Monday, June 13, 2011

JoBeebs World Tour 2011 Summary


            How can I begin to reflect on the past three months?  There were so many journeys.  There was the physical journey of traversing the globe from East to West and stopping in five unique countries along the way.  There was the cultural journey of sampling the local customs, languages and flavors, and getting just a sense of the continuity of humanity as one culture blended into another.  There were the individual inner journeys.  And there was the journey of the dynamic and amazing relationship that Johanna and I share. 
            It is interesting now to reflect back and try to recall the feelings I had upon setting out.  There was the excitement of new adventures and the fear of the unknown.  I remember asking myself many times, “can we actually pull this off?”  There were the hours spent honing our packing list in order to fit all of the possessions we would need into carry-on size backpacks.  There were the days spent at coffee shops researching the countries we would visit.  Perhaps as an interesting twist of fate, and a metaphor for the spontaneity of our trip, we spent the most time researching a country that in the end we did not visit.
            We saw and did so much, that at the moment it is a bit of a blur.  If I stop and reflect, images of places come back.  It feels as though we spent three months living experiences, each of which was a destination or a vacation in and of itself.  As I look back, what really strikes me is the variability of the passing of time.  I remember sitting on the rocks outside our hotel in Koh Tao feeling almost intimidated at the amount of traveling that lay before us.  Indeed, for me, those first three weeks in Thailand seemed to pass very slowly.  We were just getting warmed up, and in many ways, Thailand was an ideal warm up.  Thai culture is a shockingly different culture than our own and is rich with sights, sounds and smells.  Yet, Thailand is remarkably easy to travel through. 
            In hindsight, I am increasingly thankful for Thailand, as it provided a more gentle transition than had we flown directly to Nepal from the United States.  Nepal ended up being the crux of our journey. 
            I have a tremendous respect for Nepal, and for the Nepalese.  They are such hard working people.  There are the men and women that walk miles with building supplies or cages full of chickens with only the power of their bodies for transportation and a crude head strap to secure the load.  There are the women whose chores of maintaining house and home never seem to end.  There are the waiters and tea house workers who literally work the same long hours day in and day out.  You do not see Nepalese laying around and relaxing.  The harshness of the conditions for most of the population in Nepal will not allow it. 
                        One thing that particularly impressed us was the resourcefulness of the high mountain village people.  These communities seem to subsist entirely on their own ingenuity and in cooperation with the other nearby villages.  Should a worldwide catastrophe ever threaten the existence of those of us in the “civilized world”, I would imagine the people of the high country in Nepal will go right on existing while we scramble to figure out how to survive in a world without internet.     
            We arrived in Nepal with so much excitement and anticipation.  We had no idea the extent of the physical and emotional challenges that awaited us.  We scratched the itch.  We experienced mountain vistas of which we had only before dreamt.  As is often the case, realizing one’s dreams does not come without a cost, and in the end, the trials of our time in Nepal helped to set the stage for the magical experiences of traveling through the Middle East.
            I would say that it was in Turkey that we really hit our traveling stride.  Part of the credit for this lies in the fact that Turks are incredibly welcoming and helpful people, and Turkey has a fabulous tourist infrastructure.  I believe another explanation is that having survived Nepal and arrived safely and healthily in Turkey, we felt like battle hardened travelers.  We basked in the modernity of present day Turkey.  We were awed by the cleanliness of restaurants, bathrooms and streets.  We fell in love with the bus system.  There is so much to see in Turkey and after three weeks, we barely scraped the surface.  We both agree that of all of the countries we have visited, Turkey is by far our favorite and we look forward to returning.
            It was with more than a touch of angst that we departed Turkey for Israel.  As we would learn, there were threats that the third Palestinian Intifada would kick off the day prior to our arrival.  Our fears, as they often are, proved unsubstantiated.  All around us people carried on with their day to day lives and for the ten days that we were in Israel and Jordan, we felt as safe or more-so than at any other time during our trip.  This is not to deny that there are real problems that face this region and its people.  People do not live in denial.  One young Israeli that we met seemed to put the paradox into perspective as he said, “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed your visit to our beautiful, f’d up corner of the world.”  The darkness and chaos are surely present.  Yet, they are not dominant as it would be easy to assume if one were to rely soley on network news as a means of learning about the world.
            I will forever be thankful that we trusted our hearts, put our fears in perspective, and travelled to the Middle East.  The beautiful people, vibrant cultures and rich history, in concert together, provided an absolutely magnificent travel experience.  I hope that I will never forget the feeling of our time in Jerusalem.  Historically, spiritually, and culturally, I do not know of a more dynamic and exciting place to be.  It was the perfect location for the culmination of our international adventure.
            Of the sixteen or so flights that we had pre-booked, I believe we ended up on two or three of them.  Indeed, this trip has been constantly evolving as it has progressed.  Keeping with that spirit, we called another audible and from Israel we headed home to Ohio to surprise Johanna’s parents.  This was one of our better decisions, as we found the time to relax with family to be a true blessing.  However sleep and family time were not the only gifts of our time in AK-Rowdy (Akron).  Serendipitously, our family has added another member….a beautiful eleven month old Golden Retriever / Irish Setter mix named Henry.  He has been in the Paulett family since soon after birth, however due to extenuating circumstances he has yet to find a permanent home.  I say this was serendipity as we had for some time been researching where and how we would add a puppy to our lives.  However, we did not expect to find our new buddy on this trip. 



It seems that so often in life, when things are meant to be, there is a sense of being pulled rather than having to push through.  So much or our entire trip has had this feel.  We were already very happy with our decision to return just a bit early to Ohio.  With the entry of Henry into our lives, we feel once again awed by the abundant nature of the Universe.  Graciously, Johanna’s folks agreed to look after Henry for the next few weeks while we dog-proof our home and arrange transportation to get him to Oregon. 
However, before getting our home in Portland Henry-ready, we had one more stop on our itinerary.  We headed south to Islamorada, Florida for the wedding of our dear friends Alexis and Aaron.  Relaxing, inspiring and absolutely magical, our time in the Florida Keys provided the icing on the cake to our amazing journey. 
So, how do I begin to bring my recounting of our travels to a close?  These past three months have been a dream-come-true.  In the interest of brevity I will say this:  The opportunity to travel around this big beautiful planet is truly a gift; yet to be able to go around the world with a soul mate is an absolute blessing for which we will be forever grateful.  Cheers to making all of  your dreams come true! 




Travel Stats

World Regions:

Continent: 3

Countries: 6

USA States: 3


Bodies of Water:

Pacific Ocean

Gulf of Thailand

Mediterranean Sea

Black Sea

Dead Sea

Red Sea

Sea of Galilee

Atlantic Ocean


Must See Sights:

Museums/ Ancient Ruins: 10

Temples, Churches, Mosques, Synagogues: 16

Hiking off the beaten path:

Trail Hiking: 175 miles

Hiking days: 25


Transportation:

Flights: 16

Local Bus: 26

Boat Rides: 4

Truck: 7

Elephant: 1

Taxi: 20

Jeep: 2

Train: 3

Tuk Tuk: 3

Tourist Bus: 2

Car Rental: 2

Accommodations:

Hotel, Guesthouse, Hostel, Family Home, Treehouse: 34

Random:

Books Read: 15

Booking Agency/ Guided Tour: 3

2 Nights slept in the airport (ie: chilled at the Crown Plaza)

3 Overnight buses

2 Delayed flights (Qatar & Chicago)

Laundry Services: 9 (plus 2x hand washed ourselves)

3 flat bus tires


Currency Exchange:

Thailand Baht:  1USD = 30.8 THB

Nepal Rupees:  1USD =72 NPR

Turkish Lira: 1USD = 1.5 TRY

Israel New Shekels: 1USD = 3.5 ILS

Jordan Dinars: 1USD = 0.7 JOD

Egypt Pound: 1 USD = 5.8 EGP

Vaccinations/Medications:

Hepatitis A & B series
Tetanus
Typhoid
Polio
Rabies series (3 very expensive shots)
H1N1 & Flu shot
Malaria Pills (Malarone)
Cirpofloxicin (taken multiple times for SE Asia)
Azthromycin (did not need- for India)
Flagyl
Antispasmodic
Zofran
Prilosec
Ibuprofen
Claritin


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Florida Keys

          

            We could not have imagined a more fitting finale to our trip than the past five days in Islamorada, Florida. We were there to attend the wedding of two of our dearest friends, Alexis and Aaron.  It was an opportunity to relax, to reunite with old friends, to make new friends and most importantly to celebrate. 
            The wedding was held at a beautiful, large estate on the Atlantic side of the Island.  Descending from the back deck took one to the pool and beyond to the soft, sandy beach and the blue water of the Atlantic Ocean.  We had to pinch ourselves a couple of times to be reminded, that, “yes we truly are this lucky to be here.”
            Aaron and Alexis are both so absolutely sincere and kind, that it was no surprise to find that their networks of family and friends, many of whom we had not previously met, were delightful and quite a lot of fun to be around.  The wedding that resulted from this confluence of love and goodness can only be described as magical. 
            The wind had been blowing steady for the few days leading up to Saturday’s festivities.  This was quite refreshing really, given the heat of the South Florida sun.  Yet, there was some concern as to whether decorations would blow away and whether the music and speaking through the PA system would be heard. 
            As 7:00 pm approached, the final preparations were underway and the guests were filing in.  Johanna was busy taking pictures and I was spending a few reflective moments alone on the dock that would serve as the ceremony site.  I believe I was as nervous, or perhaps more-so than the wedded couple to be.  Before we left on our three month journey, Alexis and Aaron had asked me to officiate their nuptials.  I was honored beyond words.  I have enjoyed spending time during our trip composing my remarks for the ceremony, and Johanna had been helping me practice.  I was feeling good, but still, this being one of the most important days in the lives of two of my favorite people on this planet, I was feeling a great deal of internal pressure as the start time drew nearer. 


            At different times throughout this blog, I have referred to my belief that there really are no coincidences in this life.  I believe that we create our reality, and that if one chooses, life can be viewed as a string of miracles.  Thus, I was not at all surprised, when, at 7:00 as Aaron and his brother Luke began playing the intro music, the wind stopped.  Aaron’s performance was beautiful and culminated with Alexis rappelling from the house’s upper balcony to be escorted down the aisle by her father.


           The next twenty or so minutes passed in an instant, yet, I can vividly remember every beautiful moment.  As I watched our friends recess back down the aisle as husband and wife, I felt so much love.  For Alexis and Aaron, their families and friends, my wife and for the abundant Universe that provided me the opportunity to take part in such an incredible experience.


           The rest of the night was filled with joy and laughter that flowed effortlessly.  So effortlessly indeed that it was no surprise when many of the attendees retired afterward to a nearby tiki bar for dancing and more dancing (and even some ladies dancing on stage with the band…one of whom was definitely my hot wife…I have pictures to prove it;)  As a wise singer from the 80’s once said, “Oh what a night…”
            When the dust settled, three things were certain:  Aaron and Alexis, the awesome team that they are, were officially joined in marriage; Beebs and Jo, also an awesome team, had successfully completed a three month trip around the world; and absolutely anything is possible.  As Walter quotes so eloquently in The Big Lebowski, “If you will it Dude, it is no dream.”