When we finished the foreign portion of our first Big Trip last year, we had no inkling that we would be doing it again so soon. Still, we knew we’d be up for it. And, lo and behold, we did it a second time less than a year later. Version 2 was different from version 1 in several ways, the biggest being that we stayed put in one location for an extended period with our house swap.
Spending two and a half months in New Zealand was relaxing. We settled in and enjoyed the tranquility that Conway Flat offers. We had a routine that included exercise, cooking, reading and chores. While we spent a total of 13 nights away, these were short, easy trips. The remainder of our foreign travels consisted of 6 weeks, 3 in Tasmania and 3 in Malaysia, before we passed through the United States for 3 weeks on our way home.
The entire trip covered 140 nights (13 fewer than v.1), which we spent in 39 different lodgings (vs. 52) including three overnight flights (same). We took 19 flights (vs. 23). The longest was from Singapore to San Francisco, which was scheduled to take nearly 15 hours, but thanks to the Jetstream came in just over 13. We only took one train this time (to Paris). Jeff drove 6 different rental cars, one for 3 straight weeks in Tasmania, plus 3 cars borrowed from friends and family (thank you!), and he is very happy to be carless again.
During our visit to the US, we enjoyed our time with family and friends. We took very few photos, and most of them include friends’ and family's dogs: Dubs II & Lucy, Bailey, Miles, and Daisy & Piper.
We especially enjoyed the time spent with our nephews. It was great to celebrate Ari’s 15th birthday in person. He’s going to be taller than all of us.
Seeing Berkeley through the eyes of freshman Jeremy & Ethan was a kick. We wish we had photos with everyone we saw, but alas, it just didn’t happen.
We are grateful to have had a second opportunity for a big trip. Would we do it again? Yes, but not anytime soon. We were ready to be home this time. And while we have several trips planned for 2024, so far none is longer than 2 weeks.
We get many questions about how we managed to travel for months at a time. While a lot goes into the planning, we also try to be flexible. Flights and lodgings are prioritized. We never land somewhere without a place to stay. Tasmania was planned extensively in advance, which was essential for a road trip. Malaysia not so much, which worked to our advantage considering the heat and humidity. This trip we learned not to ever plan multiple flights on a birthday – it is just an invitation for disaster. Because we take our time, we tend to avoid early morning outings and also make a habit of having an hour or two in the late afternoon to ourselves before dinner. Being rested helps a lot. And try not to overpack! Those are our keys for success.
We are slowly settling into our routine. It’s taken a bit longer than expected, but we might finally be in a groove after about 10 nights.
It’s good to be home,
Shana & Jeff
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