It’s hard to believe that five years ago, we were leaving for what would become an almost 10-month trek around the world. We left with very little plans in place (and clearly way too much luggage)! I attempted to blog our way through the trip along with keeping family and friends updated through Facebook and … More 5 years ago…
Our first morning in Luang Prabang, we got up at 5 so we could participate in Tak Bat, or Morning Alms. It’s a daily tradition with Buddhist monks from the local monasteries that dates back to the 14th century. The monks leave their monasteries early in the morning and proceed through the streets, walking single file, with the oldest … More Tak Bat: Morning Alms in Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, Laos has been the sleeper hit of the trip for us! It is so incredibly charming and the people have such an innate generosity of spirit. It’s a peaceful place that was such a nice respite after the pace of Bangkok and Chiang Mai! The city center is a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s … More Lovely Luang Prabang
Queenstown is known as the Adventure Capital of the World. After staying here for a few days, I can see how that honor has been well earned. Want to get your adrenaline pumping? The options are pretty much limitless for the number of ways you can do it! There’s bungy jumping, sky diving, hang gliding, … More Queenstown – Adventure Capital of the World!
After taking the interisland ferry from Wellington to the south island of New Zealand, our first stop was Picton. We made it in on the ferry around 8pm in the evening and got a campsite at a local holiday park. We got into Picton on December 14th. In case you haven’t picked up on it … More Picton, NZ (a.k.a The place Jack got to see the highly anticipated Rogue One!)
As we headed further down the north island of New Zealand, we stopped in a town called Rotorua – also known to some as Rotovegas. Apparently, it’s a town you either love or hate with no one really being lukewarm to the place. It’s major industry is tourism and it’s known for it’s geothermal activity, featuring … More The Day We Created an Adrenaline Junkie
After our time in Russell, we started our trek south. Our only deadline was that we needed to be in Nelson, on the south island, on Dec 16th to pick up our nephew who was flying in to visit for 3 weeks, woohoo! Heading south, we stopped in Waitomo to see the Waitomo caves that are … More Glow Worms in Waitomo
Russell was the first stop on our camping adventure. Well, technically there was one night spent in a parking lot after our accident, but I’m not counting that one! After having to wait for all the police reports, etc. we weren’t able to make it as far north as we wanted, so the policemen recommended we … More Russell
So there’s the culture shock of going from a normal, everyday life where you have a job, friends and a normal daily routine to spending 24/7 with your family during an adventurous, out of the ordinary, extended stint of travel. That’s pretty extreme, right? Well now top that off by adding the element of a … More A Camping We Will Go
One of the highlights of Auckland for our family was connecting with an old friend. By “old friend”, it happened to be someone that Matt worked with almost 14 years ago (oh and I should also clarify that “old friend” doesn’t mean that she is old…they just go way back)! They hadn’t been in contact … More Kiwi Hospitality
The Detour Diary 