In total, Foster Adventure consisted of 60 flights across 33 countries and 10,000 miles driven through 28 states in our trusty 2004 Toyota Avalon.
It’s hard (really hard) to believe that Sarah and I are done with our crazy 13-month adventure around the world. It was easily the best decision we’ve ever made (besides getting married, of course) – the memories we made will stay with us forever and the experiences we shared have changed us both in extraordinary ways.
For those of you who have been following for a while now, you know that Sarah published a bunch of Top Takeaways posts about our experiences in specific countries or regions along the way. She also penned a great Reflections post near the half way point. This Conclusions post won’t be as detailed as those other posts, but it will be more reflective on the whole experience now that the trip is finished and we can look back on the adventure in its entirety. Hopefully it’s both helpful and inspirational (and a bit entertaining, too).
In addition to our hindsight observations, we also narrowed down the thousands and thousands of pictures we took to a few of our best ones that we’ll share again. We included some of our favorite travel quotes with them too – these are the types of things we were reading when we planned the trip, so to see the text framed by our pictures means a lot to us. (And if you want to see the rest of the pictures, head over to our Galleries where they’re sorted by country or region.)
So with that introduction, here it goes: our conclusions after a year of travel.
Monument Valley, Arizona.
The #1 Thing You Should Never Leave Home Without
Unquestionably the most important thing I brought with me was something I couldn’t fit in my backpack: Sarah. There is absolutely no way that I would’ve been able to do this trip without her. There are plenty of travelers who enjoy going it alone, but I am definitely not one of them. Sarah was my rock when I needed support and my free spirit when I needed to let go of my inhibitions. If I were half as helpful to her as she was to me I would feel great about my contribution to the trip.
That said…
Was it difficult to spend every waking (and sleeping) hour right next to each other? Sometimes. Did we have to adjust our relationship to this new lifestyle? Absolutely. Are there times we wanted to kill each other? Of course not – we’re newlyweds! But would she have left me on the side of the road without a cell phone once or twice? Highly probable. (Though I’m thankful she didn’t!)
The trip was an intense experience for both of us and, in many ways, a test of our relationship. We had more silly fights while we were away than in the entirety of our relationship before we left; but we also had more moments of pure joy, nervous excitement, spectacular awe, mouth-watering deliciousness, nirvana-like relaxation and unbiased happiness than I expected in the first 20 years of marriage. Our relationship is stronger as a result; I would say without hesitation that we passed the test.
Venice, Italy.
How Sweet It Is
Now that we are home and in the process of reentering the lives we left behind, I am reminded just how easy it is to lose sight of the “big picture” in the course of everyday life. Many people realize this throughout each year, which is why we make time to see the people and do the things that are most important to us. My “big picture” thoughts here are a little broader though, and extend beyond the perspective of our day-to-day lives. The first is a bit philosophical – so bear with me – but the second is more practical.
The first “big picture” is something I never took time to think about when caught up in my daily life in New York – that we are conscious beings, living on a rock that rotates around a sun, and that we have free choice about how to spend our time here on Earth. I’m not going to turn this into an existential rant but after seeing the Milky Way illuminate the otherwise black sky among a herd of wild Kudu in Africa, it’s impossible not to acknowledge this aspect of our existence. Whatever creed you follow – Darwin’s evolution, God’s creation or somewhere in between – we should all take a page from Drake’s book when confronted with this realization: YOLO. We’re only here once so don’t waste the incredible opportunity that is life.
Budapest, Hungary.
The second is something that crossed my mind occasionally before leaving New York but was permanently reinforced by our experiences over the last year: America is one of the best places on Earth to live and we enjoy a cornucopia of benefits that many, many people around the world envy. We have comforts that make our lives easier than some other developed nations and we live in a country that relieves us of many of the burdens of survival faced daily by citizens in some developing nations. This isn’t to say that America is perfect – as of this writing, Donald Trump is leading the Republican Primary polls…what happened while we were gone?!? – but we are incredibly lucky to have the many advantages available to us. Billions of people would be happy with fractions of what we have; we’ll never forget that and are forever humbled.
The Road Less Traveled
Our trip has permanently changed the way I think about travel. Before we left, we thought of travel as an opportunity to relax and get away from the organized chaos of our lives in New York. So we sought destinations where we could maximize relaxation (which was often at the expense of a more meaningful cultural experience). I don’t regret the way we chose to spend our free time before we left, but now I think we will seek more varied and multifaceted getaways.
Travel is an opportunity to learn about how people live in another corner of the world, whether that corner is near your home or on the other side of the planet. Travel is also an opportunity to broaden your horizons. And while you’re traveling, make sure to put down the guide book, wander away from your tour guide and get off the beaten path – our best experiences over the last year were ones we discovered for ourselves, usually surrounded by locals.
So here’s our advice: get lost in a market; ask directions from a stranger who speaks no English; try the house specialty, even if you have no idea what is going to show up on your plate. These experiences will be far more memorable than any made inside your comfort zone. (And try to be respectful of the people and places you’re visiting. We saw far too many tourists who forgot about this last part.)
Krabi, Thailand.
Lo Siento, No Hablo Español
For anyone who might be concerned about their ability to get by in a foreign country, here is another piece of advice for you: if you are reading this, then you have nothing to worry about. English was available everywhere we went (and practically ubiquitous in some places); I’m confident you’ll be able to find someone who speaks a little English almost anywhere you go. Mix in a few words of the local language and you’re golden.
Even if you come across someone who speaks no English – this happened to us many times – cutting edge technologies like Google Translate and old-fashioned techniques (think smiling, nodding and pointing) work very well to bridge the communication gap. It might not be the most comfortable exchange of your life, but it’s not as intimidating as you think.
Keep in mind, there are plenty of people who actually have travel limits based on language barriers – think large groups of Asian tourists… Don’t trick yourself into the belief that you won’t be able to get by on your own though. You already have a leg up by speaking English, so take advantage of it!
Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
Sarah is Going to Make Fun of Me for This One
How do I know that she will make fun of me? Because every time I brought this up on our trip it solicited an exaggerated eye roll, without fail. What could cause such a reaction? Planes. (I love flying.)
Modern aviation is an incredible testament to human innovation. And most people probably don’t know (or take for granted) just how well connected our world is. Next time you are at JFK – or whatever large international airport is closest to you – take a look at the planes from all over the world that are parked there, taking hundreds of passengers daily to all parts of the world. It’s easy to ignore these carriers because most of us will never have a reason to fly them; the Delta Shuttle schedule between New York and Cincinnati was always far more relevant to me than the Singapore Air plane parked at the other end of the terminal. But next time you’re at the airport taking a routine flight, keep in mind that – if the mood struck – you could be ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD in 24 hours or less.
Makes our huge world feel a little smaller and incrementally more accessible.
Taj Mahal, India.
Getting Inspired?
Good! The point of this post isn’t just to tell you about our amazing travel stories, but to foster a sense of adventure in others. (Get it?! I’ve been waiting a year to drop that line!)
Be spontaneous. Be adventurous. Be brave. Travel is the best investment of your resources – time or money – period.
Mt. Fuji, Japan.
Favorites
We get asked a lot to list our favorite places. Like, every time we discuss the trip. And now that we’re back in New York reconnecting with our friends and family – and interviewing for jobs! – we basically discuss this every day. It’s fun to think back on our favorite experiences, but it’s also a difficult question to answer because we have so many memories from the trip.
How would you pick a favorite memory from the last year? The “easy” answer that I suspect most people would give is to recall a particularly fun moment from a vacation. Or maybe a nice holiday weekend spent with family. But beyond these quick-to-recall moments, there are many others that have shaped you into the person you are today rather than a year ago. Maybe you celebrated a big achievement at work? Maybe you volunteered and had a heartwarming impact on those you were helping? Maybe you began a new relationship, or rekindled an old friendship? My point is that all sorts of memories make up the last year of your life and it’s not easy to single out one or two as the best.
With that caveat, though, here are some of our highlights:
- Peru. The challenge of our five-day trek to Machu Picchu made the reward we felt upon completing it – gazing downward at the ancient ruins through misty clouds – all the more sweet. Plus the rest of the countryside is beautiful.
- Japan. Two words: Culture. Shock. Nowhere else in the world did we experience such a universally “practiced” culture that was (in many ways) completely different than our own. Oh yeah, and the food is AMAZING!
- Australia / New Zealand. Stunningly beautiful countries with some of the friendliest locals we found. It’s very easy to see why some people who visit never leave.
- South Africa. Gorgeous scenery with something for everyone. Cosmopolitan city (Cape Town)? Check. Safaris? Check. Wine country? Check. Beautiful coast? Check.
- Portugal. The most underrated European vacation destination. We only made it here by chance – it wasn’t in our original itinerary – but we’re so happy we spent a few weeks here. Think about all the things you love about Spain, then add phenomenal beaches and subtract 80% of the tourists.
Machu Picchu, Peru.
Like I said before, narrowing this down is hard. As I selected the five countries above, I couldn’t help but think of some other amazing experiences we had along the way. So here are five more memories we’ll never forget, broken down by the sensation we’ll remember most:
- See: The glow of Hungary’s Parliament building reflecting on the Danube at midnight in Budapest.
- Hear: The roar of three tons of water per second flowing over Iguazu Falls.
- Feel: Moss growing on the ancient ruins at Angkor Wat.
- Smell: Fresh pintxos sitting on a small bar, down a narrow alley in San Sebastian, Spain.
- Taste: Feta cheese, drizzled with a little olive oil, over a fresh Greek salad on Aegina. Followed by a cold gulp of ouzo to wash it down.
Giving 10 answers to a simple question like “What was your favorite place?” isn’t really fair, but even narrowing the list down this much was a challenge…so that’s the best we can do!
Cusco, Peru.
Perspective
Another common question we are asked is to describe what lessons we have learned. Or, said another way, how our perspective changed. This is – not surprisingly – another tough one.
The lessons I mentioned above are a good start: travel with the best companion you know, travel as far and as often as possible and when you do #1 and #2 keep in mind how lucky you are to be doing them. But these mantras only scratch the surface of the lessons we’ve learned since we left last July.
Defining what those other lessons are, though, is very hard. We didn’t wake up one day in Thailand and decide “Okay, we’ve been in Southeast Asia for a month, now we get it!” The lessons are much more incremental than that and only now, with the benefit of hindsight, am I able to appreciate how far we’ve come. Relaying all of these small lessons would be impossible, but let me attempt to define our perspective as a way to explain how we feel at the conclusion of the trip.
To us, the perspective we’ve gained throughout our adventure is defined by the dwindling number of unfamiliar experiences in the world. Making what was unfamiliar, familiar, is the only way to gain a better appreciation for the world we live in. And it’s often smaller things that leave the longest lasting impression. Of course we thought the Taj Mahal was beautiful; but watching small children play with unencumbered joy (despite their desperate living conditions) on Holi is something we’ll never need a postcard to remember.
This certainly isn’t to say that we feel we’ve crossed off every item on our bucket list; on the contrary, if all the unfamiliar experiences in the world combined to form Mt. Everest, we’ve only taken a few stones from the top. But we will cherish our newly collected stones forever and we view it as imperative to gather as many more as we can.
Cairns, Australia.
Coming Home
Despite all the incredibly fun moments we shared over the last 13 months, both Sarah and I are ready to come home. Though neither of us were exactly sure how the adventure would change us, if you asked us before we left if we planned to open a surf shack on the beach when we were done, the answer would’ve been a pretty strong “No.” Now that we are done, I can definitely say that answer hasn’t changed over the last year.
Even though we have experienced so much and grown in so many ways, the trip has also reinforced how important many aspects of our lives back home are to us. We’re looking forward to settling back into an apartment that we can call our home, to picking out clothes from a closet instead of an over-stuffed backpack, to reengaging with our colleagues in pursuit of a rewarding career and, most importantly, to reconnecting with all of our friends and family.
While it is sad (in some ways) that we aren’t hopping on a plane to a foreign country next week, we’re both feeling bittersweet excitement for this more “normal” next chapter in our lives.
Ephesus, Turkey.
Conclusion
Okay, I know this post was long but we had a lot of thoughts to get out after a whole year away! We sincerely hope that you enjoyed the blog and that it has been helpful in planning some of your own adventures. Though this will be the last post on here, I’m excited for all the twists and turns that our Foster Adventure will take over the coming years.
To end, I’ll leave you with a favorite quote from an old colleague (and by “old” I mean former, but he also had a little more grey hair than me!).
“We are all prisoners of our own experience.”
Though my colleague recited it in a humbling professional tone, I always thought it had a broader application to life. If we limit our experiences – by conscious or unconscious choice – we remain prisoners in a cell with only a narrow window out to the world. But if, on the other hand, we experience as much as possible, then our cell will be quite a bit more comfortable – we’ll have a panoramic window out to the world and a large bank of memories to draw from.
So here’s to new experiences and adventures! Carpe Diem!
White Sands National Monument, New Mexico.
