WANDERLUST

239 days
3 continents
21 countries
29 planes

2 helicopters
16 trains
5 rental cars
17 boats
1 campervan
1 horse
1 camel
1 dune buggy
1 million rickshaws
69 blog posts & this will make it 70...

The most appropriate metaphor to describe this journey is that I feel like a Senior in college looking back on Freshman year. How naïve I was. I knew little of the world and how it really functions (or malfunctions). I lived in a bubble in New York with tunnel vision. These past 8 months have blown open my eyes and mind with knowledge, experiences and challenges that will define me for the rest of my life.

I have always believed that awareness is key. Whether recognizing someone else’s struggles or a truth about yourself, awareness breeds positive actions and good karma. Nothing can make you more aware of the world than experiencing it first hand and this trip has done that for me ten-fold. Poverty, injustice, corruption, and political tension is pervasive. So is spirituality, ambition, hope and beauty. America and the West is not the real world. We are the lucky exception.

It’s Asia that holds the vast majority of the world’s population and it is there where my tunnel vision was lifted. In India I felt suffocated by the overpopulation and the filth that infiltrated all 5 of my senses. I was humbled by the manual labor being done by so many Indian women. The begging children and extreme gap between rich and poor made me feel heartache like never before. At the same time, I was awestruck by their religious customs and intense love of family. I didn‘t realize it while I was there, but those 6 weeks stand out the most when I think about this journey. Every step out the door of our hotel felt like an adventure. I appreciate that experience more every day.

As I trekked through villages in Nepal, I witnessed hard work and happiness in its purest form. Families supported themselves off their land and children played hot potato with a potato! Cambodia reminded me how much good there is in this world. Never before had I experienced genuine love and admiration in such a short amount of time. I see such hope in those children. Bhutan showed me a culture completely isolated from the modern world, whereas Vietnam, with its glut of tourists, displayed the effects of globalization.

From the Himalayas to the rolling hills of Tuscany, this world is filled with tremendous natural beauty. No where was this more evident than in New Zealand. It is the most beautiful place on earth and where I felt ultimate freedom living out of a campervan for 2 weeks.

Before we left New York, I had many romantic notions about this journey: We would make it to Mongolia and travel to Russia on the Trans-Siberian railroad; We would become “yogi’s” in India; We would extend the trip past the 8 months to make it a full year; We would slow down and “live” in places along the way for weeks on end; It would be easy to be alone with Greg for 8 months; I would eat street food every day in Asia; or that my life might take a completely new direction and I might abandon my career in Advertising Sales to answer a new calling. What I learned was that romantic notions are just that. There is no way I could have anticipated the experiences I had.

Describing the trip beforehand was just a regurgitation of countries we would visit and made-up experiences we might have. Although it was being planned for a year and a half, the trip was not tangible until I was on it. Only now can I begin to process all that I have experienced. Each day away from home strengthened my deep-rooted love for New York, made me more proud to be an American Jew and eternally grateful for the life I have and will continue to build with Greg. The American Dream feels more tangible than ever.

Greg asked me if I think we are going to feel that ignorance is bliss. The answer is no. All this newfound knowledge and awareness has made me a more confident person. I left feeling secure in who I was, and am returning with an even greater sense of self and stronger purpose. That, to me, is bliss.

Thank you to all my family and friends for your genuine interest, enthusiasm and encouragement throughout the past 8 months. Thank you to Greg for being my true partner, in every sense of the word, and for bringing out my desire to travel and experience the world. I sign off for the last time with the phrase coined by my Grandma Sarah, who always told me to "go and do," and who was with me every day on this profound journey.

Watch how you go…

Ian

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The expectation for this trip was that is was going to “change my life." A better way to describe it, is that it enhanced my senses and, as a result, my awareness. For the past eight months we have been on the highest level of sensory intake. Our minds have been constantly processing sights, smells and sounds of foreign places and cultures. Looking back, I see how my ability to translate these stimuli into a deeper understanding of my surroundings has developed. Nevertheless, at the end of this journey, I still don’t completely understand what we have done. It is something I will be processing for the rest of my life. But there are some things I do know at this point.

Regardless of the enormous differences between countries, cultures, religions and so on, all of our (humans) stories are the same. They just exist in different places and involve different characters. Every country, ethnicity and religious group has had a homeland, a conquering neighbor, a hero or heroine, moments of great triumph and desperate moments of despair. The story is the same, human nature. What is also the same is the amazing ability of people to survive and go on.

Traveling across the globe, as Ian and I have done, has made the world a small place. Completely different cultures that share little similarities in language or tradition sit right next to each other and are only a short plane ride away. We have also come to discover that the “Western World”, which I have always considered to be the “norm”, is anything but. We are the exception, and a wonderful one. I never imagined I could feel so proud and blessed to be an American living in New York. I have been lucky enough to be told my entire life that I could do anything I want. Hearing that since childhood had made me think that opportunity was a human right. Even though we (Americans) believe it as a human right, that is not the way the world treats it. An enormous amount of people in this world do not have any opportunity for success, life and love.

The other side of humanity shows beauty beyond expectation. Another commonality amongst everyone on the planet is creativity, expression and what I believe to be an innate ability for warmth. Whether it is a hilltop palace in Rajasthan, a stupa in Nepal or a Cathedral in Europe, there is so much beautiful achievement in this world. Seeing so many varying religions next to each other made me realize something for the first time. Regardless of doctrine, the stories and ways of representing them are amazingly creative. Going back as far as these traditions do, shows me that the creative force has always been a part of our nature.

There is also so much kindness. I know this because the only universal way to communicate is through a smile. It sounds cheesy but it really is the only thing everyone understands. When words don’t work, a smile will. In conjunction with that, is the welcoming nature of children. No matter what country, children will always be the first to greet you as a friend.

The other side of this experience was the natural beauty we have seen. The pre-historic landscape of new Zealand is truly awesome, whereas the scale of the Himalayas can dwarf any ego. There were many moments I found myself speechless amongst the perfect beauty of our extraordinany planet.

On a personal level, this trip has given me the opportunity to feel an amazing amount of love and support from my family and friends, and I thank you for that. I don’t think you will ever really know how we have carried your support and wishes with us at every point along the way. Also, my sense of accomplishment is something I never expected to feel this strongly. That’s probably because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. In between the moments of speechless beauty and experience were hard times of discomfort and fear that I now know I can survive. That is priceless to me.

To everyone in my life, especially my family, I want to thank you again. We absolutely could not have done this with out you. Sometimes I look back and say “ Wait, did we really do that?” For obvious reasons, Ian is the only other person who understands the enormity of this experience and we will forever share the countless memories. Thank you, Ian, for getting me through the hard times and making the good times that much better.

Watch how you go...

Greg

New Zealand...