in sum....

Its been a little 2 weeks since I returned to the good ol US of A and a week since returning to home sweet home Seattle. Since I got sick as soon as I landed in Seattle, I have had some quality bonding time with my house and some time to contemplate the past 8 months. The first thing I have realized since being home is I have been so, so blessed to have been given this oppurtonity to explore the world. As much as I tried to appreciate every moment and soak in all that we were experiencing, we did, saw, met so many things, people, cultures, foods, challenges, etc...I think it was impossible. Being home, being still, surronded by loved ones, familiarity, I continue to appreciate the experiences more and more each day.

I am so thankful to all the people that befriended us although we were strangers, took us in as family, fed us, gave us directions, made us laugh, or in any other way enriched our trip. God blessed us greatly with the people we encountered along the way and our trip would not have been the same without friends met on the road...John, Sam, Louise, Claudia, Olivia, Mattias, Craig, Nick, Charlotte, Brad, Simon, Eric, Kasin, Michael, Nanda, Chris, Rafi, Tino, Judd, Jess, Katie, Boris and the Solvian group, Louis, Rachels roommates, Ken, Dino, Ben, Carl, Grant, Luke, Susie, Talita, Mel, Rick and friends, John and Brendan, Ben, Jeremy and Jen, Dave and Sam, Sam, Jennifer, G and Sara, the wedding party boys, Ladislas, Janet, Ben and Katie, Medo, the south African group, Mike, Mai, Julian, Ismet, Chris...just to name a few off the top of my head.

Traveling was exciting, rewarding, challenging, frustrating, and amazing! Above all else, I am so grateful for Toriann, her friendship, faithfulness, bravery, sense of direction, ability to laugh, have 'what to do with my life' talks, and most of all, her ability to dance the night away! We literally spent 24/7 together for almost 8 months and are better friends for it. She taught me so much and there is noone else I would rather have as a travel partner. Thank you T for being amazing and inspiring me to leave the norm and have a small adventure!! I love you so much!

The top quesiton I get at home now is 'what was your favorite experience...if you could pick one?' Well, its impossible to pick one, but sorting through my 1000s of photos I have thought of a lot of little favorites...

Favorite...
breakfast...Tofu omelette in Guatemala
food overall...India, everywhere!
hostel....Paradiso in Nelson, NZ and Big Apple in Istanbul, Turkey
hostel group...Big Apple
boat trip...Pirate ship in Galagagos
dive instructor...Vikas in the Andaman Islands
Christmas day experience...talking on skype to friends and family!
hike...Inca trail to Machu Piccu
monkey...Billy in Panama
sloth...Tember in Panama :)
bed...the bed in Tinos house in Peru!!
randomness...frog concert in Ecuador
surprise...meeting Luke!
commute...walking to the Mother Theresa house at 6 am in Kolkata
Random act of kindness...some guy rescuing my shoe from a river bed after stepping in a hole in the bridge
heart check moment...Mother Theresa house volunteering, playing with the kids in Panama City at Rachels work
wine...New Zealand whites!
new skills...scuba diving, driving on the left side of the road, driving mopeds (ok Toriann only really gets that one!)

and of course....
Least Favorite, but often memoriable...
hike...Picaya Volcano in Guatemala
flight...Buenos Aires to Auckland...14 hours, one movie, one meal???
bug spray...'Jungle Juice' from El Valle, Panama...containing over 1000 ingrediants, but really just makes the dead bugs stick to your legs!
bed...cardboard mattresses all over India or having ants in the bed in the Andamans
bathroom...maybe Lukes in London after getting stuck in it for an hour while home alone, or any of the bathrooms on the trains in India
bus ride..."VIP" overnight bus from Vang Vieng to Luang Probang...we so got ripped off!, rode for 14 hours with 1/2 a seat, a box at my feet and a tire next to me.

I could go on, but those are just a few of the highlights I can think of right now...T, you can add to them!!

Thank you to our families and friends that supported us from afar. Thank you for being excited for us, holding in your anxieties, and sharing our stories! We could not have done it without you guys, you are the BEST!

So, as Toriann continues on with her travels (currently with Alison), I am at home, going back to my old job at Harborview, re connecting with friends, learning how to have a long distance relationship from home, getting back into shape, and figuring out what is the next step for me in life. Its more overwhelming and scary than anything we ever encountered traveling, but I know that one day at a time I will find my way.