“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin

I’m struggling to write this final chapter as I’m not sure I have any wisdom to impart from my travels. I elected to take this trip for many reasons, first there is so much to see and experience in the world and not enough time. Which is why I decided to take a year to see and experience as much as I could. Second, I felt it would be a wonderful transition from a working life to one of leisure – I retired just before I left. And third, it was a celebration of being strong, healthy and clear-minded as I turned seventy. Each one alone was compelling enough but combined, it was impossible not to go.

“If something good happens – travel to celebrate.  If something bad happens – travel to forget.  If nothing happens – travel to make something happen.” – Anonymous

And I’m so grateful and glad I did! I saw so many amazing things – numerous and unique animals, unusual and amazing land formations, beautiful and distinctive flora, and many astonishing man-made wonders. And I met so many fabulous people, some I have kept in contact with and hope to see again. Ezra – I will visit Turkey soon. Brigitta – I hope to see you when I come to Switzerland. Darcy and Mario – I’ll see you in Ottawa if not some exotic place around the world. And I know if I’m near any of the other friends I met, I will make every effort to see them. And I invite any and all to come and visit me in Nashville. This trip was an adventure I’ll not soon forget.

“Life is about the adventures you take and the memories you make, so travel often and live life with open eyes and an open heart.” – Katie Grissom

What did I learn? I’ve mentioned this before and although not necessarily new knowledge, this trip reinforced my belief that people are the same everywhere. They may speak a different language, have different features or skin tones, believe in different gods or prophets, have different governments, or prepare their food with different methods, ingredients, and spices, but they all are trying to do the best they can with what they have. Overwhelmingly, people are kind and helpful, they want to be smiled at, appreciated and acknowledged. They are curious about things that are different. I loved the Chinese trying to take pictures of me and other foreigners without being noticed, or being a celebrity in Uzbekistan – I am not sure how many instagram posts I’m in. And surprising in some ways and not in others, it doesn’t seem to matter the form of government a country has but the intent of its leaders. If the king, president, shah, prime minister, etc. truly cares and wants the best for the people the country flourishes, if they are self-serving the country struggles. And it may take generations for the damage to be undone.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” ― Mark Twain

I found a lot of similarity in other ways as well. It seems that affordable housing is hard to come by everywhere in the world. With people migrating to the cities for better job opportunities, land becomes more expensive and added to raising costs of raw materials, housing prices continue to soar. Inequality has grown throughout the world. When a businessman can shell out $600 million for a wedding while millions of people in his country live in slums, something is amiss. When someone can own eight high end cars and then store them in a garage located on the 21st floor next to his condo while workers have to sleep eight to a room in order to make ends meet, I think we have a problem. Most countries were still reeling from the effects of Covid on their economy. Some people felt that things were returning to normal but inflation soared everywhere in the aftermath of the epidemic and few countries have recovered as well as the US. And people think it’s bad here. Immigration is a hot button issue in many places. Even though many of the industrialized countries need workers the push back to stop ‘foreigners’ from entering their countries is vehement. Poorer countries are seeing their young people immigrate for better opportunities at alarming rates, draining the home country of valuable resources. And almost all new immigrants struggle for years to get established, living in the worst poverty until they meet all the qualifications needed to work and live somewhere new. But for them it is worth it for a chance at a better life. We are not alone with these problems.

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” -Henry Miller

I enjoyed using mass transportation where it was available. Besides airplanes, I used trains, light rail, buses, trams, subways, ferries, and more. Not only did it make my travels easier as I traversed countries – China, Japan and Canada as great examples, but also as I made my way around many cities. Many of these systems allow workers to live outside the most expensive parts of the city and find more affordable housing. And in some places like Singapore greatly reduced the amount of traffic- and pollution, in the city. One things I saw growing in many places were solar and wind farms. I appreciate the move to more sustainable resources. And an important thing to note, I was welcomed in all of the thirty-four countries I visited as an American. Now obviously I avoided countries like Iran, North Korea, and Russia but I felt no rancor in China or the Muslim countries I did visit. I hope we’re as welcoming to our visitors to the US.

“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

I really enjoyed seeing the variety of signs announcing rest rooms across the world and wish I had kept track of other like items. Like how many stairs did I climb to all the temples, churches, shrines, buddhas, and Virgin Mary’s across six continents. It was a lot, I did 1253 in just one day, one way. The price of gas. How did that vary from place to place? Alaska was expensive in spite of it being an oil producing region. Oman’s gas was subsidized to benefit the working man. What was the average number of miles I walked every day or week? I can go back and calculate it but I haven’t had time. It would have been easier if I kept track of it from the start. And just how many temples, shrines and churches did I see? Thousands I’m sure. Time zones were a little crazy. Here, each of our nine zones are an hour apart. In China, which is bigger than the US, they have one! Sometimes I advanced to a new time zone by 30 minutes, once by just 15 minutes. Luckily, I only had three major time zone leaps- Nashville to Iceland, Shanghai to Santiago, and Quito to Anchorage; so my jet lag was kept to a minimum.

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” ― Mary Anne Radmacher

With the wonderful technology we have, you can go anywhere and talk to anyone. My computer was an invaluable tool, not just to write my posts, but to orchestrate my every move, from transportation to lodging and activities. I also used it to pay my bills and do my taxes, chores I had to do but wish I hadn’t. My smart phone also made my day to day activities easier, using maps to guide me around and translate to communicate with people very different than me – remembering my conversation with the deaf Russian in Uzbekistan. It also allowed me to FaceTime or WhatsApp my friends and family who I missed. I often wondered what would happen if I lost or broke my phone and shudder to consider it. I ended up relying on Orbitz more than any other travel sites for my flights – it seems to provide more options and better prices. And I often checked multiple sites. I used a variety tours companies and all did a great job but I learned the smaller the group the better. I found that Get Your Guide was user friendly and had a wide array of activities, so utilized it more often than other similar apps.

“The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.” – Bill Gates

I believe that anyone can embark on a similar adventure. Though many won’t. When I talked to people about my trip, I got two reactions. “Can I be you?” “Can I come with you?” or “You’re so brave, I could never do it”. If you accept that people are kind and helpful everywhere and you have the tools you need at your fingertips, how is bravery involved? Things can happen, like big computer systems breaking down which delay things and make it more of a challenge to find that hotel room. But those are temporary and with patience and/or perseverance you’ll find an alternative, which just might be better than your original plan. Natural disasters are everywhere and hopefully you won’t experience one at home or abroad. But if you do, you cut your beach time short and take the last flight out before the cyclone hits. It’s possible. I did it. I felt safer in most of the countries I visited than I often do in the US, with the vitriol and guns that seem so pervasive here. White supremacists marching down the streets of Nashville, covered from head to toe so not to be identified, does not make me feel safe. While I was in other countries, the State Department notified me of protests and events so I could avoid them and that only happened once. The white supremacists have disrupted life in Nashville three times this month.

“Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited about what could go right.” Anonymous

I was very pleased to the response to my bog. Many people connected with me along the way as they read each post. It was so great to hear from everyone. I am most excited however about the number of people that said that they are inspired to travel more. One friend said she had not considered a safari but would like to go on one soon. Another was hesitant to travel solo, but is scheduling a two week trip this fall, traveling by herself to northern Europe and Norway. Others have put Madagascar and Uzbekistan on their bucket lists. I have been encouraged to write a book based on my blog. On that I will keep you updated. I have no idea how to go about it but will start reaching out to people who might help. If you know any publishers, introduce me or at least suggest they read my blog. My friend Esther Lee gave me a Storyworth subscription, so at least it will become a hard copy in the near future.

“Take every chance you get in life, because some things only happen once.” – Karen Gibbs

On the mundane side things, I managed to pack the right clothes and used everything I took with me. I had planned for a temperature range of 55 to 85 but actually it got as cold as 45 and as hot as 110. The high temps, though uncomfortable, didn’t require any additional items but when it got down to the 40’s I had to purchase a knit hat and a warmer pair of gloves and then wore lots of layers – up to four at one point. If I bought new items, I had to get rid of something but I was usually glad to see it go, having worn it so many times. I did buy souvenirs, usually small momentos for me which I could stuff into tiny spaces in my suitcase. I bought more for my grandsons which I shipped home – very expensive, sometimes as much as the items themselves, or relied on the friends who met me along the way to carry them back for me. My daughter, Jane, was kind enough to see that they got to the right people. Thanks Jane, Kandi, Brad, Donna, and Nicola. I had my own little distribution system set up.

“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

Do people change when they take a trip like this? I imagine some do. I’m not sure I have. I do feel lighter, more content, quicker to laugh and smile. I am more likely to notice the clouds in the sky, the flowers along my path, and I no longer keep receipts or balance my checkbook. My friend, Katherine, has been trying to convince me to stop doing that for a few years now, but the accountant in me just couldn’t let go. Is this new found ease due to travel or age? Who’s to say. Maybe both.

“With age comes wisdom, with travel comes understanding.” – Sandra Lake

Overall, I was so grateful to have had this opportunity. I do not expect to repeat it however. A year is along time and I missed my family and friends. It has been wonderful being back and re-engaging with them. I’m so happy they didn’t forget me. Katherine, Bruce and Jane hosted a welcome home party for me and I was humbled by everyone’s presence. For me it was a very joyful event. I do plan to continue traveling however, right now just in the US but come December, Jane, Quinn, Arthur and I are headed to Italy. Maybe France or Belize early next year, hiking the Camino in the spring – who knows. I still have a long list of countries I want to see and adventures I want to take. I renewed my love of the water on this trip and hope to make snorkeling a priority when selecting countries. But first I have some things I need to take care of on the home front.

“No matter where I travel, my favorite destination is home at the end of every trip.” Anonymous

In early September, I get my right hip replaced and afterward will need a few months to recover. I am exploring my options of where to live. I am in a house I bought a few years ago as a rental, which is great as a temporary domicile, but it needs major updates. So do I tear it down and build new – the lot allows up to four units? Sell it and move to a new house and/or a different area of Nashville? I’ve considered living overseas but right now that’s on the back burner, though that could change given the right circumstances. And I’m still in catch up mode as well, from getting a new passport – although it’s only three years old, all the pages are full, and getting my airline points from some legs of my journey to finalizing the details of our trip to Italy. The days have seem to fly by since I’ve been home.

“Homecoming is a mix of nostalgia and excitement.” – Anonymous

“I’d rather have a passport full of stamps than a house full of stuff.” – Anonymous

Thank you all for following me as I made my way across this glorious globe. Please stay in touch and let me know about your travels. Who knows I might have an opportunity to join you. I hope I’ve inspired you.

“I’m a travel addict on the road to recovery. Just kidding. I’m headed to the airport.” – Anonymous