Leap and the mosquito net will appear!

Ice Capades

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 25 May 2011 20:21:00 +0000

Just in case seeing a glacier in Patagonia wasn't cool enough, we decided to go for a little stroll on one too. What the heck, if we're gonna spend 30+ hours getting there, we might as well make the most of it.

Here is our first step onto this two million year old, one hundred square mile hunk of ice. And some technical difficulties.

Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina - March 12, 2010

PS - For those who are curious, here is an aerial view of this frozen behemoth. The lookout point from which this video was made is near the top right corner of this shot. Our aforementioned glacier hike was accessed via a boat ride that docked in the black sand on the bottom left of this pic. Good times.

Perito Moreno Glacier

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 19 May 2011 01:16:00 +0000

We almost didn't go to Patagonia. I thought the distance was much too ambitious for the time we had left in South America, and the region too complicated to navigate as an independent traveler.

Luckily, we met a gentleman in Chile who had just returned from the Argentinian side of this mysterious destination. He advised us as to the most accessible and rewarding places to visit, and Reece had his heart absolutely set on going. So, we did.

The thirty hour bus ride that stood between us and the near ends of the earth completely terrified us. But it turned out to be one of the most relaxing, easy and enjoyable journeys of our entire trip. And we were indeed rewarded. With stunning scenery, unbelievable hikes and of course, glaciers.

El Calafate, Argentina - March 12, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:31:00 +0000

One would imagine, after living the way we did for a year, that we would come home and cast off all material possessions. That we'd realize how little we really need to get by and that "stuff" only weighs us down.

You would think that the things we have seen around the world would cause us to be disgusted by the consumer culture back home. That we'd be baffled by how much money Americans throw away on things they don't need and be inspired to live more modestly now than we ever did before.

Well, all of the above is just partially true. Indeed, I am now blown away by an dinner tab that could pay the rent on a family home in Africa. I recognize how full my closet is of items I wouldn't miss if they were gone. And I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to bring myself to buy a car that could pay for another trip around the world.

However, I did come home with whole new shopping list. A desire to live in a bright and beautiful and comfortable home. A membership to a gym I'll actually GO to, reglardless of the price. A set of the softest sheets and fluffiest pillows money can buy.

In other words, on this trip I learned the difference between spending money, and spending money well.

It's a distinction I now ask myself before every big purchase. Is this going to improve my quality of life? If this going to make me happier, more confident or more fulfilled? And I've begun to believe that something is only worth spending money on if the answer is a resounding yes.

I may not need a new car, cause the one I own gets me everywhere I want to go. But if a professional massage every now and then relieves my nagging back pain, so be it. It would be nice to have an apartment with a spare bedroom, but it wouldn't have much of an effect on our daily lives. An apartment with an ocean view where I can watch the sunset every evening from my balcony? Now we're talking.

Of course, the expenditures that meet this requirement are different for everybody. Maybe plush leather seats make someone's hellish commute more bearable. Maybe a bigger house allows a couple to spend more time with their family. Whatever floats your boat!

Along with the new perspective on how to spend money, came the appreciation for our ability to make those decisions. We were lucky enough to be born in a country where the standard of living is high and there are so many luxuries at our disposal. A nice meal out, a good bottle of wine, a weekend getaway with our closest friends... These are all things I will neither take for granted nor deny myself, cause I recognize how blessed I am to be able to enjoy them.

Copacabana Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 03 May 2011 17:44:00 +0000

Our two weeks in Rio were filled with lots of beach time, tons of mid-day air-conditioned naps (to avoid heat stroke), and plenty of caipirinhas to get us going again as the sun went down. It was the first time in our trip that we got an apartment and stayed put for more than a few days, and stay put we did.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 4, 2010

Esponja Bob!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:36:00 +0000

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 5, 2010

Risk ---> Reward

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:39:00 +0000

Re-entry into society was a bit of a rollercoaster.

First, Reece's old agency asked him to come back. So, we got an apartment.

Then, it turns out they didn't need him anymore. So, we panicked.

Then, they decided that rather than bring him back as an Art Director, he should be the agency's newest Associate Creative Director. For all you non-ad folks out there, that's a really, really good thing.

Life is funny sometimes, ain't it? If there is one thing you can be sure of, it's that things will never end up the way you're sure they will.

It's also an awesome example of one of the several lessons I took away from our trip. People who take risks and follow their heart wherever the universe may lead them are ultimately rewarded. I believe it, and it couldn't have been more true for us. Making the decision to take the trip was a scary process. But here we are - A little over a year later, in a beautiful apartment on the beach, with Reece doing a job he loves. We are better off now, in so many ways, than before we left. And I couldn't be more grateful.

Of course, I'm the much more typical example of a recent round-the-worlder. None of my former employers have been inspired by my absence to welcome me home with a promotion. But the time spent catching up with friends and family, making our house a home and getting back into pre-trip shape has been a welcome break that I'm happy to have last as long as it is meant to.

By the way, with the freelance gig that held Reece over during the gap with his current agency, his post-travel unemployment lasted a total of THREE DAYS. This guy.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - February 3, 2010

Where were we?!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Iguazu Falls!!!

Iguazu Falls, Argentina - January 30, 2010

Rather than brave the journey back to La Paz, we snuck out Bolivia's back door via an incredibly complicated train journey south to the Argentinian border. Our goal was to make it to Rio de Janeiro as quickly as possible, but overland routes from Bolivia proved nearly impossible. Thus, a brief jaunt through the northern tip of Argentina was born. As was Reece's favorite video opener for months to come... "Where are we?!"

It's Baaaaack!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:52:00 +0000

This blog is having a serious identity crisis.

"Do I exist? Am I retired? Who and I am why am I here?"

You see, I really want to keep it alive and strong. Mostly because I'm afraid it will get deleted if I don't (that happened to someone I know). Can you imagine if every single thing I wrote on our trip was lost forever? The horror. I've got to back this thing up somehow. Added to my to-do list.

I also just really miss writing in it. I have a terrible track record at sticking to anything I start. So, that fact that I maintained this blog throughout our entire year of travels is a testament to how much I loved having the outlet. And I couldn't be happier now to have it to look back on. It's truly priceless. And not in that cheesy Mastercard commercial way.

That said, what do I keep it alive with? Cause my hunch is that nobody wants to read about buying curtains at Ikea and pigeon-proofing our balcony. I know I don't. I want to read about doing cool shit around the world. I want to write about doing cool shit around the world. I want to DO cool shit around the world. Sigh.

Alas. We aren't traveling around the world anymore. We will do it again, definitely. But not for a long, long while. With traveling behind us and traveling ahead of us, surely it must exist all around us. Within us. For one, it exists in the videos - hundreds of videos that we took on the trip and never uploaded cause the internet connections were too slow. I take so much joy from watching them and it would be a shame to never share them. So, you can expect many fond video memories to come.

I would also feel remiss not documenting the ways that travel has changed us. The shifts in priorities and perspectives. The insights that came from spending a year outside of our lives and the impact of that year coming to a close. So, you can anticipate a little reflection as well.

With that, I leave you with 'VID00001'. The very first moment we felt the need to pull out a video camera and document the awesomeness that surrounded us.

The Salt Flats of Uyuni Bolivia. To this day, one of the most amazing things we have ever seen. An endless landscape of sparkling, blinding white. A perfectly still layer of sun-warmed water reflecting a brilliant blue sky and puffy white clouds. If anybody is curious what heaven is like, a twelve hour bus ride from La Paz during just the right season will show you. And I hope you can make the trek someday, cause this crappy FlipVideo doesn't even begin to do it justice.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia - January 22, 2010

Reece's tiny video-game protégé

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:13:00 +0000

January + February

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 20:01:00 +0000

Wow. I could not be further behind on this blog if I tried. Well, that's probably not true. In any case, I need to stop living in the past! I present to you, a month of domestic travels in a nutshell.

VICTORVILLE

My nephew turned four. Toy Story was in da house.

He also commissioned me to create this masterpiece for him.

In it you will note fulfillment of the following demands:

A house. Bushes with flowers. A purple car. A tree. Apples. A big sun. A little moon. A rainbow on the roof. A sidewalk. A tiny horse. Reece riding the horse. Auntie Mena driving the car. A mailbox. A piece of mail. A trash can. Nine bumble bees. Four stars. A miniature cow. A frog. A mouse. Cheese. Mouse tracks. A pink rabbit. A ladybug. A worm. Four ants. A caterpillar. A stop sign. A traffic light. A butterfly. Money (his mom) and Belle (the dog) in the house. Papa Lou and Nana in the windows. Gee (grandma) coming in the front door. Noah in the roof window. A cat upstairs. Rain. A lizard. A squirrel. Clouds. A chimney with smoke. And a mail truck.

"But Noah, there is no more room for a mailtruck!"

"DRAW A MAILTRUCK!!!!"
____

ARIZONA

Hangin in a retirement community has it's perks. Namely, you can sit around all day and do nothing and feel totally okay with that. My biggest accomplishment of the visit was successfully imprinting my butt on the livingroom couch cushion.

We also hit the golf course, where I learned that I am remarkably not terrible for someone who has never stepped foot on a golf course before. Watch out Tiger!

And of course, we clocked several hours of the world famous game of Aggravation. By world famous, I mean famous in my family. This beauty was handmade by my grandparents and has been around much longer than I have.

Reece beat us all THREE TIMES in a row. This means war.
____

FLORIDA

Reece showed the east coast how they do it in South Africa.

We got our Downtown Disney on with Reece's mom and her new hubby.

Harry Potter and his ride from hell got me tremendously sick at Islands of Adventure.

We met the gerber baby. Aka, Reece's new nephew Zach. How cute is he??

____

OREGON

I reunited with friends who I haven't seen in YEARS.

Back in the day, those friends DJ-ed clubs in Hollywood and had wild after parties back at their swimming pool pad till dawn. Now, those friends have homes and babies and husbands. Does this make us grown-ups?

Mandy, circa 2003

Mandy, circa 2011

We went on hikes (okay, A hike). We tasted wine. I finally got my hands on a Voodoo Doughnut.

MAPLE + BACON!

We also visited Maier and Emily's adorable farmhouse and their furry/feathered friends a plenty.

What's that you say? That tiny creature looks suspiciously like a horse??

YES! That's cause it is a MINIATURE HORSE!!

Cuteness overload.

And to wrap it all up, I watched Air Force One take off from the Portland airport.

What up Obama!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Ah, adjusting. It's no walk in Retiro Park. Stress, culture shock, more stress, denial. Reece and I have had more arguments in a month of being back than we did in our entire year of travels. I can't lie. Being home has been hard. Not being able to run around freely on our own schedule. Worrying about finding work again. Dealing with the hassles of re-entry to society. It's grating on our nerves and it's testing our patience and it's making Reece really, really cranky. Yes darling, you.

Of course, I haven't been back to work yet, so I may be having a slightly easier time with things. I'm sure once I return to the land of cubicles, I'll have my very own meltdown. Till then, I'll be on my netbook watching the videos from our trip. Again.

Welcome Home

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 01:44:00 +0000

You know those upstairs neighbors who keep you up at night stomping around on their hardwood floors? Well, try to imagine those folks wearing combat boots and moving giant pieces of furniture around, pausing only for the occassional wrestling match. Picture them inviting the blue man group over for a line-dancing competition, and keeping the action going strong until SEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. Cause that's what happened the other night. It must have been. There is no other reasonable explanation for the amount of noise going on above our pillow-covered heads all night long.

In the morning, the apartment manager's response to the issue was, in a word, surprising. "There was nobody staying above you last night." Um, I beg to differ. Back in my unit moments later, I was greeted by a team of firemen propping a ladder up outside of my window and the sound of blaring sirens approaching. What in the hell is going on?

I bet you are wondering the same. Well, turns out, some local junkies had broken into the building for an all-night bender in style. By 11:00am most of them had departed, save for an unresponsive woman passed out beside a pile of pills and an aggressive pit bull guarding her fiercely. Law enforcement was called. The paramedics showed up. It was your typical Wednesday morning in the 90291.

Ah, home sweet home.

I'd like to thank the Academy.

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Ah, award show season. A relentless reminder of all the movies, music and pop-culture references we missed out on in the past year. Frankly, I'm not that impressed.

It's also a reminder that I have some prizes of my own that I'd like to hand out. This blog features a lot of me me me. It's about time we spotlight a few other folks who deserve recognition. And the award goes to...

Kathy Shamma
"Most Involved"
My mom holds the proud title of the only person who came to visit us on our enture trip! She flew 6,000 miles. She made us feel totally loved. She brough HELLA SNACKS. She also followed my blog and emailed me throughout the journey far more than anybody else did. Thanks, Mom, for making me feel missed!

Felicia Shamma
"Most Supportive"
She may not have been happy about me being gone. But she was happy for me nonetheless. She stuck up for us when others complained about our absence. She did her best to keep everyone from worrying about us unecessarily. And she almost never asked when the hell we were coming home. Thanks, Sha, for having my back!

Ayman Shamma
"Most Understanding"
A lot of folks thought we were crazy for deciding to take this trip. Most of them are in my immediate family. My dad, on the other hand, knows a thing or two about adventure. He moved to the US from Egypt at a young and impressionable age, and totally gets where my wanderlust comes from. Thanks, Dad, for understanding!

Lou Valdez
"Most Interested"
My grandpa is a bit of a history buff. In fact, he is a buff of all kinds of relevant facts and figures. At any given time, my grandfather would probably know the geographic coordinates of our given location, and the local weather we'd likely be experiencing. He was often up to date on current events in the area and always looked forward to asking us more about it. Thanks, Grandpa, for making us feel important!

Theresa Valdez
"Most Enthusiastic"
I wish I could have recorded my grandma answering the phone each time we called. I don't think she could have mustered up more excitement were I Mr. Ed McMahon himself calling to find out when the giant check could be delivered. I can safely say I'll probably live the rest of my life without ever having anybody quite so happy to hear from me. Thanks, Grandma, for making me feel so special!

Venice

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:44:00 +0000

One of the many wonderful things about removing yourself from the routine and spending a year traveling is that you begin to see the whole world through fresh tourist eyes. Even those places you have lived in for years. Perhaps especially those places.

I have fallen in love with Venice all over again. What a beautiful, eclectic, friendly, unique, absolutely buzzing place to call home. A beer on the boardwalk that turned into three pitchers. A rip roarin' Doors cover band. A warm and stunning sunset. It's the stuff worthy of blogging about. But it's right in our backyard.

It's good to be home.

Two point six decades

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:45:00 +0000

I realized something the other day that is worth mentioning in it's very own post.

At the typical American vacation rate of two weeks per year, it would have taken us 26 years to do everything we did on our trip.

TWENTY SIX YEARS!!!

If that's not reason enough to quit your job and travel the world immediately, I don't know what is.

What's Next?

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 00:07:00 +0000

I read a lot of travel blogs before we left on our adventure. And many of them had one thing in common: They left me completely hanging once the last flight touched down.

I longed to know what happened upon their return home. How was the transition and where did they live and what was the job search like? Maybe these details are only interesting to someone about to make the same leap from their lives. Either way, I wanted to keep my blog going beyond the final passport stamp.

So, here goes.

Our decision to come home for Christmas was two-fold. One reason, of course, was to surprise my family and spend Christmas with them. Which turned out totally awesome. The other reason was to get us back on US soil before the bank accounts were all dried up. Our original plan was to finish the trip with a bang in Tokyo or Tahiti, to blow the last of our budget on an indulgent week in a swanky hotel or posh over-water bungalow. But when the time came, we honestly just didn't feel the need to. We were more than satisfied with the experiences of the past year and totally ready to call it a wrap. We realized that the last of our funds would be put to much better use visiting friends and family back home, checking off some of the things we've never made time for in the past, easing the pressure of going back to work right away.

The plan was as follows:

Hang with my family in LA for a few weeks and clock in as much time doing absolutely nothing as possible.
Visit my grandparents in Arizona (1/24-2/1).
Spend some time with Reece's family in Florida (2/1-2/9).
Go see a bunch of old friends of mine in Oregon (2/9-2/18).
Return to California and start looking for jobs. We were open to SF or LA, wherever we could both find work. That was the plan.

Then Reece's old boss caught wind of us being home, and he was convinced to spend those first few relaxation weeks freelancing again. Within 24 hours of their request, we had my car registered, repaired & washed and we'd moved into a temporary furnished studio in Venice.

With Reece back to the grind, I tackled all of the fun things that come along with returning to your home country after a year's absence. Turns out becoming an active member of society again is pretty much a full-time job. I also looked at a few apartments in the area just for fun. And, well...we ended up signing a lease. (MUCH more on our sweet new pad to follow!)

Our ultimate goal is to put in a good year or two of employment in LA. And then, if all goes swimmingly, we'll head off on another adventure in 2012. Top two possible itineraries include six months in Southeast Asia or the Middle East. We are super excited about having a home of our own again, but also totally can't wait to start planning the next trip :)

This also means that I plan to keep this blog going, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it will inspire me to keep my new routine a little less, well, routine. Surely it will safegaurd against my blog ever getting deleted. And hopefully it won't be long before I'm once again writing from the road!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 03:20:00 +0000

This blog is dated 1/16. But I am just getting around to writing it on 2/10. Believe it or not, I have a lot to say about being back. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Come to think of it, I haven't even posted the last of our New Zealand photos on facebook either.

Who would have thought that being home and unemployed would afford us even less time to document our life than traveling around the world? Who would imagine that keeping in touch with friends and family would be harder now than when we were 10,000 miles away? That's the funny thing that happens when your time is no longer yours and yours alone.

I'm going to get caught up, really. I'm going to write about all kinds of things that are already over as if they are still happening. Stand by. It's gonna be totally somewhat interesting.

Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:47:00 +0000

I'm not very good at picking favorites. I can't tell you my favorite movie. I don't have a favorite band. I'll go for the variety pack of cereal over a large box any day. Gold medal ribbon ice cream from Baskin Robbin's is probably the only thing I've ever committed to whole heartedly, but I'll still taste a couple of sample spoons for the heck of it before I order my usual scoop.

As you can imagine, the one question we've received more than any other since returning home from our trip is...

"What was your favorite place??"

I'm sorry. I just can't do it. I am SO the mom who loves each of her little countries for different reasons. I couldn't possibly be asked to favor one visa stamp over another. The absolute BEST I have been able to do is to narrow is down to four great nations. Which isn't saying much, considering that's nearly a third of the grand total. That's about as specific as selecting ten of Mr. Robbin's delicious creations.

Anyhow, without further ado (an in no particular order).

ARGENTINA

From the glaciers of Patagonia to the splendor of Iguazu Falls, Argentina offers an incredible array of bang for your buck. A world-famous wine country, a stunning lake district and a bustling tango-tastic capital. You'd be hard-pressed to run out of things to do in this incredible country, and it's wonderfully affordable. Top all of that with friendly residents and melt-in-your-mouth steak, and Argentina is a no brainer.

SOUTH AFRICA

Similar to Argentina, South Africa packs a lot of variety into a relatively small country. Where else can you dive with great white sharks, go on a safari, ride an ostrich, surf infamous breaks and taste award-winning wines? Combining the beauty of California's coast with the ruggedness of Africa...the comfort of what you know with the excitement of all that you don't...and South Africa is tough to beat.

EGYPT

The history in Egypt is mind-blowing. The culture is awe-inspiring. It's an enchanting, mysterious, challenging and fascinating place, and we absolutely cherish the time we spent there. No doubt, having family in Cairo made our experience what it was. Egypt is definitely the type of place in which you benefit from the luxury of a local connection. And we happen to be connected to a fun, generous, fantastic host of a family. It's one of the few places I look forward to returning to in the future.

INDIA

I can't visit the local animal shelter. Cause if I did, I'd come home with a dozen of the oldest, most flea-ridden dogs they've got. Forget the puppies. Everybody loves them. My heart really goes out to the ugly ducklings. That's why I wouldn't be myself if I didn't give a shout-out to this dusty dark-horse. Even making the aforementioned comparsion pains me. Cause India is no ugly-duckling. It's beautiful. It's spiritual. It's serene. It's chaotic. It's magical. The food stole my heart. The people held it captive. And the scenery decided I wasn't getting it back anytime soon. In two months, we barely scratched the surface of this overwhelming country. I can't wait to spend much, much more time there.

Is that lamb?

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:32:00 +0000

You may recall our brush with fame in New Zealand. Well, you will be delighted to learn that we actually made the cut! Reece even has a speaking part! Don't blink, or you might miss it.

Clearly it was only a matter of time before we became famous overseas. If you can get your hands on a package of Heller's sausage, I'd be happy to sign it for you.

20 minutes remaining?!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:44:00 +0000

We've seen a lot of different sights over the past year. I mean, A LOT. And the one sight we've seen most...?

We took a total of 17,069 pictures on this trip. That's an average of nearly 1,500 a month. Not too shabby.

If we sat down and looked at every single shot (for one second each), it would take us almost five hours to get through them all. Wow.

Anybody wanna come over for a slideshow?

Wow. We did it.

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:44:00 +0000

I have been putting off writing this entry for weeks. How do I summarize the events of the past year of my life? What words could possibly do justice to the incredible things I've experienced? And how do I begin to grasp that it's over?

Twelve months. Fifteen countries. SEVENTY THOUSAND kilometers. Eighty beds. Nineteen flights. Hundreds of new friends. Just the two of us.

Being home is completely surreal. In many ways, it feels like we never left. Which doesn't feel quite fair somehow. It seems like things should be different. It seems like I should be different. How is this life the same one that I left in 2009?

One of the most remarkable things I can say about this trip is how EASY it was. Embarking on this adventure, there were so many unknowns. So many fears and concerns about safety and security and stability. But the fact is, it was a piece of cake. Really. We didn't get robbed or lost or injured or sick of each other. We didn't cut the trip short or go into debt or ever for a moment question our decision.

But we did make a remarkable dream come true.

We did learn how to greet a stranger in Portuguese, order sheesha in Arabic, count in Swahili, and say thank you in Hindi.

We did get invited into strangers' homes, for lunch or a drink or a three week stay.

We did hike on a glacier. Make that two glaciers.

We did watch the sun rise over a dozen different horizons.

We did hike to Machu Picchu, get soaked by Iguazu Falls, party at Carnival, safari in the Serengeti, ride a camel to the Pyramids, watch the sun set over the Taj Majal, and drive a camper van across a country.

We did dive with sharks, ride ostriches, pet tigers and eat guinea pigs.

We did walk play soccer with schoolkids in the slums.

We did celebrate Ramadan with family across the globe.

We did eat new foods and meet new people and try new things. Every single day.

We did grow closer than we ever were before.

And we lived to tell about it.

December 2009

December 2010

Up and Running

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 00:46:00 +0000

I have a new driver's license. Renewed registration. Activated insurance and road-worthy wheels again.

It's official. I am once again a functioning member of society.

I bought a Droid too, with a brand new cell phone number to go along with it. There's no turning back now.

Oh yeah. Reece had a pretty significant reunion of his own.

That's right friends. We're home.

St. Christopher

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:43:00 +0000

The Patron Saint of Safe Travels. The man whose image Reece hoped to tattoo on his arm before our trip, but for several reasons it didn't work out.

Today, after a year of waiting for it, he is now plus one peice of body art! He's earned it. And now, we are totally set for the next trip.

Twenty Eleven!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:59:00 +0000

Just days after arriving on US soil, packed our bags again for a whirlwind visit to the city by the bay. We couldn't think of a better place to ring in the new year than with our nearest and dearest in San Francisco. It was just as cold as we remembered. It was as champagne-fueled as we hoped it would be. And it was also, well, kinda awkward.

Of course, it was super exciting to see our friends again. So good to meet them for drinks and give copious amounts of hugs and be social with people who actually know us. It was also a total challenge at times determining what to talk about...

"Tell me all about your trip!!"

Well, this one time... actually, you probably already read that in my blog.

"So, how's work...?"

Yeah, totally, I feel ya. I mean, no, I don't actually.

"So you know that movie everyone's talking about?!"

Nope. Haven't seen it yet.

"Um... How 'bout them Giants??"

Luckily, there is one thing we can all relate to...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

We couldn't have asked for a better one.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Sabrina) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:56:00 +0000

You may have wondered why we hadn't yet mentioned where we're going after New Zealand.

SURPRISE!!!

After two months of keeping my lips sealed, the secret is out. And while I was convinced my mom was on to us, somehow we totally pulled it off. It's a Christmas miracle.