Dave & Fe went travelling......

.....our final post.

Two people with like minded visions of what a year off travelling would entail. It took a while to adjust and realise we were on a journey of a lifetime. Fe, strong and full of thoughts. An over thinker at times you could say. Dave, all heart and full of emotions. Like stabilizers and bikes, put them together and things turn out pretty well balanced. We're pretty happy to have pulled it off, successfully, we think, and have so enjoyed every second of it. It wasn't easy at times but we've found that travel is just the most wonderful thing.

We've probably blogged and photographed two thirds of our experiences, the rest is really just too unexplainable to put into words or pictures. But these special memories will stay with us forever. Although once home no doubt all our memories will march off, as if soldiers in a Disney film, to a dusty attic somewhere deep in our brains where they will try to find a little space for themselves to sit amid all the other accumulated clutter of almost 4 decades.

We have crossed time zones and tropic lines, encountered a myriad of cultures and customs. Witnessed happiness in poverty and chaos in paradise. Photographed breathtaking landscapes and scenery that some have to be seen to be believed. There have been times of excitement, frustration, hope and sometimes disappointment. The latter is something you need to get control of and accept pretty swiftly, never dwelling or stewing on what may have been as most disappointments are normally pretty small when viewed in the bigger picture.  We've lost photos, weight, possessions and passports. Thankfully the important possessions and passports were, unbelievably, retrieved within a day or so of loss. We've managed to dodge natural disasters from cyclones to tsunamis to blistering heat to flooding and earthquakes. Witnessed depressing amounts of poverty, with some lacking the most basics of life. Struggled with restricted communist regimes and experienced huge humbling moments. We've had new food, slow food, and less food. Learnt new skills, met some really great people, some that are now known as friends. We have been bowled over by the hospitality shown in many parts of the world. In many places where we certainly hadn't expected it. We've learnt lessons on how to be flexible, resourceful, to think laterally and, if an opportunity arises, to take it. As it might not be there when you return later.

It's hard to put into words just how much we have loved the past 11 odd months. What we've loved the most though is the sense of being together, alone, insignificant, totally unknown and unstoppably free. Arriving into countries not directly from your own, being beholden to no one and not being bound by any duties or anyones expectations. We have been simply free to roam, look and taste what the world has had to offer, all the while keeping things as simple as. Well why wouldn't ya?

But alias this trip is over. That's the trouble with trips, they end. The upsides though, as there's always up side to everything, no more airport routines, the rigmarole of disembarkation, bag collection customs/immigration questions. British style queuing, different types of water. Unknown pillows, not enough pillows, no pillows. Unfamiliar and uncomfortable beds. Pockets and pockets of small coins that seem to be worthless. No more carrying all of our valuables everywhere. Travelling the world, sounds a tough gig hey!

We can only but apologise for the 31,700 horrendous air miles travelled but we did also get in over 10,000 miles of overland travel via bus, rail, car and bike.  This  year that has given us the best geography, social and history lesson ever!

Our final advice to all: When on the road always start the day if possible with a long black. Never travel on buses where you can open its windows for more than one hour. Never store stuff in the back of seat pockets, as it will always get left behind. Blog! As it helps the woes of folks back home.

If you've been thinking of taking a break and you're at a point where you think your life will roughly accommodate one, physically and financially, then our advice is just do it.  There isn't any point in waiting for the 'right time' as this time may never come.

Keep travelling, as from our experiences we are going to do just that. To achieve this we are going to try and take each available chance to do so. Whenever the chance comes we will grab it with both hands and get out there and travel.

Favourite country: a tough question, New Zealand, everyone at some point in their lives need to experience the true pure beauty of this wonderful country and it extremely likable natives that reside within it.
Least favourite country: Dubai (sorry Kate). Despite the phenomenal growth and the most amazing feats of building engineering it just felt far too suppressive and segregated.

Travel Stats: days travelling 346, airports visited 22, oceans swam in 9, imodium moments 1 (yes Dave), hospital visits 2 (yes Fe).

And of course a final miss/won't miss.

Miss:
D. The freeeeedom to roam, the people of the world, hair! (I'm sure I went away with more than I'm returning with), just shooting the breeze, constant time to chat, no work - obviously! Having time to think, reading.
F. Exploring new places, not working, being with Dave 247, seeing how other people reside and carry-on, meeting new people, having no set routine.

Won't miss:
D. Tourist rackets, rucksacks, world-wide banking it doesn't exist (it's a total fallacy), on-the-move photo storage, having a plethora of currency, dodgy beds, wildlife that can kill you, worrying for two!
F. Well used pillows, flying, wearing the same clothes, constantly smearing either sun lotion or bug cream on my skin, having curly hair every day, penny pinching, drinking water from plastic bottles, mozzies, dogs barking through the wee small hours,

Well that's more than enough from us two, for now at least. Having a year off can be tough you know. It's now time to regroup, relax and kick back for a while.  We now must stop photgraphing and diarising our lives! 
 

What next?  Well with the house sorted for another year we have time to think a little. Hopefully catch a bit of another crazy British summer, ahhhhhh.  Catch up with family and friends.  Cheese!  Real ale, the rest of the world doesn't really understand "real ale".  The odd bit of road running. The odd bit of cycling. Festivals. Street parties. Cider! (after, not before cycling). Test match special, oh have we missed the.  All wonderfully, beautifully British.

.....the world is a book though, those who chose not travel only read one page.

Now what about this slideshow, hey, come on!

D&F, we're out of here.
x.