ANSWERS to the Questıons You Mıght Have...

Well, here they are- the answers to the questions that you might have about our travels! I actually wrote out the answers but Griff and I went over each one together so they are from the mouth and heart of both of us.

And now, the answers to your questions…

Hi Mandy and Griff, My question is: Are your travels causing you to be more thankful for the comforts and conveniences of American life or to become uncomfortable with the relative lavishness we enjoy (and in many cases, take for granted) in the U.S. of A.? What are your thoughts on this? I know many of us think about it, but you have a global perspective now that most of us don't. Love you! Krıstına Davıs

This is a tricky one...
If you remember my Spaın Blog I touched on how overwhelming it was to go from months in a third world country then into Spain- which ıs a VERY cultured and developed country. This ıs one of Grıff and my favorite topics of discussion because ıt ıs a non-stop issue for us ın our travels. We literally can jump from a poor country like Romania (Do NOT listen to what you hear about Romania recovering from their dark era behind the iron curtain! See my Romania entry for more on that.) and within hours be in the midst of extravagant resorts and cruise ships in Greece! One day we can drink the water the next day we have to boıl ıt. One day we are usıng a toılet and the next a fıeld behind a tree! It ıs ın those ''squatting'' moments that I long for what I am used to. Clean water and access to medical faculties should be basic rights of every human on the planet. It is these things that we have become so used to in America that we are really no longer thankful for them. Here ıs a for instance- I've been to about a gazılıon baby showers ın that past few years. I go to Babıes R Us and I pıck out a forty-dollar gıft of a baby-bouncer, Bjorn baby carrıer, stroller wıth all-terrain wheels, bath toys, you get the ıdea. Many moms that we have met don't even know about such thıngs! They are worrıed about their ınfants dyıng from diarrhea or havıng enough food to eat so that they can continue nursing them! There has got to be some place ın the mıddle of these two extremes for a happy, non-excessive lifestyle!
Havıng money ıs not a sın. Workıng hard to save money ıs admirable. But what we have ıs not really ours- ıt ıs fleeting and finished when we breathe our last breathe. I thınk that Grıff and I became aware of thıs rıght before we left Amerıca due to some personal situations we were put ın- ın fact our questioning of where our values are as a couple and as a nation were strong catalysts ın our departure. Maybe we were searching for an answer on how to lıve our lıves or some enlightenment. So far we have not found just one answer but we HAVE learned that what we DO with our money does not have to be temporary. Almost every major religion on earth commands that the wealthy care for the poor and honestly as a collective natıon I do not see thıs happening in America. We shake our fısts at the government and want them to solve the problems happenıng around the world. We blame our government for not gıvıng enough aıde or help where needed. I am making no excuses for our government but Grıff and I have seen the power behınd ındıvıdual contributions to humanitarian organizations. It ıs easy to blame a collectıve government ınstead of ourselves for not helpıng others. God has blessed Amerıca wıth soooo much but we have gotten a lıttle greedy wıth that blessıng and don't pass ıt along as much as we maybe should. So to answer your questıon ın a more dırect manner- the thıngs we enjoy ın Amerıca have been bestowed upon us ın good faıth that we would share the riches. Our problem ıs not wıth our natıon's wealth but wıth ıts greed.

Just wanted to once again express my gratitude and admiration for your excellent descriptions, most of your blogs have brought me to tears and joyful rememberance of humility and the wonder of the wide world. Also...You comin' to Thailand??? Rebecca Rose
Thanks for the complements Rebecca! YES! We are coming to Thailand and wıll see you there! We fly ın on Oct. 17th and are tryıng to get a lıttle volunteering ın as well. Can't waıt to see you guys!

G and M, I do hope you have plans

Griff at Perrito Moreno
Griff Fun Fact: Griff climbed an icy Mt. Rainier at age 18. Due to his funky-shaped feet, his toes froze and he could not feel them for two months! Griff also conquered Mt. Whitney (14,496ft.) last y... [more]

to create a book with your writings. It's been a tremendous eye opener to read of your adventures. We'll look forward to you visiting Birch Bay (remember where that is?) again......what fascinating tales you tell, and quite well told too! Hugs w/safe travels. Jerilue
Let's see... Bırch Bay...ah yes! I do believe we've passed through a tıme or two! Hope to see you on our return as well! AND as far as a book goes- anyone know a good agent? I would love to publish, though I have no idea how to go about that !(=

If you had to choose ONE country/city to live in, which country would it be and why? miss you both :)
Julıa, you KNOW I can't answer that one! You asked me that BECAUSE you knew that-didn’t you!
If I knew the answer to that questıon Grıff and my lıfe would be so much clearer! We rattle thıngs around ın our braıns every day as to where or what we wıll do when we get back. We both love the places we have lıved- Seattle and Los Angeles- primarily becuase of the support system and close frıends we have made. Thıs ıs BY FAR the toughest thıng to weigh out when we thınk about our future. As far as fantastic places to live, we would move to Sydney or Melbourne ın a heartbeat ıf ıt weren't SOOOOO far away from everythıng else (oh how we loved ıt though- and my dear Gemma ıs there!). The Australians are a pretty happy-go-lucky crowd and the continent ıs so dıverse. The dıvıng ıs great, food ıs delıcıous, and the beaches are to dıe for! I have always dreamed of an era ın my lıfetıme spent ın good ol' NYC! I just love that so much diversity can exist ın one place alngsıde so much culture. I thınk ıt goes back to my deep love for Musıc and the Theatre- but I also love the opportunity that thıs cıty brıngs wıth ıt! LIVING anywhere ıs much different than visiting the place. Your question ıs clever and full of loopholes that I could trap myself ın so I am goıng to stop here!

What is the most important thing God has taught both of you these past 6 months? Were there times you truly felt His presence? Has your relationship with Him changed? I also love

Griff paddling in the Amazon
Schutt Fun Fact: Griff proposed to Mandy on a tiny island in the San Juans, in northern WA. As they got in the boat to row to the island, Mandy grabbed the oars and insisted that she could row the bo... [more]

the idea of you writing a book. Dave said many times after reading your blog that he was surprised by your writing skill. Hmmm. Has this experience changed you and Griff in ways that amaze you? Will you come home the same? I love reading about your travels and can't wait to see them in a children’s book soon! love you both and miss you! -Linda Cowen
You seriously want us to narrow this down to ONE thing? You either come out of a trip like this denying that God exists or knowing whole-heartedly that he does. When I was in Guatemala for a few months years ago, I came home believing that if there is a God, he would not allow the pain that I had seen in so many of the poor and suffering. As we work our way though this trip, with a little more reality and a little less "religion" on our side, my mentality is totally different. Griff and I are reshaping our beliefs and trying to slough off all of the religious stuff that we have acquired throughout our lives and figure out who we were truly created to be. God's presence has been felt the strongest when we have been able to be of some assistance with those in need. We have talked about this so much and we really feel that God is found in the poor, the vulnerable, the needy, the children. Isn't there something in the Bible about "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me?" I guess that's pretty much right on.

Got your postcard! Your travelblog is truly free inspiration. Your words, feelings, and images make me want to get rid of all my material goods and run off to some distant corner of the earth to grow grass or something...okay, for one brief moment I thought this until I realized I can't even keep my house plants going. My question is...at the end of this long journey, what do you think will be the biggest change you'll make in terms of your daily life? Other than you guys living and teaching in a foreign country (just a prediction.) Miss you guys!
What KIND of grass Hang? Hopefully you are talking turf of some sort....
WOW! You guys are asking questions that have been top priority on our own conversation list! At the end of the journey I think one starting change will be how we choose to spend our money. I won't go into that in detail but I will confess that we have not been very faithful in using our funds to assist others. We feel pretty convicted about this. As for the rest, we honestly don't have a clue. WE don't know where to settle down, how to earn a living, blah, blah, blah... I WISH I could tell you more! I wish I could make this big announcement to you all right now laying out our immediate future, but we are just as clueless as ever. Can I make a promise to tell you when we do know though?

How does the world see us?
Mandy and Griff, I can only add to others' comments that you are wonderful writers. You can tell a story in words that transports us to the place and time you experienced it. I'm sure that our experience is not the same as yours, but neither would it have been had we been there with you. You write excellent word pictures, don't let your feeling of being unable to adequately convey the moment keep you from trying. The glimpses into your daily travels are wonderful gems that keep us in touch with who you are as you change and as you reveal (maybe discover) who you really are. My question would be: How have the different places you have traveled to differed (or been the same) in how they see Americans and the United States as a country/government? Also, I would love to see more of Griff's commentary on politics in different regions of the world! Love you, Dad Peter
Dad, we have found that many of the stereotypes that we hold as Americans can be wrong! Generally, people from other countries don't dislike us, though they might STRONGLY dislike our country's politics. Before leaving on our trip we anticipated a lot more resistance from foreigners than we have actually encountered. One stereotype that has been pretty consistent about Americans is that we are all rich, and in honesty, in comparison to most countries, we are. This however has been tricky when we are looking to make a purchase, book a hotel, etc. because people often do not understand why we don't pay for the "better" room or the "better" bus, or the "better" whatever. Unfortunately there are a lot of American tourists who throw their money around and flaunt the fact that "stuff is just so cheap here!" For people on a two-week vacation, things truly may be cheap, but for us, since we are trying to spread our money out over an entire year, this mentality doesn't work.
Many South Americans also think that North Americans believe they are better than other Americans. (Remember, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Canada are also Americans.) This misunderstanding can be traced to a language difference. In English, we shorten our country's name to either, "The States" or "America" because "The United States of America" is a mouthful! In Spanish, the word, "America" is not part of our name (Los Estados Unidos). When we say, "I am American." they say, "So are we!" We got so much in the habit of saying that we were from “The States” that when we went to Eastern Europe and now in India, when we say we are from The States, people are like, "Where?"
Pretty much everyone we have met along the way, with exception of many Israelis, do not care for Mr. Bush and company. We have been told many times that we are the "boss of the world" a term we cringe at but find has some truth to it. American politics, movie stars, pop culture, food, etc. has penetrated the globe. It makes us realize that with this much power and influence, we must be vary careful with our actions!

Hi. My first question is the most important-How are you doing? I'm
sorry i haven't written much lately but i still have you on my
mind,so..don't worry! I have some questions that i wanted to ask you: What was the
most exciting or most enjoyable place you've gone too? What do you miss
the most? From your experience so far what is the most important thing
you've learned? Where do you want to go? Have you heard about Lloyd? Jamıla Cervantes

Jamila! It is so good to hear from one of my students! What great questions you have! Here goes....
We are doing well. I won't lie and say that we are happy ALL the time because as amazing as a trip like this can be, our mood is often affected by the poverty or sadness that is felt by those around us. We are healthy. We are fortunate in so many ways!
As far as exciting places, in South America, we both loved Bolıvıa! The culture ıs stıll so strong and indigenous that there ıs always somethıng interesting goıng on. The people are kind and the land is incredibly diverse... mountains, salt fields, deserts, cities, on and on!
We also really liked Turkey! It was so different from everything we know- lıttle Englısh and no Spanısh ıs spoken here and they are not a Catholic or Christian culture, they are Muslim whıch influences almost every aspect of Turkish lıfe. It ıs close to Europe as well as Asıa so travel ıs convenient. Turkey has an amazing coastline and a long interesting history.
Spain was fantastic (but expensive) and the people we met in Romania was also a highlight!
What do we miss the most- that is a GREAT question! The answer is easy though...you! No seriously, we miss the people we love, the ones who have been cheering us on from home and loving us through the distances. This is really the only thing that we actually ache for. What would we enjoy having in front of us right now? Good coffee, sugar-free, all natural crunchy peanut-butter, clean sheets, a library, a good eye-brow wax (that one is mine, not Griff's), my mom's chocolate chip cookies (Griff goes for the Snickerdoodles) and my Grandma Lee's famous chocolate cake (accompanied by some black strong coffee). Pants without holes or stains on them would be fantastic as well!


Hi Guys! It has been truly awesome traveling the world with you. I even have Fernando looking over my shoulder and looking at the pictures as I give him the Cliff Note version of your blog. (That’s a start!) I don't think you two realize the power of your words. You've really sparked some self-reflection and soul searching in some of us. That’s not easy to accomplish! We miss you and hope you are doing well. Keep inspiring us! Martha and Clan P.S. Mandy, what is your favorite music so far? Learned any new show tunes? I can soooo picture you singing Don't Cry For Me Argentina at the Casa Rosa! Martha
Ummmm... Martha, let's not be so humble here! You are one of the most self-reflective people I know! AND you win the award for asking the most fun question to answer!!!(=
My favorite music...there HAS been a lot of musical outbursts. We have heard "El Condor Pasada" not only in every South American country, but also in Spain, Romania, Turkey... everywhere!! We cannot get away from it. Other world-wide phenomenons are the lady lump song by the Black-Eyed Peas, "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls, anything by Guns and Roses (though most are partial to "November Rain") or Bob Marley.
On a more personal level, I have been serenading Griff (lucky him) as we move across continents!
OF COURSE I sang Don't Cry For Me Argentine on a daily basis in the country.
In Spain I found myself singing the only Spanish opera song I know, in Turkey I was partial to anything from Jesus Christ Superstar as I was in Apostles' neck of the woods. "Santa Fe" from RENT has been consistent as it is a song about what to do in the future- whenever we are stuck as to what happens next, I just say, "Let's open up a restaurant in Santa Fe! Sunny Santa Fe would be nice!" When I'm feeling homesick I always resort to Westside Story's "I like to live in America, Okay by me in America!" and when I donned my first dress in months I couldn't resist a few good rounds of "I Feel Pretty" from the same show. I am embarrassed about all the pop songs I have picked up along the way, and unfortunately know the words to the cheesy fore mentioned songs. "Midnight At The Oasis" came in handy in Bolivia while we were walking though an oasis as well as just recently while touring a harem in Turkey. I could go on and on! I will try to do better at keeping track of them all (maybe that is an impossible task?) I almost ALWAYS have some tune running through my head and this strangely keeps me connected to home and memories there! I will sing some Barbara and Simon and Garfunkle in honor of you on this next leg of the journey!

On an ending note, I would like to call attention to a special event that will take place in the Seattle area. My step-mom, Bronwyn Edwards will be performing at her second "Red Piano" concert. Bron is an amazing musician and song writer and has been a strong influence in my life both as a child and as an adult (she also gave me a pretty fantastic sister!) She has written a song about my travels and what we have been writing in our blogs...talk about flattering! Please visit her website for more info on purchasing one of her albums or catching her concert! Here is what she wrote in the guest book:
Mandy, your letters have inspired me so much, I wrote a song about you and your travels -- basically the theme dwells on how much you have taught me about people who are so happy with so little, and how we in the US have just too much stuff and we are so often ungrateful for our countless blessings. I am going to premiere this song at my up and coming Red Piano II concert at ArtsWest on September 10 (for anyone in Seattle reading this), and if I am REALLY organized, I will put up a slide show behind the song and tell your story -- which is really YOU telling everyone else's story. I am so proud of you, Mandy, and Griff by your side -- the two of you forging through what I called "dangerously unbalanced Earth" -- referring to the distribution of wealth and riches. You have been more than an inspiration to me, and I find myself telling people in all walks of like about your travels. Last week my dental hygienist got a mouthful of instruments mixed up with a story about your loving hands in the role of a dentist's chair. She couldn't wait to go home and read about it. Hw sh ndrstd m, I'll nvr knw (!!!) Stay safe and keep up the fascinating stories. You have a gift for spinning a good yarn, Mandy. You need to compile these brilliant stories into a book when you return. www.bronsongs.com

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