Watching flamingoes preparing to take flight – shaking out and extending their vibrant, hot pink wings while their flimsy, stick legs readjust clumsily underneath them – on a massive ‘red’ salt lagoon at nearly 5,000 meters above sea level in Bolivia.
Gradually learning to trust your partner with your life on a motorbike while winding along the highway on an 8-hour joy ride from Hue to Hoi An, Vietnam.
Scrambling over scree, snow, and ice, bracing ourselves for crazy Patagonian winds that luckily never came, as we reached the John Gardner Pass at the highest point of the “O” trek through Torres del Paine National Park in Chile – and the largest, most stunning glacier we’d ever laid eyes on came into view.
Taking in sunrise shades of red, pink, orange, and yellow sweeping over the massive, mind-blowing Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Slurping the complex, sweet, milky goodness that is chendol in an alley in one of the food capitals of the world: Penang, Malaysia.
Exploring some of the most breathtaking alpine environments on tired feet on the 9-day trek on the historic, beautiful, challenging Alta Via 1 Trail through the Dolomites in Italy.
Witnessing the unthinkable beauty of the rarest forms of orchids in the world at the famed Singapore Botanic Gardens.
Achieving a new level of adrenaline rush (and giving myself an ear infection) learning how to surf in the middle of a bay from two of the best surfer dudes ever in Kuta, Lombok, Indonesia.
Feeling surer than ever that women should run the world as I watched a Moroccan woman share her face paint with, and paint an Iranian flag on the cheek of, an Iranian woman she had just met in a bathroom of the St. Petersburg stadium minutes before the kick-off of the (otherwise uneventful) Iran v. Morocco World Cup match.
Unlocking a new level of zen over two days on a slow boat winding down the Mekong River in Laos to reach Luang Prabang.
Indulging in the gooey, glazed, sugary Buenos Aires breakfast ritual of medialunas and cortados surrounded by lovely old locals reading the newspaper.
Turning a trek into a mudslide, literally, while navigating the most ridiculous two-day jungle trek through a non-existent mud and bamboo leaf-covered trail in northern Thailand.
Celebrating some deserving and dear friends’ amazing weddings in Moscow, Cleveland, and Adare, Ireland.
Voting in and volunteering for the Midterms, celebrating special people’s 1st and 30th birthdays, and crying while getting to witness the incredible artistry and perfection that Hamilton is live on stage back in the states.
Needless to say, 2018 was pretty unforgettable.
It was a year of firsts. A year of changes. A year of professional and personal risks. A year of exploration and growth. A year of scary decisions and uncertainty. A year of flights, boats, motorbikes, questionable bus rides, and remarkable treks. A year of incredible adventures.
In June, we put all of our belongings into a storage unit (well, technically two storage units on the same floor of a U-Haul facility since all of our crap didn’t fit in one). I left Global Fund for Women after almost five years where I got to work with some remarkable, inspiring people (mostly women – duh) every day, and had the chance to help tell the stories and amplify the voices of some of the most badass women and girl change makers around the world. A scary decision that I constantly questioned while contemplating it, but can now look back on knowing it was one of the best personal and professional decisions I’ve made.
And a couple of days later, with my Gregory 70-liter pack strapped to my back brimming with clothing, black-tie garb, and hiking gear, we boarded a flight to Moscow with plans to travel for three months. Three months quickly became four-and-a-half. Then a couple of weeks after being back stateside in late Fall, we decided to tack on another six week stretch to push us to the end of the year.
And here we are, 13 countries and seven months later.
I feel like I’ve learned more over the past seven months on this journey than I did in the last eight years working. I like to believe I’ve grown and matured. I met some of the most incredible, kind, resilient people who have experienced things I’ll never be able to wrap my head around. I’ve encountered adventurous, fearless travelers of all ages from around the world who are so inspiring and have ignited new travel dreams for us (like traveling through Mongolia). I’ve learned the power of communicating with smiles and kindness to try and get around a language barrier. I’ve eaten some of the most flavorful, most delicious food I’ve ever had. I’ve had more instant coffee than I ever care to again. I’ve probably had about 60 bouts of stomach issues on the food poisoning spectrum. I’ve learned to really love disconnecting completely from wi-fi, email, social media, and the news, especially. I’ve seen some of the most beautiful art and architecture, some of the most remarkable natural wonders of the world, explored some incredible historical towns and temples and ruins. I’ve witnessed the aftermath of some of the disgusting destruction and unthinkable acts humans are capable of inflicting on one another.
All of this is to say that 2018 was a truly remarkable year and as we turn to 2019, I’m left feeling endlessly grateful and lucky to have had so many amazing experiences. I’m thankful for my family and friends and colleagues who have been encouraging and supportive. I’m excited to share more about our travels if I ever finish unpacking or uploading photos. I love writing and sharing here on this little blog, so thank you for reading it!
As 2019 kicks off, I’m trying to carry forward many of the lessons I’ve learned from people around the world, experiences, street food, challenges, museum audio guides, books, and my dope ass partner over the better half of the last year into the life and future I’m building now. (Please help hold me accountable!)
So let’s do this, 2019! Happy new year.
Anna Logs It 