Goin' back to Cali, Cali, Cali

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I'm back. The trip is over. Big huge dream accomplished. Now what? =) So I did this amazing trip & now I'm looking forward to new dreams! Next!

Here is a little recap of my trip:

Countries visited: 16
Favorite country: all of them!
if I had to choose...Thailand
favorite food on trip: Indian, Thai, dim sum & sushi
times karaoked: 3
total miles traveled in an airplane: 51,288
times got lost: 3,479
language/cultural misunderstandings: 836
photos taken: 4,031
photos in 'best of world trip' slideshow: 201
length of trip: 119 days....4 months
favorite airline: Qatar Airways
least favorite/suckiest airline: Air India
number of times my blogs have been read (as of today): 2571
number of times my parents read my blogs in 4 months: 2
most popular blog: the one with 'Breast Exam' in the title

Some lessons learned: (or just confirmed)
life is too short to stay at a job I don't like when there's a whole world to explore out there
it's more important who I travel with than where I go
massages are awesome
$2 pedicures are crap
every single green alcoholic drink in Vietnam is awesome
Brits & Ozzies are funny
you can see too many temples
pretty much every time I bargained I felt like I was getting ripped off, no matter how low I got them
street food is usually better than fancy restaurant food
constant sweating is good for the complexion but bad for photos
it is possible to travel around the world, eat almost everything, rarely wash your hands & stay healthy
there are nice people everywhere -- kindness is universal
it is a small world after all


Friends, family & strangers: thanks for all the encouraging emails & support. I'd love to hear about all your travels as well.
happy travels,
Amy

ps - I have included some of my favorite pics from the whole trip below =)

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Photos

Dad, brothers & nephews in their Japanese outfits!
Bonsai!

Comments

[Jerry]

Best Darn 119 Days...
I ever read about, Amy. It'd be downright trite for me to say you had the penultimate Incredible Journey, did things that many of us would like to do, met some unforgettable characters, and throughout it all, kept us largely homebodies highly informed/entertained. So, I won't belabour that set of closing comments. Rather, a huge mahalo-plenty for sharing your adventures, and very best wishes as you re-adjust to life in the lower 48. Thanks for your new coordinates too...never know, you might just see some ol' kama'aina in Carlsbad one day. A hui hou, Jerry