Back In the Moment..

Emigrant Wilderness, CA

June 6-8, 2008
N 38°08.030
W 119°50.170

It had been more than a year since we set up a campsite, something we became very good at doing during our travels and something we instantly realized we missed. We forgot the process as we unloaded our tent from the backpack, pulled out the various pieces and fumbled for a few minutes before everything we learned during our time in South America and New Zealand slowly came back to us.

We commented we were lucky it wasn’t raining or snowy and the 40 mph winds we battled in Patagonia were no where to be seen. We were about 10 miles deep in Emigrant Wilderness with vast granite mountains enclosing us in a valley, with a crystal clear, ice-cold, gushing creek preventing us from setting up camp any deeper in the backcountry. As we stood there, we felt “in the moment” for the first time in months; probably since our return to society on February 1, 2008.

Emigrant Wilderness has to be one of the most beautiful places in California, possibly the United States. The vast forest is somewhat unexplored, especially compared to nearby Yosemite Wilderness, and as you wind your way through the trees, creeks and granite it’s possible to go a whole weekend without seeing anyone else.

On this particular trip, early in the season, we crossed paths with only six other adventure hikers like us. The backcountry of Emigrant Wilderness isn’t someplace you get to by accident… a 3 hour drive from San Francisco; through the small Central Valley towns of Escalon and Oakdale, winding your way by the Sierra Foothill towns like Jamestown and Sonora, and finally another 60 minutes down fire-trails and gravel roads off Highway 108 in the Sierras you’ll eventually find Crabtree Trailhead, an entry point, or true gateway, for backpackers into the wilderness area.

The clear blue skies and warm temperatures made the trip to this pristine part of California even more incredible. During the day we waded across the knee high, ice-cold creeks (it felt like my toes were going to fall off) to explore different areas of the backcountry. We struggled across large sections of snow; the sound of running water below us, driving our hiking poles into the snow ahead of us with each step in order not to fall through an ice shelf.

At night we pulled on a few more layers and started a fire. We slept comfortably under the Milky Way and chalky light from the quarter moon, the sound of the breeze rolling over the top of the pines and the gurgling of the creek in the background.

Our sub-par dinners took us back to our time in Torres del Paine when we had to choke down the rice and soup mix to fill our empty bellies. At least we didn’t have the cumulative nights of rice and soup mix, only two, and with some trail mix, salami, cheese and Clif Bars we were far from starving.

As we basked in the sun on the shore of the creek, we discussed our favorite dishes at various restaurants, including the succulent salmon rolls from The House, which made our mouths water for something more flavorful than cardboard—it was only a day away.

We reminisced about where we were a year ago, Hanoi, Vietnam, and the heat we experienced as we trekked through the city, drank beer on the streets, drank coffee overlooking the lake and, most importantly, spent time with Bob, Teddy and Elise.

Of course we discussed our next travel plans. Should we go to Mexico? Thailand? Indonesia? Unfortunately, we have to figure out what is next for us in terms of jobs. For now, we will enjoy our time at Emigrant Wilderness and know we still have a lot to see in our own backyard.

Note: To the person who inquired about purchasing our blog for a measly $50. The answer is definitely NO.

A Final Step Back...

San Francisco, CA USA

April 11, 2008
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

Simply said, I can’t sit still for long. This became more apparent the last few weeks as I anxiously waited for job interviews and offer letters. I sat in the coffee shop, tried to write stories, but my clogged brain couldn’t focus on anything except for the task at hand—finding a job. Then, as the prospect of a job started to become a reality, I took off to Las Vegas for the CTIA Convention and now I’m spending my first week of my new job in London.

Being on the road is part of me… no matter how much I miss Marc, I don’t think I can sit behind a desk and punch away at a keyboard every day.

Yes, it is difficult being back in the work environment; yet another step in the re-entry process, maybe the final step. However, since I am spending my first week on the job in London it still feels like I am traveling. As soon as I stepped off the airplane knowing I had to navigate the train station and then the underground, my heart started pumping—I was back in the action. Of course, an obvious piece was missing, Marc who had to stay home at a mundane job of his own.

I popped out of the London underground at Oxford Circus wheeling my small, carry-on suitcase and headed off to find my new office. This is when I realized I didn’t have one of my most trusted traveling devices—my compass. Initially, I headed off the wrong direction before realizing my mistake and backtracking. It felt good to be back in the game.

After my first day in the office, I knew I needed some fresh air to fight off the effects of jet lag. Plus, I had to stay awake until at least 10:00 PM in order to completely adjust to British Daylight Time. I pulled on my running shorts and shoes and headed out to Regents Park, to take in the spring flowers, crisp evening air, and enjoy the company of other runners. As I stopped to look at the tulips in bloom, I reflected on my life over the past few months, and the leisurely hours I spent inside around North Beach and Café Trieste.

Marc told me over and over to document some of the stories of the day… they really were memorable. Of course, not all were grand. Especially when Elvis Christ, the local drunk who is arrested daily for being drunk in public, jumped MoMo, another local favorite. After the incident, MoMo explained to anyone that would listen, he wasn’t taking any more shit and was going to start carrying a butterfly knife to fend off Elvis. I hope this story doesn’t end in a dark alley in North Beach with MoMo in prison and Elvis Christ dead.

Over the past few months I frequented Little City Market and kept Ron and Mike, the local butchers, on their toes. I visited the market before our trip, but not as often since Marc was only occasionally eating meat on the weekends. However, since I have been home and cooking regularly, I visit Ron and Mike a few times a week.

On one visit I was showing off the market to a former colleague, on the next day I rolled in with a stroller while I was babysitting Sadie Jordan. Yet, on another day I walked in with Marc. After shuttling in so many different faces it took me a few more visits to get the story straight with Ron and Mike… no, the baby isn’t mine… that that is a former colleague… and yes, Marc is indeed my husband, but no that wasn’t his baby either.

Saving the best for last, the most memorable story of late was the morning I sat outside Trieste in the crisp air and a young, Norwegian tourist stumbled up looking for his hotel. He never made it home the night before and couldn’t remember how to get to his place. I gave him directions, asked a few questions and he stumbled on his way. I continued sitting there, sipping my coffee, when the guy next to me screamed out, “wow, look at them soar.” I looked up and saw a few pigeons flapping in the air near the church across the street. “They are such beautiful birds, those hawks, there… oh my, they are making love right now” he exclaimed, “sometimes I feel like I relate more to birds than to people.” I looked up again, looking for hawks, but still saw only pigeons and wondered if I am the crazy one. As I peered into the guy’s eyes, it was almost as if I could see his imagination flowing freely, and knew he really believed there were hawks in the air. I was pretty sure some mood enhancing drugs were involved. I have seen bird man a few more times since the initial meeting; he is always very courteous, we have engaged in some interesting conversations about local politics, jobs and the neighborhood in general. I felt he related pretty well to me… and I am not a bird.

Since the end of our trip I have met new people at Trieste, at Little City Meats and had the opportunity to watch a beautiful 15 month old girl, Sadie Jordan. Even though the last two months weren’t relaxing as I was living them, I will look back on the time fondly, especially now that I am back in the game.

Another Step Back...

San Francisco, CA USA

February 19, 2008
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

Another step in our re-entry process started today, at least for one of us, as Marc went back to work. It was inevitable, of course. We knew our good times of leisure and travel couldn’t last forever, but they were sure nice while they lasted and probably changed us forever.

Now I have to find ways to keep myself busy until I find a job and avoid the post travel blues. The past week has been challenging for both of us. Our house is back together, there isn’t a lot to do except enjoy the sunshine and our neighborhood, but the scenery is the same. We became so used to moving through different cities, taking in new sites, attempting to comprehend different currencies, and understand different languages on a regular basis, that even multi-cultural San Francisco hasn’t been able to hold our attention.

A lingering depression has grabbed hold of us and won’t let go. We planned, saved and dreamed about our trip for over two years. We finally embarked on our journey in early 2007, enjoyed every minute, and made it safely back home after 368 days on the road. So, after three years of being consumed by The Big Trip... it’s now over.

As we sit in our house it now consumes us in a different way. With memories we can’t forget, don’t want to forget… beaches, children, remote villages, smiles, friends, travel days, daunting weather, food and always the thrill of what’s next.

As we try to return to life as “responsible” and “productive” citizens we grapple with the need for balance and those people we used to be. I think we’re ready to get back in the “game”, but at the same time we will always miss those Travelers.

Home is Where the Food is...

San Francisco, CA USA

February 16, 2008
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

While traveling we would comment on the abundance of vegetables, produce, dairy and meat we can get in the Bay Area, and how quality product makes a huge difference in the final dish. A perfect example of this rule was when we were in Vietnam. We expected the Pho to be the best in the world. However, since the local produce didn't compare with California produce, the end product wasn’t what we expected. With a few exceptions, we decided our favorite local Pho place was better than street-side in Hanoi.

It is great to be home and have access to the some of the best meats, cheese, breads and local produce around; and now that my kitchen is back together I enjoy cooking nearly every day. In fact, I consider cooking to be therapeutic as we navigate our way back to reality.

While we were gone we thought about Molinari's, the deli in our neighborhood, or Little City Meats, where I have to receive approval from our butcher on how I intend to prepare the cut of meat before he’ll let me leave the shop. I also dreamed about the Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building and the fresh fruit and even though we saw other great markets, none of them compared to the vast selection and fine produce right in our neighborhood.

I guess what I am trying to say is even though we are lacking the daily stimulation we received while traveling, and we’re experiencing bouts of post travel depression, we’re happy to be back in San Francisco and definitely enjoying the convenience and simplicity of life at home.

Many Good, Some Bad, Some Just Flat Out Crazy...

San Francisco, CA USA

February 11, 2008
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

Now that our place is pretty much back together we’ve spent the last few days getting re-acquainted with our neighborhood. We took the time to visit our favorite shops such as Molinaris, Giordano Brothers and, of course, Café Trieste. The space on the corner of Vallejo Street and Columbus, which used to be Rossi’s Grocery Store, and has been vacant for nearly three years, has a new tenant moving in. North Beach Pizza is moving across the street to the south-east corner of Grant and the smell of stale beer and urine still linger on the street on a Sunday morning. It’s nice… our neighborhood still has a lot of the character and characters we’ve missed so much—many good, some bad, some just flat out crazy.

When we made our way down the hill to Trieste in the late afternoon we saw some of the ol’ neighborhood characters including Earl. Earl is a young man who lives in the neighborhood, sells “Earl Made” clothes and hats and has been in a bit of trouble with the law, mostly drug related or induced. Earl appeared to be in a “good place” when we left. He was exercising, making his clothes and I think he even had a steady job. Unfortunately, even though I was happy to see him make the change, I sort of missed the “old” Earl, and I also knew it wouldn’t be too long before “old” Earl resurfaced. Now, Earl spends the vast majority of his day standing across the street from Café Trieste, listening to his iPod, dancing, rolling and smoking cigarettes, soaking up the sun, and basically waiting for nothing.

Elvis Christ, another one of the guys in our ‘hood, writes his poetic tirades on masking tape and then tapes the words to the sidewalk. Every few weeks a new scattering of words will be taped along the sidewalks of Columbus and it will take a couple weeks to fully absorb Elvis’ rants. I am not sure if the self proclaimed Mr. Christ has ever been on the wagon, but he might want to think about straightening out a little bit; especially since he was arrested twice last Saturday alone. A simple drunk in public citation gets you tossed in the local North Beach holding cell for four hours, according to my sources. Then, you’re back out in the middle of Washington Square screaming to everyone in the park, “I’m Elvis “fn” Christ, the king of this neighborhood, listen to what I say and you can catch a Frisbee too!”

We relaxed in Washington Square for about thirty minutes, watched the dogs and small children run wild, listened to what Elvis had to say, and enjoyed the warm sunlight as dusk rushed in. We didn’t recognize many of the faces sitting on the grass and for a moment it felt like we were traveling again… what a gorgeous day and beautiful city.

A Whole Closet of Clothes...

San Francisco, CA USA

February 8, 2008
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

There have been a lot of firsts over the past few days as we settle back into our lives again. I don’t know if I should really call them “firsts,” we have done them before, but not in the past year or so. For example, we considered ourselves runners before we left on the trip, but another pair of shoes, running shoes, would have taken up more space in our packs—they didn’t make the cut. Now that we are home we plan on running again and that first run is going to hurt!

The other big thing over the past few days is wearing non-travel clothes. Every time I look in my closet it feels like shopping, a lot of it seems new and exciting. Wednesday night was the first time in over a year we have been able to enjoy San Francisco in non-travel clothes and non-travel mode. As I was getting ready, I went to my closet, looked through several sweaters, shirts, shoes, and pants before making a selection. I sat there thinking, “this all seems like new stuff to me, but I wonder if it is even fashionable to wear.” It was hard to believe all the clothes; especially after traveling for a year with 4 shirts, 2 pants and a couple sweaters. It was a little overwhelming.

I have never been a cover girl for Vogue in terms of fashion, and in the past year I knew I was far from fashionable with my blue fuzzy fleece (Marc called it my Cookie Monster sweater and would always follow with a growl of AHHHH, Cookieeee!), burgundy sweater and my red, brown and beige hat. In fact, in big cities I was a little self conscious of my get-up, and I was ready to put that behind me.

I pulled on a light blue sweater, jeans and some heels. After my shower, I put on eye shadow, mascara, eyeliner… the whole nine yards. I was even able to blow dry my hair and some what style it. I laughed a few times as I wobbled in my heels as we headed out the door. It was a surreal experience after being away for a year.

The night was a lot of fun. We were able to catch up with old friends, eat great food and drink good wine. It was a perfect night in San Francisco and it felt good to be home.

More Lists...

Best Coffee

1. Hanoi, Vietnam
2. Bilbao, Spain
3. Buenos Aires, Argentina
4. Positano, Italy
5. Dalat, Vietnam

A Room with a View

1. Hvar Island Apartments, Croatia. We had a view of the castle, harbor, marble promenade along the sea, and the Adriatic Sea. The sunsets were amazing from our balcony.
2. Bayview, Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand. The bungalows are terraced into the hillside, giving each room a view from the balcony. At night we would sit on the balcony, read, drink a cold beer and stare out at the Andaman Sea as longboats chugged by.
3. Pensione Maria Luisa, Positano, Italy. The city is built on a cliff that gradually goes down to the water at about a 13% grade. Since we didn’t have anything obstructing our view we had spectacular views of the Tyrranian Sea from our balcony.
4. Pension San Sebastian, Spain. When we walked into our room, we looked straight out at the Bay of Biscay. This was great until the sea turned angry and tore out the balcony below us overnight and knocked on our window a few times. It might have been too close for comfort.
5. Marriott Marquis, New York City, USA. Even though we were using Marriott reward points we lucked out by being upgraded to a room that overlooked Times Square. It was a lot of fun watching the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks battle it out on the JumboTron.

Things We Take For Granted

1. Flushing toilet paper down the toilet
2. Paper napkins instead of waxed paper
3. Stop signs and other means of traffic control
4. Ice
5. Tap water—not only for drinking, but for brushing your teeth too.
6. Black pepper. This is completely non-existent in Chile. It is hard to come by in Argentina, but some places do have it if you ask.
7. Picking up our cell phone and calling home without mortgaging our house.
8. Enjoying the scenery while walking down sidewalks instead of dodging the various piles of dog poop!
9. Wearing perfume instead of DEET!
10. Fresh Water showers

International Headlines for 2007 (what we saw when we had CNN)

1. Myanmar Protests
2. Bhutto Assassination and Pakistan politics
3. Trapped Miners in Utah
4. Disappearance of Madeline McCann in Portugal
5. Iranian President Amadinajad speaks at Columbia University
6. Paris Hilton goes to jail. Paris Hilton gets out of jail. Paris goes back to jail (do we care?)
7. San Francisco Oil Spill
8. Kenya Elections go south, riots breakout
9. Britney Spears melts down, loses her kids
10. Maradona hospitalized in Buenos Aires
11. South Africa wins Rugby World Cup
12. OJ Arrested in Las Vegas sports memorabilia armed robbery
13. US Sub-prime mortgage crisis
14. Dow Jones Tops 14,000
15. Tiger Mauls kid in San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day
16. Australia wins Cricket World Cup
17. Michael Vick Arrested for Dog Fighting Ring
18. Chinese Toy Recalls
19. Marion Jones Confesses to Doping, loses medals
20. Al Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize
21. Oil Hits $100 a barrel
22. Anna Nicole Smith found dead. Who is the Baby Daddy of little Dannilyn?

Wanna See Some Pictures?

Do you want to see the best-of-the-best pictures from our travels?

If so, we’ll be running through the Top 1000 shots from our journey on February 29^th. The big screen TV’s at Giordano Brothers will be rolling, a special music-mix will be rockin’, Happy Hour will be in session, and G’Bros famous sandwiches will be hot!

We would love to meet everyone that followed our journey over the past year; those we know and those of you we don’t. Everyone is welcome! So make plans to celebrate leap year in the City by the Bay.

We’ll see you at Giordano Brothers
February 29th at 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
303 Columbus Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94133

Pod People...

San Francisco, CA USA

February 5, 2008
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

Today was a big day for us. Our “pod” was delivered and we had to move back into our place. It was an interesting process—both the delivering of the pod and the thoughts going through our heads. The good thing was we worked as a team and got the job done.

Let me back up one day. We arrived home on Monday after spending the weekend in Sacramento retrieving our car, watching the Super Bowl, making a stop at Lowes, and grabbing a bunch of miscellaneous items at my Dad’s house. After unpacking our car, we walked around the house preparing stuff for the delivery of our pod. This is the surprising part… Marc and I fought more in a single afternoon then we did our ENTIRE trip.

Being home feels great, but at the same time I think both of us have a lot of pent-up anxiety, uncertainty and mixed emotions about being home. It was strange, 72 hours earlier we were travelers; navigating our way around the world, unfamiliar territory at every corner. After several “interesting” exchanges throughout the day, we looked at each other and asked what the heck is going on? In the end, we kissed and made up, but it was a frustrating day.

Today, we started by casting our ballots, grabbing coffee at Trieste, then returning home to wait for the pod. When the delivery men arrived at 9:00 AM, the street in front of our house was chaos. A large PG&E truck was double parked a half block up the street, there was a cable guy blocking one side of the street in front of our house, an AT&T truck with men working on the poles next door, a taxi driver being scolded by a police officer, and then the cabbie tried to stop in the exact spot the pod was being dumped.

The pod was coming up the street on a forklift, the cabbie was backing up, honking cars were creeping up the street and we stood there in amazement laughing. It couldn’t have been crazier if we planned it.

As soon as our pod was dropped at the curb we threw the door open and started unloading. We unloaded a total of 36 boxes, 4 wardrobe boxes, a BBQ, deck chairs and a bunch of miscellaneous items that we didn’t even remember packing a year ago. It took us about an hour, and at least a dozen trips up the elevator, to empty the contents of the crate. After everything was unloaded we tackled the kitchen and then our closets. We steadily worked until 5:30 PM, leaving ten boxes for the following day.

We did have a few surprises throughout the day. Plus, we were even lucky enough to find a rotary cheese grater with a big chunk of moldy parmesan cheese still in it. I noticed a little yellow on the outside of the grater and said, “There better not be cheese in here.” Sure enough, I opened the grater, and dumped out a few ripe chunks.

As we unpacked box after box we were amazed at how much stuff we have. We questioned why we need all of this stuff. We lived quite comfortably for a year with only what we could fit in our backpacks. We survived without sharp knives, a Cuisinart, dozens of sweaters, and numerous pairs of pants, shirts and shoes… do we really need all this stuff?

I guess that’s the question we’ll have to answer over the next few months as we adjust to old our lives back in San Francisco.

Historic Sites/Cities

1. Angkor Wat (Siem Reap, Cambodia)
2. Normandy, France
3. Washington DC
4. Rome, Italy
5. Taj Mahal (Agra, India)

Thanks for Meeting Us (whoops…we only had four)

1. Shelby and Dustin (twice)
2. Bob and Teddy
3. Pat and Randy
4. Elise
   

Funniest Stories

1. Massage in Vietnam with Teddy
2. Delhi Run Around…
3. What a Pisser…
4. Close Call at Abel Tasman
5. I Want to Get Arrested…
   

Best Sunsets

1. Montanita, Ecuador
2. Hvar Island, Croatia
3. Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand
4. Halong Bay, Vietnam
5. Mumbai, India

Home...

San Francisco, CA USA

February 2, 2008
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

After 1 year and 3 days traveling through 99 cities in 23 countries, we are officially home. Currently, I am sitting at our dining room table thinking about our good fortune.

We traveled through five continents, including North America, and never once had anything stolen, no major injuries, or were faced with a hostile or life threatening situation. Okay, maybe there were several white-knuckle bus rides, near misses with scooters, a memorable trip from Agra to Delhi, and lets not forget our favorite… the bus ride in Ecuador.

For some reason people excitedly ask, “So did you get sick?” It’s unfortunate; I think many people are afraid of traveling because they’re afraid of getting sick. However, as long as you’re cautious; don’t drink the water, keep your hands and nails clean, don’t eat fruits or veggies washed in water, and eat fresh hot food, we really believe the chances of getting a food born illness is slim. So did we get sick… outside of a couple coughs and colds we had the pleasure of hosting a mild case of the Big D Shuffle, in Cambodia.

I can now safely take off my St. Christopher necklace (thanks Vosti), knowing I am safely home. I am proud to say we traveled without incident. I couldn’t say these words two days ago, or our plane might have crashed into the Pacific Ocean.

It feels great to be home even though it doesn’t really feel like home yet. Our “pod,” or storage unit, containing all of our material belongings arrives on Tuesday, and then the process of reassembling our home begins. In addition to unpacking our personal items, we have to make some minor repairs; nothing big, just minor things that need attention after renting our house for a year. As our friend Scott said, as long as we didn’t find any bullet holes in the walls or dead hookers in the closets, it was worth a trip around the world.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It has been over a year since our final cleaning frenzy when tears flowed freely from my eyes, excited about our impending adventure; however, scared at the same time, unsure of our immediate future, afraid of the unknown. We knew we had planned well, meticulously well, but sometimes in life you’re thrown a curve ball. We knew there would be curve balls along the way, things out of our control, and those are the things that scared us.

The past year has been incredible. At times I felt like I was removed from my body, floating above, not really sure if I was living out this dream. We saw incredible sites, learned an unbelievable amount about the world, ourselves and each other.

Most importantly, as a couple we grew closer than ever, counting on each other every single day, always working together to find our way. Of course there were a few disagreements, raised voices, idle threats of returning home, but in the end we pulled together, solved the problems at hand and had incredible year.

We want to thank our family and friends who supported us along the way. In some cases we received emails from home with work updates, parents picked up our mail and we were lucky enough to have people visit us along the way. Everyone was instrumental in helping us realize our dream. Thank you!

So what next? We plan to keep on Blogging over the next few weeks; documenting our reentry period, tossing out a few more Top 5 Lists, simply winding down and preparing for a public picture showing. Keep in touch… we’ll make sure to post all details surrounding dates, times, and locations.

Also, I’ve decided I will continue to write and post at least once a month. The posts will most likely be related the best city in the world, San Francisco.

Most Difficult City to Navigate Even with a Map & Compass

1. Venice, Italy
2. Vienna, Austria
3. Hanoi, Vietnam
4. Genoa, Italy
5. Tokyo, Japan

Our Favorite People We Met Along the Way

1. Roger Vanderbeek (on the bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales)
2. Sara Patterson (roomed with Elise on junk boat in Halong Bay, Vietnam)
3. Miles and Ben (Elise’s buddies in Sydney, Australia)
4. Jef and Irna (in a pub in Brugges, Belgium)
5. Carline and Di (on the roof of our guesthouse in Positano)
6. Mr. and Mrs. Ito (showed us around Tokyo)
   

Best Books We Read Along the Way

1. “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair
2. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kensey
3. “Angela’s Ashes” by Frank McCourt
4. “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen
5. “Middlesex” by Jeffrey Eugenides

Best Restaurants

1. El Boliche de Alberto—Bariloche, Argentina. We were able to watch our steak being cooked at this incredible steak house. The beef in Argentina is some of the best we have ever had. We made a second trip to this place since the first night was so incredible.
2. Lobster Street Side—Nha Trang, Vietnam. We had fabulous lobster grilled on the street with a tasty lime sauce. At 180,000 dong per Kilo the lobster was a real bargain. We sat on the street on the preschool table and chairs slurping every last bite of lobster out of the shell.
3. Café de Amis—Hoi An, Vietnam. This restaurant had a fixed menu each night. We were able to order seafood, vegetarian or meat. Since there were five of us we were able to try all three!
4. Osteria de Benci—Florence, Italy. This is where I had my favorite meal in Italy. The classic bistecca alla fiorentina served on top of fresh arugula with the perfect amount of pecorino shaved on top was fantastic. I don’t typically eat a lot of red meat, but this large t-bone steak was so good I was practically gnawing at the bone when I finished. This place was recommended by a friend of mine who visited Florence two weeks before us.
5. Restaurante Ze Manel—Coimbra, Portugal. The especialidad do casa, or special of the house, is feijoada a leitao, a stew of beans and suckling pig. I ordered the special, while Marc ordered a variation with rice and meat on the side. Our dishes arrived in large soup bowls with ladles. Mine had a side of rice and Marc’s a side tray of meat soaked in olive oil and garlic, pleasant aromas instantly filled our table.

Coming in for a Landing...

New York City, New York --
San Francisco, CA USA

January 14, 2008

After watching Bret Favre and his Green Bay Packers dismantle the Seattle Seahawks on the Times Square JumboTron we decided to check out the news and the weather for the following day. The big story was the upcoming snow storm that was bearing down on the east coast and dumping 4”-8” of snow by Monday morning—the commute would be a mess and the airports messier. We brushed-it-off, at first, but the more the local weather forcasters talked about it, combined with my history at JFK, we decided to call the airlines and see if we could change our flight. Since we have another flight on Tuesday morning, pre-paid hotel reservations and the island of Koh Phi Phi calling our names, we didn’t want to miss our flight out of New York on Monday and create a domino effect on the final two weeks of our journey.

It was 11:00 PM when I called United Airlines. They could get us on an 11:00 AM flight out of JFK the following day. We jumped out of bed, packed our clothes, and instead of spending another day exploring New York; we would be on our way to San Francisco.

Since I mentioned it, I guess I better come clean. My history at JFK is horrendous. I try to avoid JFK at all costs. At one point I think I missed three straight flights, came close to missing another two and have sat on the tarmac as the snow came down. Marc was used to the panic call during my trips through JFK with my voice quivering, telling him I was going to miss my flight. With this in mind, we didn’t want to take any chances.

It was strange being back in San Francisco, especially for such a short period of time, but it was even more bizarre being back in our place. We walked into our home, but it didn’t really look like our home. We unpacked our stuff, almost like we were in a hotel, and basically moved back in. It was strange washing clothes and putting them away in drawers instead of in our backpacks.

Today was only a small taste of life back in the real world; a life of laundry, cleaning and being responsible. I think we’re ready to get back, but we are both pretty sure we’ll miss it after a few months.

A Fast Drive Through the Valley...

Hughson, California, USA

November 13-19, 2007
N 37°35.815
W 120°51.450

After a week in the Central Valley we put over 700 miles on our car, almost all of them on Highway 99. We shuffled back and forth between Hughson, Modesto, Turlock, Selma and Oakdale. At times I drove alone, navigating the unfamiliar country roads like a pro; picking up last minute items for the wedding and running errands.

The time went by quickly and Saturday, the wedding day, was upon us in no time. I spent the day with the bride, maid of honor, bridesmaids and mother of the bride as Lisa beautified herself for her special day. Meanwhile, Marc was with his brother and some of his buddies watching football, relaxing, and drinking beer, as Joel mentally prepared for the big day.

As we always say, “a little planning goes a long way.” The well planned wedding went off without a hitch. The bride was beautiful. The well written vows were thought provoking and even caused me to tear up a little and Mike T. did an excellent job as the ordained minister (from the Internet church).

Fun was had by all. The kids danced until 10:30 PM, two ladies took sexy pictures as they ate their chocolate covered strawberries in front of the chocolate fondue fountain and the speeches and toasts were fairly short and the crowd got into them.

Overall, the whirlwind trip home was well worth witnessing the union between Joel and Lisa, and we were honored to be an integral part of the festivities. We wish the best for Mr. and Mrs. Joel and Lisa Heckman. Plus, we can all spend our anniversaries together.

Now we need to get back to Paris and get a little rest!

Hughson America...

Hughson, CA, USA

November 10-13, 2007
N 37°35.815
W 120°51.450

To those following our journey,

We are currently in Hughson, CA USA and having a great time visiting our family. However, unfortunately, our laptop computer crashed two days ago and we have been unable to make any postings. We hope our computer will be fixed within the next couple days, but we're not optomistic. We believe we've been able to "back-up" 90% of our data. However, it appears we may have lost our book we've been working on over the past 4 months and possibly some special pictures taken over the past 2-3 weeks. As you can probably imagine, this week has been a little stressful.

We'll continue to update our blog as often as possible with (or without) our computer. We'll keep you in the loop.

Everything happens for a reason...

A Fast Pace Back In the States...

San Francisco, CA, USA

November 10-13, 2007
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

The pace has been intense since the moment we touched down at SFO on Thursday. We’ve been busy running errands, seeing family and friends and trying to catch up on all the lives we missed over the last nine months. Also, we had the great opportunity to see Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals at the Paramount Theatre.

After the first night in San Francisco, I woke up early, unable to sleep, and headed out onto the streets of San Francisco, alone. The city is beautiful as it is waking up in the morning, with the street cleaners hosing down the remnants from last nights parties, cable cars clicking along the tracks without any passengers, and people out walking their dogs. The weather was perfect as I walked down the streets and felt like I was really at home.

After I grabbed coffee at Trieste I walked down to Aquatic Park where the devastation from the recent oil spill ruined the picture perfect backdrop. The beach is barricaded, preventing tourists from strolling on the beach. The stench from the oil filled the air and small black beads lined the water line on the sand, the oil slick had a rainbow glimmer in the water near the shore, as the birds stood on the beach they looked at the water wondering what happened to their home.

The day quickly turned into night and Marc, Mike and I were joined by Bob, Teddy, Dustin and Shelby. The crew headed out into the rain to make the journey to the Paramount Theater in Oakland where Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals were playing. The band was electrifying, the show amazing, one of the best we’ve ever seen. Our favorite songs were played and at times I felt Ben was singing directly to us, making our visit even more special.

On Sunday we continued to push the pace and jumped on BART in the morning and made our way to the East Bay. We met Bob and Teddy again in Walnut Creek and mooched a ride to my Dad’s house in Elk Grove. It was wonderful to catch up with my Dad and Bev; we sorted through our mail, checked out our car and started going through our boxes of warm weather gear that we’ll need in Europe over the next three months. It was nice to be in a familiar home and with our family again.

Over the next few days the pace continues and we’ll continue to enjoy family and friends and prepare for the big wedding on Saturday.

It’s strange to be home, especially knowing we’ll be back on the road in just a few days, but it’s all part of our journey.

We're Leaving our Hearts...

San Francisco, CA USA

April 20, 2007
N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

The past few days in San Francisco have gone by very quickly as we visited with family and friends, ran errands for the next phase of our trip and hit as many of our favorite haunts as possible. Due to a ticketing snafu we pushed our flight out one day, reluctantly at first, but it was really a blessing in disguise giving us more time to take care of our necessary tasks.

It was wonderful to see our family after being gone for a few months, and we were able to catch up on all of the family gossip. The biggest news is Joel’s wedding in November. We plan to return home briefly for the big event.

In between visiting with family and friends we ticked off the tasks on the list we created prior to leaving Argentina; the list keeps us on track and ensures we complete all of the tasks without rushing around on the final day to complete everything. I’m sure we’ll still be rushing around on the last day though—making the extra day even more vital.

We stayed with our friend Angela on Russian Hill. When we woke up the first morning to diffuse sunlight filling her living room, we looked out her bay windows and had to admit the views were definitely better than any other place we had stayed on our trip. Angela’s apartment has sweeping views of the bay from Alcatraz all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. The spotlight from Alcatraz makes a pass of her front room every 30 seconds; not enough to light up the apartment, but just enough to catch your attention now and then, reminding you it’s out there. A hotel with views like this is not in our budget going forward, so we’re enjoying wvery minute!

We definitely didn’t go hungry during our visit. We hit all the places we have been talking about for the past few weeks including Nick’s Crispy Tacos, Giordano Brothers, House, Slanted Door and Little Thai. We even managed to have a Sheboygan Brautwurst at AT&T Park during the Giants big win over the Cards.

We truly enjoyed our time in San Francisco, but are looking forward to New Zealand. The time spent with friends and family was worth it, but at the same time the most stressful part of our vacation to date. We wouldn’t change any of it though!

24x7x365:
We have managed to spend some time apart during our visit to San Francisco. I had a few appointments during the visit, as did Marc, allowing a few hours by ourselves here and there. The funny thing is I think we actually missed each other when we weren’t together. I am sure we will be back on overload in just a few days and Marc will just sit there and listen to me talk all day long!

Other Notes:
We want to pay special tribute to Paul, a North Beach local. Paul was one of the characters in “our” neighborhood who spent plenty of time drinking up and down Columbus Avenue. Paul appeared to be in his late 50’s or early 60’s, always wore a beret, a leather vest and seemed to always have a glass of wine or beer in his hand. He was a common fixture at the outside tables at Franchino’s and occasionally at Giordano Brothers. We sat on the patio at Giordano Brothers last year and talk to Paul for hours as we celebrated Paul’s last birthday. We bought him a couple beers while he told us about his art-work, odd jobs he lined up to meet his rent, and how the FBI was renting the third floor apartment that over looks the corner of Columbus and Grant. He explained we were probably being observed by Big Brother at that very moment.

We aren’t 100% sure what happened to Paul. The story we heard is some young, drunk guy (most likely part of the “bridge and tunnel” crowd) threw Paul into a table in front of Franchino’s. The young kid was arrested and Paul was sent to the hospital. Paul was later released, but those who knew him said he felt pretty horrible the next few days. Paul ended up dying three days later from the injuries he endured during the confrontation. He bled internally and the hospital didn’t catch it.

The person taking care of Paul’s estate came into Giordano Brothers Friday night to settle Paul's debt. It was explained Paul always paid off his tabs and his buddy was making sure he held good to Paul’s honesty. The service will be held on Sunday. We will be on our way to New Zealand, but we hope Paul rests in peace and looks us up in his next life. The neighborhood was more colorful with Paul in it—he will be missed.

"Home" Sweet "Home"...

San Francisco, CA USA

April 16, 2007

N 37°48.049
W 122°24.580

We popped out of the Montgomery Street BART station in San Francisco right around 10:00 AM local time after being on a flight for close to 16 hours. Luckily, we lived in luxury for budget travelers on the trip home; we were able to upgrade to business class where the seats lean back almost 135 degrees allowing us to get some much needed sleep during the long flight. We even grabbed a few more hours on the way from Dallas to San Francisco.

Feeling as fresh as possible we exited BART, knowing our way without the guidance of a map, and made our way directly to Kearny Street to grab a bus. The 30 Stockton, my “favorite” bus line in San Francisco, pulled up and was headed in our direction. As are all 30 Stocktons, it was standing-room-only with people headed to Chinatown to do their daily shopping—at least in this direction we didn’t have the smell of hot Chinese food and live fish, we were only left with the fragrance of mothballs, halitosis and sweat permeating the bus.

We stood on the very crowded bus with our big packs on our back; willing to move towards the back of the bus that was practically empty, but unable to get there since others weren’t cooperating. Oh well, we thought… this was the last thing standing between us and our first cup of coffee at Café Trieste.

Café Trieste was actually our second stop after dropping off our backpacks in the garage of our building. Since our place is being rented right now, we weren’t able to actually go into the unit. We felt homeless as we hid in the back of the garage, quickly putting on fresh clothes and a new layer of deodorant before making our familiar walk down the hill to Trieste.

We were instantly greeted with big hugs by our friend Paul as soon as we walked in the door of Trieste. Moments later our buddy Mike T. walked in the door. We called Mike as we got off the bus and he knew exactly where to meet us. Since the weather in the City was perfect, we sat outside and drank our first Africano (a double shot of espresso with steamed milk) in over 80 days, and watched the people outside—some familiar faces, others new. We didn’t see any of the known characters from “All Over Coffee” like Earl, Mo or Mark with the dogs, but there was plenty of neighborhood personality to keep us entertained for a few hours while we sipped our drinks.

The group at the table on the sidewalk next to us must have had a “prescription” for marijuana. One of the guys had a very convenient crochet necklace for his pipe and a separate necklace for his lighter. At one point they pulled out some bud so strong, we could smell it from 10 feet away—they weren’t passing any our way though!

After we finished our first Africano a man wearing a white, filthy, tattered dress shirt, a pair of shorts, a thick black leather dog collar on his ankle, and a grimy pair of socks that only covered his toes staggered by us. He was mumbling incoherently under his breath, and had obviously been “enjoying” a substance much stronger than the green-bud being shared at the table next to us. We saw our “new friend” a bit later, having a conversation with the leaves as he wandered through Washington Square. He appeared a bit more haggard and was without his fashionable leather anklet—who knows what happend to it in such a short time.

Marc, Mike and I smiled and looked at each other and almost in unison said… “Welcome home!”