Traveling Lesson #1

The problem: How can I make the most of my travels? Books? Web sites? Word of mouth? These sources offer a wide range of options to keep you busy, but some things are missing. Have you ever read a guide book about the place you live? Chances are your favorite hole-in-the-wall pub or place to see the sunset has been left out.

The answer: It is truly a great thing to get to know the local people wherever your travels take you! Weather you go to visit family, friends of friends, or total strangers, there is no better alternative to learning about an area than from the people who live there. There are even online communities designed to facilitate this, i.e. HelpX.net, WOOF, and CouchSurfing.

We had an awesome start visiting family in California. We spent several days in Lodi with Aunt Kay... saw the delta, took a day trip to Napa, made lemonade out of lemons from Kay's backyard citrus trees. Ate at a local brewery, had our first taste of Carl's Jr., and found a persimmon tree during a walk in the nature reserve at Lodi Park. Kent and I then made our way down to Los Angeles with Brian and Tara. We ate at a wonderful Korean BBQ restaurant, took a stroll down City Walk, and saw an indie movie being filmed. Chances are we would have had a different experience if we were visiting these places on our own.

Now in Christchurch, NZ, we are staying with a wonderful couple we met through HelpX.net. Coincidentally, they own the best burger joint in town (Burgers and Beers), and we have already tried several of their gourmet burgers with a side of chips (fries) and local beer! Delicious! We had our first adventure when they took us abseiling (rappelling), and we have already met several of their amazing friends who all have travel tips and stories to share with us. Through these friendly people, we are putting together, piece by piece, our travel itinerary. It is constantly being remodeled, but we are taking in all of the advice given to us by people who have been there before. The information in priceless and the company is irreplaceable!

The Sweet Sounds of Samoa

Samoa is one of those places that gets lost in the shadow of the South Pacific. We decided to begin our adventure here only a couple months after the tsunami struck. It's hard to say what we expected upon our arrival, but can honestly say the experience exceded our expectations. From the moment we arrived, the friendly nature of the Samoan people was overwhelming. The capital city of Apia was our first stop. Hundreds of taxi cabs and buses packed to the ceiling with people filled the streets. We tried to rest, but the constant echoing of dogs barking and roosters crowing kept us awake well into the early hours of the morning. It was unlike anything we've ever experienced, but somehow the people and animals manage to co-exist. Our next stop was the larger more cultural island of Savaii (also in Samoa). This is where we discovered the true meaning of Samoan culture. We spent our time at Tanu Beach Fales in the village of Manase living in a tiny beach fale only a mere 30 feet from the turquoise water. We were treated to a fiafia event our second night there, which was incredible! This was basically an hour or so of authentic Samoan singing and dancing peformed by all members of the Tanu family. On Sunday, we attended church and listened to the beautiful singing voices of the church-goers as hymns accounted for well over half of the service. We're not really sure what any of the words meant, but the perfect harmony was very joyful. After a week at Tanu, we ventured back to the main island of Upolu and spent a couple nights at Virgin Cove on the edge of the rain forest. A portion of the resort had been destroyed by the tsunami, but not nearly to the extent of other places closer to the southeast side of the island. We were again kept awake by chickens and roosters lurking somewhere in the jungle. Oh, and there were also the heavy rains along with the pitter patter of lizards and geckos climbing all over our fale! At dinner, we were serenaded by a very talented string band, composed of young boys from the village. They seemed to love American music as we heard several renditions of familiar songs revamped in Samoan style. Our trip was soon coming to an end and we ventured back to Apia for our last few nights. While relaxing by the pool on the morning of our "second to last day", Alison looked at her watch and commented on how it was the last day of November....wait a minute....our flight is today and we're supposed to be on our way to the airport! Stay tuned to see what happened next...

It tastes good, but something is missing from this recipe...

It's an itch that won't go away. A craving that isn't satisfied. A dream not fulfilled. To experience living away from the city and suburbs of Philadelphia has been something I always knew I would do. As someone who explores all options before making an informed decision, choosing to take a year off from "life as I know it" to travel has been an evolving process. I am lucky enough to have a best friend and significant other who, from day 1, dealt with my ramblings of the experiences to be had away from home, and I suppose it grew on him too. Kent decided this was a way we could see the world, grow individually as well as together, and have stories to tell future generations. In his words, he's "ready for an adventure" so count him in!

Initially, we were not attracted to the idea of "backpacking," the word conjuring up images of college kids lugging packs big enough to hide another human, partying all night in European clubs, and passing out too drunk to care that the hostel bed has no linens. We definitely enjoyed our time in college, but having "real" jobs and the necessary funds, we became acquainted with the joys of sharing a bottle of wine while enjoying a three-course dinner at a four-star restaurant, or sleeping in one's own bed surrounded by down pillows and 600 thread count sheets. How could we ever survive without a whole closet of clothes to choose from and the rest of our worldly possessions? I guess you can conclude that after months of hearing stories from traveling friends and researching possibilities to no end, the idea grew on us. Here begin our adventures searching for that missing ingredient.