Back in the Good Ol' U.S.A.

Arriving state-side!

As some of you already know, my Dad’s health took a turn for the worse while we were in Southeast Asia, so after our time in South Korea Daron and I decided to head back to the States.  The day after our arrival my Dad took a nasty fall, from which he still has not fully recovered.  I think the condition he is currently in is his “new normal.”  He is in a nearby skilled nursing facility where he is receiving excellent care.  The plan was for him to receive rehab and then come home, but his health has declined so much that he is not able to come home.  It has been tough for me to see him like this.  I am not sure what the future holds, but for now I am enjoying the time I have with him.

It was a good time for us to head home, as we had hit a wall in our travels.  Southeast Asia was such a great experience, but also very tiring.  Towards the end we just weren’t into seeing any more wats, or palaces, or temples, or much of anything really!  We were getting burnt out. 

Traveling light at the end

Being back in the USA was a bit of a shock at first – in fact, I had a little trouble driving on the right side of the road again!  Every time I wanted to turn my blinker on, I would hit the windshield wipers!  Ugh.  That lasted almost a week.  One time when no other cars were around I almost pulled into the wrong lane.  We did spend 12 weeks driving on the “wrong” side of the road, so it makes sense there would be some residuals!

It’s been nice to have some down time and reflect a bit on our recent travels.  More than anything I think Daron and I appreciate our own country so much more than we used to.  After seeing how things are elsewhere, I have to say we have it good.  I look at our movies and TV shows a bit differently now, knowing that they have a global audience and that this is how other countries learn about life in the U.S.   Also, I wonder if we are the only country not on the metric system.  That was quite a disadvantage for us.  The one thing we both missed while we were overseas was good Mexican food.  I think we must be addicted and had been going into withdrawals.  It was the first (and second and third!) meal we had as soon as we got back.  We were fortunate that neither of us ever got sick from the food we ate while we were traveling.  We both had minor episodes, but nothing that stopped us from doing what we had planned each day.  As for our budget, we did better than expected (coming home early helped!).   Even though Australia blew our budget, we were able to make up for it in Southeast Asia.  

Packing heavy at the start

One thing I learned is that Daron and I make a good traveling team.  We had our ups and downs, like all couples do, but overall I have to say we work well together.  If one of us was having an off day, the other one would step in and help where needed.  We really had to depend on each other and trust each other, no matter what was going on.  With all the different situations we were thrust into, I got to see Daron in a different light – in fact, I feel like I fell in love with my hubby all over again.

One thing I might have changed is the blog software I used.  Although Blogger was good for my beginner blogging skills, I really struggled getting photos where I wanted them.  I spent more time wrangling with pictures than anything else!  Many people told me of their difficulties leaving comments, despite me changing the settings to the easiest possible (and for those of you that did leave comments, thank you!  It helped in the motivation department!).  Then of course, the biggest obstacle – me!  It was tough for me to keep up (as you all well know).  When we had access to the internet, our main priority was travel research (LOVE TripAdvisor!), which could eat up a lot of time.  It was hard for me to find the time (and sometimes the motivation) to write entries for the blog in the midst of all we were doing.  As we continue to travel, I’m not sure I would maintain a blog the next time around.   

My mom and dear old dad - July 2011

Overall, we made some really good friends and met fabulous people from all different countries and walks of life.  Travelers in general are friendly and helpful and fun, no matter where they’re from.  I learned a lot about the countries we visited, as well as countries we have yet to visit.  There’s a camaraderie amongst travelers in foreign lands that is very inspiring.

As for what’s next, Daron and I still plan to continue our trip - this is just a break.  My Dad’s health has mostly stabilized and my Mom seems to be doing okay at the moment.  We will spend some time visiting friends and family this summer and fall, and then find a temporary place to live for the winter.  If all continues to go well, we’ll head to Europe in the spring.  India is also still high on the list (the more we hear about it, the more we want to go!).   Until then we are typical Americans:  unemployed, uninsured, and living with their parents!  

I'd like to wrap up this part of our trip by sharing a list of favorites we kept up during our travels:

AUSTRALIA (6 weeks) 

   Favorite Experiences

      1.  Great Barrier Reef

      2.  Uluru (Ayers Rock)

      3.  Craig's Hut (alpine area where we hiked to Man From Snowy River cabin)

   Favorite Food

      1.  Aussie game sampler buffet at Uluru (tried croc and kangaroo!)

      2.  Tea and scones (with jam and cream - yum!)

      3.  Load-it-up Asian buffet in Cairns

   Favorite Drink - Aussie beers (light and refreshing)

   Least Favorites

      1.  The poor exchange rate

      2.  The weather - lots of rain

      3.  The flies at Uluru

NEW ZEALAND (6 weeks)

   Favorite Experiences

      1.  The 3 "Great Tracks" we hiked (Routeburn, Tasman, Tongariro)

      2.  Milford Sound cruise

      3.  Yellow-eyed penguin watching

   Favorite Food

      1.  Ice cream - homemade fruit ice cream & hokey pokey flavor at Tip Top

      2.  Fish and chips

      3.  Meat pies

   Favorite Drink - local pinot noir and sauvignon blanc wines

   Least Favorites

      1.  Twisting and turning roads - also one-lane bridges

      2.  Sand flies

      3.  High cost of gasoline 

THAILAND (1 month)

   Favorite Experiences

      1.  Chiang Mai (city with nice laid-back vibe)

      2.  Maya Cove (where they filmed "The Beach")

      3.  Thai massages & foot massages (so cheap!)

   Favorite Food

      1.  All of the fabulous Thai dishes (it's hard to pick just one!)

      2.  Thai pancakes (nutella and banana - yum!)

      3.  Mango sticky rice

   Favorite Drink - Fruit shakes

   Least Favorites

      1.  All of the different scams we had to watch out for

      2.  Being seen as a walking ATM by the locals

      3.  Garbage all over and rank smells

LAOS (1 month)

   Favorite Experiences

      1.  Slow boat down the Mekong River

      2.  Caving in Vang Vieng

      3.  Overnight sleeper bus

   Favorite Food

      1.  Authentic Lao food - chicken laap and papaya salad

      2.  Cheese and veggie baguette sandwiches

      3.  Sticky rice

   Favorite Drink - Beer Lao

   Least Favorites

      1.  Local attitudes about littering, garbage, and cleanliness

      2.  Tricky pricing practices

      3.  The language barrier

CAMBODIA (1 month)

   Favorite Experiences

      1.  The local Khmer people - very friendly and quick to smile

      2.  Exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat

      3.  Fun riverside area in Phnom Penh (great people-watching)

   Favorite Food

      1.  Fish amok and lok lak (Khmer cooking)

      2.  Cha kroueng (chicken in peanut and coconut sauce - Khmer curry dish)

      3.  Sticky rice with beans encased in a bamboo stick

   Favorite Drink - Cheap local beers (Anchor, Angkor, Crown)

   Least Favorites

      1.  Overly aggressive children selling anything and everything

      2.  Beggars of all types

      3.  Heart-string scams (mothers with babies, etc.) 

VIETNAM (1 month)

   Favorite Experiences

      1.  Overnight boat trip on Halong Bay

      2.  The floating markets in the Mekong Delta

      3.  Riding on the back of a scooter in crazy traffic!

   Favorite Food

      1.  Fresh spring rolls

      2.  Pho (Vietnamese soup)

      3.  Barbecue pork

   Favorite Drink - "Fresh" beer

   Least Favorites

      1.  Constant pestering to buy stuff

      2.  Taking your life into your hands when crossing the street!

      3.  Rudeness 

SOUTH KOREA (2 weeks)

   Favorite Experiences

      1.  Hanging out with Daron's brother Rod

      2.  The DMZ

      3.  Hiking the ancient wall that surrounds Seoul

   Favorite Food

      1.  Barbecue beef ribs

      2.  Kim-chi

      3.  Korean dumplings

   Favorite Drink - coffee (it was nice to be in a place with good coffee again!)

   Least Favorites

      1.  The language barrier (hardly anything was in English)

      2.  Cold noodles on ice - yuck!

      3.  Only having two weeks

Well, there you have it – eight months of travels in an abbreviated list.  The best part is that it’s not over yet.  Until then, we want to send you a big THANK YOU for joining us on this journey of ours. 

Happy Travels!