Our last night in the lovely valley was fun….until the morning! We got back from horseback riding to find another 2 trucks each with 4 Aussie couples from Eternal Landscapes as well as the co-owner, Jess. This was for the annual first milking of the mares. The morning had an hour or so ceremony which involved a lot of beer and vodka. Neighbours came from around the valley, and all seemed to like my beard. The 2 younger girls were in a traditional foot race and were first and second! The evening was filled with fresh mutton (mmmm mutton), …
Category: General
To Do List
The preparation for the trip was quite stressful. Doug has written a fair bit about the actual move, I’ll write a bit about the wrapping up from work and getting things ready for the move to then depart 24 hours later for the first leg of the adventure – Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia. If you can, wrap up work earlier that 2 weeks before. It’s great to get the extra dollars but it also distracts you from the many little things that need to get done. I’ll share our to do list below. The overall real preparation started 2 years ago …
The biggest difference in backpacking over the years…
Technology! It’s amazing how much things have changed. Word of mouth is now driven by technology. Information on roads less travelled are available at your fingertips. I’ll give the example of Kerung, our border crossing location from Tibet into Nepal. Once you see the picture of Kerung, you’ll understand why I was looking for transportation. The place looks desolate. The website given to me showed there was a daily 35 seater bus which ran twice a day from Kerung to Kathmandu. One in the early afternoon and one at 3AM. As we are crossing around 9AM, the preference is to …
We have arrived in Mongolia and are in the outback
We are on the road. We will post as soon as we can. If there is no running water, WiFi is just as scarce. All is well. More to follow.
Last night in Discovery Bay
So this is what 10 years in one apartment looks like…. Tonight is my last night in the apartment in Discovery Bay. I was with the movers all day and tomorrow they come to take it all away to storage 200 units (boxes, bikes, tables, beds etc). I sit among the boxes and the dust while M.C. and the kids are at an airport hotel. I will join tomorrow. This will wrap up 15 years in Hong Kong. Will we come back? Who knows so our move and storage company, Trade Winds https://tradewindstransport.com has packed for international shipping should we …
The preparation for the big adventure
Where to begin? When you start to ask questions you realize that there are more people out there that have or know someone who has done something similar. You are not alone! Aside from the self-doubt, wondering if you are mad to give up a good life, needing to convince your partner that you aren’t mad, willingly fliping your children’s world upside down, letting go of your safety net to enable new opportunities… The heartbeat rises and you feel the pressure. It is daunting!! BUT it is also so exhilarating! Change is good. Reprioritisation is essential. Breathing to smell those roses unequivocal. …
WHY?
Why do we take a year off? FAMILY. A year together experiencing things as a family. Learning to rely on each other on tough times like a family. Late nights by the fire in the desert and stories of deepest fears and joys. Knowing no alarm will wake us tomorrow and new adventures lie around every corner. That’s why we take a year off! Life in Hong Kong is hectic. Our girls take over an hour each way to school by foot, ferry and bus. Marie-Christine travels extensively. Now is definitely the time. Take a year, disappear, regroup and decide …
Dreams do come true
This trip is my dream! One of the 5 intrepid travelers. Travel has always been part of my life. I was born in Montreal and was raised in Europe. I returned to Canada for university to yet again set sail after working a few years. I arrived in Asia backpacking and 24 years later, I’m still exploring this part of the world with family in tow. I always said that I arrived backpacking and would one day leave backpacking.
“To live is to wander. We shouldn’t accept the home that’s written in our passports. We should travel and find it ourselves. Even if home, in the end, is the whole wide world itself.”
– Conny Cernik
Once in a Lifetime
In 7 months our family of 5 will embark on an epic adventure – world travel with no time constraints and no final destination. This definitely fits in the category of – Once In A Lifetime! To paraphrase the TalkingHeads “Well, how did we get here?” Our site will tell you how we got here and take you on our road to nowhere as our family of five travel from our adopted home in Hong Kong through Asia, Southern Africa and South America! Stay tuned as we undertake the numerous preparations to become global nomads! We will also share the …