A Little Bit Bigger and a Whole Lot Smaller
If you made it through all of the recap posts of our Japan and China trip, kudos to you. They were very bogged down in detail, just because I try to capture every little bit of the trip so I can relive those moments to the fullest extent possible. After this trip, we are now over 70% complete with our goal, meaning we have visited FIVE CONTINENTS:
1/ North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)
2/ Australia, 2012
3/ Africa, 2013 (Egypt)
4/ Europe, 2013 (Greece)
5/ Asia, 2014 (Japan, China)
We have started exploring the options for our next trip, and *gulp* Antarctica is tough, guys! (Actually, it's really easy, considering there's only a narrow window of the year when you CAN go, and there's only a handful of options to get there...but eye-balling that price tag is TOUGH.) But that's a whole other discussion...
We've been home in the US for about a month now, and of course that's left plenty of opportunities for Francisco and I to rehash our trip and talk about what we enjoyed and our overall thoughts on our experiences. You really do come home with a fresh perspective, and it's hard not to have a renewed appreciation for our home country.
Traveling to the other side of the world makes you feel a bit bigger. You've experienced more of the world, observed a different culture, stepped outside of your comfort zone...you come home with expanded horizons, a broader perspective. 12 hours from LA and you can step foot on Asian soil. But at the same time, traveling makes you feel a whole lot smaller. There is so much to see and experience in the world, and we are barely scratching the surface. Francisco likened it to becoming a bigger fish and then finding yourself in a bigger sea, and that's a very apt analogy. We grew a little bit as individuals but found ourselves with an even greater appreciation for the size and diversity of the world. There are so many cultures, so many beliefs, just so much to take in. And I don't think that's news - we all have an appreciation of the size of the world on some basic level, but I don't think you really grasp it until you really put yourself out there.
The world exists as a big yet small place..big enough to offer adventure and unexplored territory around every corner and across every ocean but small enough that these experiences are right at our fingertips, if only you take the time to make it happen. It can be scary and overwhelming, but I have never regretted the time, effort, and expense of these trips.
There is really nothing like traveling to make you feel a little bit bigger and a whole lot smaller.
1/ North America (USA, Canada, Mexico)
2/ Australia, 2012
3/ Africa, 2013 (Egypt)
4/ Europe, 2013 (Greece)
5/ Asia, 2014 (Japan, China)
We've been home in the US for about a month now, and of course that's left plenty of opportunities for Francisco and I to rehash our trip and talk about what we enjoyed and our overall thoughts on our experiences. You really do come home with a fresh perspective, and it's hard not to have a renewed appreciation for our home country.
Traveling to the other side of the world makes you feel a bit bigger. You've experienced more of the world, observed a different culture, stepped outside of your comfort zone...you come home with expanded horizons, a broader perspective. 12 hours from LA and you can step foot on Asian soil. But at the same time, traveling makes you feel a whole lot smaller. There is so much to see and experience in the world, and we are barely scratching the surface. Francisco likened it to becoming a bigger fish and then finding yourself in a bigger sea, and that's a very apt analogy. We grew a little bit as individuals but found ourselves with an even greater appreciation for the size and diversity of the world. There are so many cultures, so many beliefs, just so much to take in. And I don't think that's news - we all have an appreciation of the size of the world on some basic level, but I don't think you really grasp it until you really put yourself out there.
The world exists as a big yet small place..big enough to offer adventure and unexplored territory around every corner and across every ocean but small enough that these experiences are right at our fingertips, if only you take the time to make it happen. It can be scary and overwhelming, but I have never regretted the time, effort, and expense of these trips.
There is really nothing like traveling to make you feel a little bit bigger and a whole lot smaller.
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