That's All, Folks!

(Team Freedom29 - Day 1)

This is it - our last internet rendezvous and the post where I try to figure out what these last twenty or so weeks actually meant. To our family, friends and casual observers, please know that I tried my very best to write each of my previous posts in a way that I thought might be entertaining for you, and attempting to do so has provided me with a great deal of joy and satisfaction. This last time, however, my primary motivation is to record my thoughts before this airplane I'm riding in lands back home, so I apologize if the text seems long-winded or self-important. This will also be the first post where Kristin won't serve as my editor/conscience before my thoughts go up on the website (though she did make me promise that I wouldn't say anything preachy like "the things that you own end up owning you", which I think hamstrings me considerably...). Anyways, here goes nothing - I hope you'll indulge me this one last time. [Editor's note: the pictures below are some of my favourites from our trip.]

(Picture from The Lost City post)

(Picture from A la Cartagena post)

Truthfully, the thought of having to write this post and thereby acknowledge that this chapter of our lives has come to a conclusion has gotten me misty more times than the ending of Field of Dreams. Others certainly have travelled longer and gone further, but I can't really put into words what this trip has done for my emotional well-being and general outlook on life. We didn't do this trip because we needed to escape from our normal lives, but the distance and time away has delivered a clarity that I'm not sure I would have discovered in Calgary. Even though the end of the trip has brought me face-to-face with the realization that my future is still very much up-in-the-air, I've had ample opportunity to identify the aspects of my life that bring me happiness and fulfillment. I want to prioritize these things once I'm home; I want more of these things. It's not that I'm newly greedy or selfish, but slightly refocused. Normally, I wouldn't think of being unemployed as a positive, but in this instance it feels like a chance to find something I'm passionate about and something that accords with what I'd like for my personal life. I hope that I don't squander the opportunity.

(Picture from Cruzing for a Bruising post)

I've been asked a few times along the way if I had any regrets that we decided to embark on this adventure. I know regret - I'm the guy who put transition lenses into his most recent pair of everyday eyeglasses - but I will never regret that I just spent the last 140 days with the most important person in my life and that we have fostered an incalculable number of memories that, cliché as it may sound, we will share for a lifetime. I don't regret challenging myself to learn a new language (even if I wasn't great at it) or putting myself into unfamiliar and sometimes difficult situations. I also don't regret the opportunity to learn about cultures and people different than our own and, as a result, learn more about myself. Conversely, I have absolutely no doubt that if we had chosen not to do the trip back when we were still deliberating, I would always have felt some regret. I know Kristin feels the same way.

(Picture from Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail post)

Kristin spoke of being rejuvenated in her last contribution. Like her, I feel that the novelty and challenges of the trip melted away stress and left me feeling young again. Has the trip fundamentally changed who I am? Probably not. It's romantic to think a trip of this nature could set in motion a string of life-altering epiphanies (though, probably less "romantic" to my mother-in-law, who feared the trip would turn me into a globetrotting hippie who'd stay on the road forever and never give her grandbabies), but the changes I notice in myself are more subtle (or maybe it's just that I'm finally maturing). The trip also strongly reinforced the importance in my attempting to see life as a journey instead of a series of destinations. It's a lesson I find myself often losing sight of, but I think the times when I have it dialled-in makes me feel like a more attentive and empathetic person - someone I like better.

(Picture from With a Terrain of Salt post)

As for my beloved blog, I'm sad to report that it has provided us with neither fame nor fortune - the stated goals in our first post - and our coveted endorsement deal with Icebreaker never materialized. But Kristin and I already find ourselves rereading the posts constantly, so I know we've created something that we'll be able to enjoy for years to come. We also wanted the blog to help us stay connected and I think it's done that. We've received emails and Facebook messages from so many friends along the way who've wished us well or expressed excitement for things they saw on the site. What I didn't expect was that the blog would stir up something creative in me and help me realize how much I enjoy writing. I'd like to figure out a way to keep writing in some capacity when I'm home, as well as try to find some other outlets for my creative energy. In that vein, if you see me one year from now and I haven't learned to play whatever the guitar equivalent of Hot Cross Buns (the first song we learned on the Recorder in elementary school) is, you have my permission to slap me across the face. Just don't hit my nose - it's been through enough already.

(Picture from Paying it Forward post)

For those that haven't fallen asleep yet, let me start wrapping this up by saying that I feel very lucky. I feel very lucky to have been born in a country where it's possible to enjoy a seemingly endless list of freedoms and luxuries that are far too easy to take for granted. I feel lucky to have the backing of amazing family and friends in all of my endeavors. More than anything else I feel lucky to have Kristin. With the possible exception of her evil right foot, I couldn't ask for anything more from the person I get to share my life with or from a travel companion. I'm proud of the person that she is and I'm proud of the person that she was on the trip (true to herself, but full of pleasant surprises). I wouldn't have wanted to do any part of this adventure without her (and never would have gone on a trip like this if we hadn't met), but, with her there by my side, I could have stayed away indefinitely. Maybe most importantly of all, she believes in me so strongly and supports me so completely that I feel like I can do anything I put my mind to. Ultimately, that's all I really need to be happy, wherever we might happen to be.

(Picture from Falling for Floripa post)

A couple of blogs I've seen capped off their final post with an impressive quote from a historical figure, philosopher or poet. Unfortunately, I'm not so well-read as those bloggers, but I like the concept. In any event, I can't think of anything more fitting than what I've reproduced below, courtesy of the late, great Dicky Fox:

Hey, I don't have all the answers. In life, to be honest, I've failed as much as I've succeeded. But I love my wife. I love my life. And I wish you my kind of success.

Thanks for reading.

(Team Freedom 29 - Final Day)

He Said, She Said

In a decision that has been very difficult to make, I'm sad to announce that our trip is coming to an end in five days. Kristin's foot is still giving her a lot of trouble and has made it so that we can't travel in the way that we are accustomed to and enjoy. Our hope is that the frigid weather and limited sunshine of December in Calgary will allow it to heal properly. [Editor's note: Deep breaths, Kevin. Deep breaths.]

The past few days have provided ample opportunity for us to reflect back on our trip and to think about what lies ahead. Out of this process came the idea for this blog entry (sadly, Kristin's last contribution to the blog). Here's how it works - we interviewed one ridiculously attractive travel blogging couple and asked them the same four questions. They produced their answers independently of one another and we have posted them below without alteration.

1. Which is your favourite place that you visited on the trip?

She-KLong: That's a toughie because each place has been so different and I have loved them all for different reasons, but I would have to say my favourite place that we "travelled" was Bolivia. It has the greatest indigenous population in South America (over 60%) and this "living historical culture" (I read this description somewhere and really liked it) was very interesting for one of my favourite pastimes, people watching. My favourite place that we "vacationed" (see distinction between travelling and vacationing here) was Salta in Northwestern Argentina. Salta has good, inexpensive food and wine, lots of activities to do in its surroundings, and is still somewhat "undiscovered" by tourists.

He-KLong: Asking me to choose the favourite place we visited is a lot like asking a parent to identify their favourite child (in which case, might I suggest that you can never go wrong in choosing the oldest son...). In terms of an experience, I have would have to say that Ciudad Perdida probably remains my most vivid memory and the one I find that Kristin and I relive most often. Picking a country would be much tougher, as I've enjoyed each for different reasons and they have all been spectacular. In a pinch, I would probably opt for Colombia, largely due to the fact that the people there who didn't rob us were some of the friendliest I've ever met and were the most welcoming of the countries we visited.

2. What has been the most difficult part of travelling in South America?

She-KLong: I guess one of the most difficult parts of long term travel in South America for me was having to pack my backpack with equipment and clothes for all different climates. We experienced temperatures ranging from -10 to +30 degrees Celsius, so this left very little room for "luxury items" (I note that Kevin considers the jeans I brought a "luxury item" - who considers one pair of jeans a "luxury item"?!). Another difficult part for me was having to get by with my limited spanish. I have learned that I am horrible at learning new languages and it was frustrating not to be able to communicate more with locals and sometimes having to rely on Kevin to get my point across (apparently, along with blogging, picking up new languages with ease is one of my husband's hidden talents).

He-KLong: Without a doubt, the most difficult part of the trip was the Golf video game in the on-board entertainment system for Avianca Airlines flights. 350-yard par 3s? 600-yard par 4s?? Give me a break. A distant second would be the not infrequent stomach issues we experienced along the way and, worse, the constant fear of future stomach issues. By the time we left Bolivia, I had become so conditioned by signs of impending stomach danger that even overhearing a rumble from Kristin's stomach was enough to have me reaching for the Bisbacter (South American Pepto rip-off). Not being able to automatically assume that food was safe to eat definitely took some getting used to.

3. What will you miss the most about the trip?

She-KLong: Oh my goodness, I do not know where to start. I have never felt as excited, challenged and rejuvenated as I have on this trip and I know I will miss that. I am going to miss experiencing, doing and seeing as much as possible everyday because you never know if you are going to be back again. Also, you know how you do things while travelling that you would never do at home? I am going to miss this general attitude... Also, after spending 24/7 with Kevin for the past 4 and a half months, I bet I will go through a bit of Kevin withdrawal.

He-Klong: I'll miss so many things about the trip. Most of all, I'll miss that every day here is an opportunity to share something new and exciting with my wife. One of my favourite memories from the trip was the time in Peru (before I had replaced my watch) when I asked Kristin what day of the week it was. Without looking at her watch, she responded casually and in all seriousness, "Wednesday'ish," and continued about her business. Kristin is the ultimate planner and the unexpected response sent me into hysterics. In addition to the laughter, I just remember how wonderful it was to see her so content and carefree and I'm so happy that I was a part of it.

4. What excites you most about going back home?

She-Klong: Of course number one is seeing and catching up with my family and friends, even though, according to Kevin, while away I have talked to my Mom on Skype an "embarrassing amount for someone who is almost 30". Other perks will be being able to flush toilet paper down the toilet, not worrying about personal security nearly to the same degree and not worrying about the food you eat making you sick.

He-Klong: I know I should probably say "catching up with friends and family" or a"resuming my career" (wow, putting that last part into words just made me throw up in my mouth...), but I'm going to have to go with "the ability to flush toilet paper". I don't know anything about how plumbing works. I don't know why the systems here can't handle paper of any sort but in junior high school we never seemed to have any problem when we were flushing the gym shorts of people who forgot to close their locker doors down the toilet. Regardless, it will be good to go home and flush with impunity once again (paper, that is, not gym shorts).

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The blog is now officially on the endangered species list. Two posts left.