“I wandered everywhere, through cities and countries wide. And everywhere I went, the world was on my side.” ― Roman Payne

January 1, 2024

Happy New Year from Adelaide, Australia!!

Well it’s been a little over 6 months of travel and I can’t decide if that feels like a long time or no time at all. I am now in my 24th county and 4th continent – not counting North America, so I have covered quite a lot of ground. I have definitely slowed down , only 6 countries this quarter compared to 17 in the first three months. I spent a month in India and at least 10 days in every other country versus the whirlwind of Scandinavia – 6 countries in 22 days at the beginning of my trip. I am grateful everyday that I have this opportunity. I have also been very lucky. I have not had any major travel snafu’s, I mean I got stuck in Istanbul for a day, since I didn’t have a Uganda visa, but who can complain about that. I got to see the Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque and was chatted up by more men in just a few hours than in my whole trip. They were trying to get me to go to their or their uncle’s shop, but most of them stayed and chatted even after they realized I was not going to be buying anything. I also got propositioned by my waiter, a much younger man, that evening. You never know what can happen in Istanbul!

I also have had wonderful weather, at least for my tastes. I mean it’s been really hot in some places but that never stopped me or us – Arthur and Jane were with me in Greece through their heat wave. I can count the time it’s rained on one hand and still have a finger or two unused. There have been no blizzards, tornados, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, or earthquakes – though there was one nearby in Nepal. And other than a brief sinus infection and often very tired feet, my health is good. There are aches and pains that old ladies have, but I would have those at home too so no reason to dwell on them. Food and drinks have been good and plentiful with the prices varying widely from country to country – $1.25 cocktails in Laos and $17 drinks in Australia. It all evens out.

I do miss home. I even tried to come home for Christmas, but I just couldn’t get my schedule to work out without zig zagging between countries to complete my itinerary. Plus there would be two 24 hour plus plane rides at quite some cost. After hours of trying to make it work, I just had to give up. I got through Thanksgiving ok as I was traveling from Bangkok to Khao Lok in Thailand most of the day. It is my favorite holiday – time with family, good food and no presents to buy, what’s not to like. When I arrived at my resort, I enjoyed the seafood buffet as there were no sweet potatoes, stuffing or cranberries in sight. It was a little harder not to feel homesick on Christmas. Because it was summer in Perth, it didn’t feel much like Christmas, which helped. I reached out to family and friends, walked Kings Park- the biggest inner city botanical garden in the world, and made myself a special meal. I found pavlova at the grocery store, which is a family favorite – though we usually eat it at Easter. You don’t see it in US stores, much to my chagrin, as I love it. It wasn’t as good as my daughter’s schaum torte – the name we know it by, but it was very tasty. 

I also watched quite a few Christmas movies, which is a thing with me. I normally watch dozens of them, starting at Thanksgiving with Home for the Holidays. Most were watched on Netflix but one I saw on a parking garage rooftop. It was called Rooftop Movies- Aussies aren’t known for creative names. They were playing It’s a Wonderful Life and it was Christmas Eve, so I just had to go. A brisk 20 minute walk from my condo and up six flights was a green carpet filled with purple beanbag chairs facing a giant movie screen. In the back was a burger food truck – I got the Vegan Fox but skipped the chips, and a snack truck with popcorn, candy and drinks. The drink list was extensive, soft drinks, mocktails and ‘tinnies’-cans of beer, ginger beer, cocktails and wine.  I meet a young couple visiting from Brighton, England who were seeing the film for the first time. It was quite an enjoyable evening. I chatted with my daughter and grandson on Christmas night, well it was for me, it was Christmas morning for them. I was glad they get up so early so I didn’t have to stay up past my bedtime.  I love technology which allows me to talk face to face with friends and family across multiple time zones. I appreciated all the texts and emails from friends and family as well.

After six months it’s time to get a new suitcase. I’m actually surprised the one I had lasted this long, given the wear and tear it gets from being thrown onto planes, trains, buses, and cars; dragged through airports, across city streets, and up and down steps; as well as from being overpacked most of the time. But I cracked the side one day while sitting on it to get it zipped and one of the wheels went wonky upon arrival in Australia. I intentionally purchased a 20 in at the start, thinking I could carry it on. I didn’t want to risk losing my luggage. It met the size criteria but was over the weight limit, unfortunately, so I always had to check it. So this time I got a little bit bigger bag, which allowed me to not use the expansion zipper and lightened the load in my backpack. See how much difference a few inches makes. I will have to relearn how to pack it though as my cubes don’t fit as well in this one. Everything in Australia is very expensive, so I had to go to a few stores to find the right one. I’m spending a fortune on this trip and then nickel and dime things as I go along. Life is made up of inconsistencies. I need to refresh my wardrobe as well and made a little dent in that. After 6 months of a very limited amount of clothing, that weren’t new to start with, they are definitely showing signs of wear. And I’m getting tired of a few pieces – it’s one thing to wear something 3 or 4 times a summer, another to wear it 3 to 4 times in a month, month after month.

The rhythm I’ve created of mixing group tours with stays in AirBnb’s works well for me. After intense daily schedules of a group tour, I need the more laid back approach I take from the AirBnB. But then I get bored of my own company and appreciate the interaction with a new crowd of individuals. I have almost month by myself in Australia before my friend Kandi joins me In Melbourne for the rest of my time in Australia and then another five weeks alone in Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan after I leave my friend Donna In Bali. We’ll see how I do. The time alone makes me appreciate the family, friends and social life I have in Nashville. 

I have gained some weight despite all the walking and hiking I have done. I am still closing my exercise rings 4 to 5 times a week and often more. I blame it on other people. When I’m with a group, they’re all on vacation or holiday as much of the world calls it, and eat and drink it up, knowing they will go back to their routine after their week or two away.  I’m a joiner, so indulge right along with them, but I don’t go back home to my regularly scheduled programming, but repeat the party with the next group. I thought about doing a dry January but I already have two wine tours scheduled. What’s a girl to do? 

I mentioned in my three month check-in about calculating the exchange rate when it fluctuated so widely from country to country. There are other calculations I have to make too, as America is an outlier on how things are measured. First, temperature so far has always been in celsius. Usually, when someone says it’s going to be 44 degrees I immediately assume it’s going to be cold, but actually that is super hot, like 111 degrees hot. So I had to learn a quick way to determine what the temperature was going to be for the day. Generally you take the celsius, double it and add 30, and it will get you pretty close. Then of course most other countries use kilometers to measure distances and I think in miles. For me, it’s easiest just to divide the km by 5 and then multiple by 3 to get to miles. I get that from my running days, when 5 km equals about 3 miles. I haven’t had to worry to much about grams, as the things I buy aren’t big or expensive enough to worry about. You just pay whatever it costs. I do know though that my check-in bag weights just under twenty kilos and my backpack almost 10. Other than not being able to carry my luggage on the plane, it’s only been an issue once, where they made me take out my coat, to get the weight down in my bag. Now I just buy a 20 kg baggage allowance when I buy my ticket.

Okay enough about me, let’s get back to the world.

I’m not really sure what I expected, but it has surprised me that driving through many of these nations either in the city or country, many, though not all, of the houses, apartments, and farms are very similar to ones found in the US. Now, they might have a white flag on top, a flourish on the roof line, or a full weeks laundry hanging from the balcony that makes them different but that’s small stuff. In poorer countries, people may work two or three jobs to make ends meet but there are a lot of people in American in the same boat, some not far from my house. I guess I see more and more similarities among the countries I visit than differences. There may be traditional clothing worn in some places by some people but jeans and t-shirts are taking over the world. Even in Bhutan where the traditional dress is seen every where, after a long day’s work they change into western wear. Each country may have their own language but more and more people speak English, especially in countries that have a lot of tourists, a growing middle class, or a lot of young people. I don’t even see food as a big difference either, as everywhere they eat protein, veggies and starches. Some places may consume more meat than others, eat seafood instead of meat, serve rice instead of potatoes or pasta, or put more sauce or spice on their veggies, but the basics are there. At home I eat a lot of Indian, Thai, Mexican and Italian food and in all the countries I have visited pasta, pizza, burgers and fried chicken have been available in a lot of places. Some version of McDonalds and Dominos can be found across the globe. The biggest difference I see, is that there are still many small, family-owned businesses and less big box stores in Asia, except in the big cities. Bangkok and Mumbai have at least one very upscale mall with Louis Vuitton, Apple, Tiffany’s, etc inside. But in smaller cities and towns, small shops and open air markets with individually managed stalls prevail.

I have loved all the markets. There are markets in other places but not quite as extensive as in Asia. I enjoy just walking through and seeing the myriad of items for sale. There have been so many fruits and vegetables I didn’t recognize and often had the opportunity to taste, like custard apples, white melon, teeny tiny eggplant smaller than a grape, or riverweed. I love the fresh juices squeezed on the street – oranges, mangos, limes, pomegranates, pineapple, watermelon, sugar cane, etc. The food markets are so vibrant with a plethora of choices for your meal. You often have circle through at least once before finalizing your decision or you’ll be too full to eat that delicious looking morsel at the last stall. There is something about street food that makes meals fun and adventurous. Our food trucks and farmer’s markets at home, although wonderful, just don’t compare. And then the general markets, where you find everything from luggage, bras, kitchen items to souvenirs and handmade crafts are astonishing in their variety. It’s so much fun to stroll and browse, finding that treasure every so often and negotiating the price. I may get frustrated when I’m told the items I pick are much higher quality than others and so demand a higher price.  I shake my head and laugh, sometimes it just doesn’t pay to argue.

I continue to find that people are kind, friendly and helpful where ever I go. People are quick to smile and say hello when you greet them. My Grab drivers, Asia’s version of Uber, give me tips and hints of places to go and see. Check-in, security and immigration officials at the airports are tolerant as you navigate through the airport maze. One check-in staff stepped from behind her desk, took my phone and walked around until she got a strong enough signal to download my visa. Another gave me an exit row seat when I ended up in the back row. I love when that happens. One officer directed me to a very short immigration line for residents when I was supposed to go through a different much longer queue. Vendors are patient with me as I calculate the exchange rate or pick through my coins and notes to pay for an item. For the most part in Asia, cash is king. Small shops, kiosks and restaurants don’t usually take credit cards. Big cities are always the exception. Many places do have Venmo types of apps, but to date I have not downloaded any as each country has their own version.

Am I tired of traveling? Sometimes I think so, especially when I have another round of planning and scheduling to do. That takes a lot of brain power and I am often overwhelmed by the choices. But there is still so much I want to see and I’m so close to getting there. I continue to be surprised and delighted about the unique things I’ve experienced and know there is more ahead of me.