asia I thought I was going to come back in better shape. It was great. I was totally hardcore and all was good….and I still got to have fun! In Europe my goal changed to “Keeping the damage to a minimum”. Haha! That said, the weight I lost in Asia is back…and then some I’m sure. Yikes! But I’m ok with it. I’ll never go on a trip like this again – I can live it up for 4 ½ months of my life! There’s always plenty of time to reverse the damage when I get back….which will consist of a major detox/cleanse and hardcore daily workouts by the way.

I will say that despite the fact that I don't love running (at least for long distances), I was kept motivated by my iPod. I even rediscovered old favorites. Here’s the list that kept me going. Some are new, others are way old and cheesy but they got the job done. ☺

Let Me Think About It –Ida Corr/Fedde Le Grand
Waka Waka – Shakira
I Like It – Enrique Iglesias/Pitbull
Allez Ola Ole – Jesse Matador
Feel It – DJ Felli Fel/ T Pain/Sean Paul
Like A Prayer – Madhouse
Bhangra Fever – Midival Punditz
Tell Me – Diddy/Christina Aguilera
Lose Control – Missy Elliott/Ciara
Be My Lover – La Bouche
You Can Do It – Ice Cube
Aaja Nachle – Mychael Danna
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix A Lot
Escape (Spanish version) – Enrique Iglesias
Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls – Book of Love
Hoochie Mama – 2 Live Crew
Jai Ho – A.R. Rahman/Pussycat Dolls
Our Own Way - Klaas
Poker Face – Lady GaGa
Everytime We Touch (radio mix) – Cascada
It Takes Two – Rob Base/DJ E-Z Rock

Pit Stop in Valencia

Valencia was a perfect place to rest up from Ibiza. The Old Town is really small and walkable….and very cute! The only downside is the heat. I think it was some of the hottest temps we've ever experienced…I mean the slight breeze was even hot.

We stayed at the Melia Plaza, which was a great location but just ok hotel. We tried walking around during the day but it was so hot and most things were closed so we ended up just chilling in our room….too bad we didn’t have a pool! We did get to see the Cathedral, which has the Holy Grail on display. That was pretty cool. Darsh also walked to the City of the Arts and Sciences – which has a really modern, funky architectural style. I went shopping instead! ☺

It was kind of a bummer that many shops/restaurants were closed – I think it was more than just siesta which seemed to last all afternoon. I actually think a lot of stuff was closed for the month of August so the owners could go on holiday. We did however, have one of our best meals in a while at Matilda – very inventive, fresh Spanish food. We also liked Ichido for Asian food, which was a nice break from tapas.

Although it was short, Valencia was a nice pit stop before Barcelona….our last stop of the trip!!!!

Clubbing Ibiza Style

For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to go to Ibiza. We've been talking about going for years but somehow never pulled it off. So this trip we decided we had to go. This was much easier said than done....especially as it got later in the trip. We almost called it off....because we're beat and I just wasn't in the mood. But then we thought we may never get the chance again so we might as well do it while we can.

I thought the plane would be full of kids in official party mode. I was surprised though that there were actually a lot of families and non-clubbers. I guess some people really do go to Ibiza for a regular holiday.

We really hadn't thought too much about what we were going to do when we got there. We'd both heard of Pacha and Amnesia and some of the other popular clubs but we decided we'd go out for a bit and figure it out as the night went on. Luckily for us, this turned out to be pretty easy. We met two fun guys from Rome, Mateo and Lucio who told us Pacha was the place to go on Wednesdays. The waitress agreed and so soon we were all on our way....and it was double the fun as Mateo and Lucio came with us.

Soooo Pacha wasn't nearly as big as I thought it would be. The music was good, and it was packed, but somehow I expected more. For some reason I thought it was going to be the most insane club I've ever been to. Maybe it's because I'm older and missing things....I don't know.... That said we did get to see Erick Morillo and Kelis (the Milkshake girl) who were good. And it is supposed to be more about the music anyway, right?

We stayed out late enough for us.....although I do wonder how the after club places were (the ones that open at 9am). Do people really make it out to those? Yikes! We, on the other hand, did a whole lot of nothing the next day.

Glad we finally did Ibiza. It probably would have been more fun 10 years ago but at least we can say we did it!!

Down Time in Malaga

I was really happy to be in Malaga as it was time for some major down time. Malaga is on the southern coast of Spain with sparkling blue water, sandy beaches, mountains, and a cute, city center. We stayed at the Hotel MS Maestranza which was right by the beach and a short walk to the Old Town.

We didn’t do much in Malaga. Seriously, we stayed in bed ‘til noon every day, worked out, chilled at the beach, shopped, and ate. That was it….and it was perfect. There was a lot to do though if you wanted. The city center is full of great shopping, restaurants, and tapas bars. They even have great food options. Our favorites were Lechuga and Como Loco….both had great salads.

Despite not wanting to see any sights (only because we’re tired), we did make it to the Cathedral, which was really cool – huge and very symmetrical. We also went to the Alcazaba, Malaga’s Moorish, fortress. We even walked up to the top which was painful in 100 degree weather….but at least we got a double workout that day! ☺

I definitely will come back to Malaga some day. It was one of our favorite cities in Spain. Not surprising as it reminded us both of home.