Month 10: In Review (Top 10 in 10)

May 25, 2015 – June 24, 2015

Less than two months left of travel before we come home. It feels pretty surreal. When I reflect back on all the countries we’ve explored, people we’ve met, things we’ve tried, buses we’ve ridden, mountains we’ve climbed, and miles we’ve walked…it seems like we’ve been living on the road forever. And yet, every day is full of new surprises and excitement that sometimes it feels like we just said our goodbyes and got on our one-way flight to London. What a whirlwind it has all been. I am starting to feel a little homesick now. Part of it might be because we’re in Peru spending all our time with fifteen American student athletes, who frequently speak of the comforts of home and what they miss. But I think part of it is because mentally I know this journey is slowly starting to come to a close. I can’t wait to hug my parents and sisters, and catch up with them in person instead of over Skype. I’m super excited to find a place Josh and I can call home, and maybe get a puppy. I can’t wait to see my friends, meet their new babies, and catch-up on all their life changes. I’m excited to find a new job, even though right now it’s hard to imagine sitting at a desk every day. I can’t wait to have more than two outfits to choose from, and I can finally stop wearing the same black leggings I wear every single day here. A warm shower? Yes, please! Modern conveniences of the heater, and dryer sheets, and 24-hour grocery stores will be life changing. And yes, I would LOVE to eat a giant, juicy, gourmet hamburger, slathered with bacon, cheddar cheese, and BBQ sauce (it must be the American in me shining through)! It’s the simple things I’m excited for, but I know I will miss the mountains, and the freedom and excitement of waking up to a day unplanned. As I look at all of this, I realize that nearly two months left of travel is actually more time than I will get again while working in a corporate setting. I will live these last two months as if they are my last, and look forward to the excitement and changes of coming home with a smile.

Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

-Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Month 10 Travel Stats

Countries Visited: Bolivia & Peru

Cities Visited:

• Bolivia – La Paz, Copacabana, Isla del Sol
• Peru – Puno, Cusco, Pisaq

Budget

Month 10 = Under Budget. Our last week in Bolivia was full of adventure, and with that came some costs that were well worth it! We mountain biked down over 10,000 feet on the World’s Most Dangerous Road, hiked through the Yunga Mountains on the three day El Choro Trek, and spent time on Lake Titicaca, visiting the famous Sun Island and learning to drive a boat made of reeds. We fell in love with Bolivia and were sad to go. Peru has been amazing so far, but has been completely different than Bolivia. We have been working as Group Leaders for a group of college interns for a program called STRIVE. We’ve had an enormous amount of responsibility for other people, and have had a very planned out June schedule. We’ve been running at 9,000ft altitude daily, and have been living in Pisaq, Peru on less than $30USD a day combined. It has been an incredible experience thus far and has helped us immensely with our budgeting.

Top 10 in 10: Animals Around the World

10 Coolest animals we’ve seen in their natural habitat

1. Reindeer, Highway One, Iceland

2. White Tipped Reef Shark, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

3. Wallaby, Bega, Australia

4. Vicuna, Patagonia, Argentina

5. Magellanic Penguin, Magdalena Island, Argentina

6. Green Turtle, Gili Trawangan Island, Indonesia

7. Macaque Monkeys, Bali, Indonesia

8. Chinchilla, In the Bolivia Altiplano

9. Crocodile, Daintree National Park, Australia

10. Andean Flamingo, Bolivia Altiplano, Laguna Colorada

Coming Up…

We continue running and living in Pisaq, Peru working as Group Leaders for STRIVE through mid- July, ending the program with a bang as we make the trek of all treks: Machu Picchu!

STRIVE @ the Pisaq Ruins in Pisaq, Peru