We've learned a thing or two about travel over the last 6 months. We'd happily share every nitty gritty detail with you, but for now I want to give you one crowning pearl of wisdom. Our advice to the future us: once you embrace a long travel stint and officially say goodbye to your structured, planned, predictable, organized life it is a travesty to structure your route by purchasing all your tickets in advance.
One year ago I couldn't imagine (and I bet you couldn't either) that we'd love travel flexibility so much that we wouldn't know precisely where we'd be next month, next week, or even tomorrow. It is the ultimate break from our lovely life in Seattle. If fairies with wands could take us back in time, we would only buy the plane tickets for the first month, nothing more. Traveling has an organic nature. Our interest in one country, language and culture and the travel stories we swap lead us onto the next destination. Our overland journey through Turkey and the Middle East was so satisfying, so intriguing, so much more than we envisioned while sitting on our couch in Seattle. We loved seeing the subtle and sometimes striking changes as we crossed boarders to neighboring countries. Who knows where our route would have gone without plane tickets?
All of this is a preamble to our new plan. After a month of discussion and consternation and two hours of middle of the night Skype calls, we are pretty darn sure that we successfully changed our flight that was destined for Ecuador to instead land us in laid back tropical Panama.
Neither of us can recollect exactly why we bought a ticket to Ecuador and planned to travel through Peru and Bolivia. Though magical countries, Canuche has already visited them all and isn't excited to return yet. After our experience of landing in India when we weren't excited to be here, we decided to break out of the confines of our pre-purchased tickets and go where our hearts desire.
Over the next four months, starting February 26, we will make an overland journey from Panama to Austin, Texas, stopping in all the tantalizing countries between. We have dreams of Central America dancing in our head; language courses, salsa dancing, salsa eating, hiking, swimming in Caribbean waters, diving, kayaking, surfing. We're giddy over the decision.
Hopefully this new route will coax some of you out for a visit. We know only two dates about our route, we will be in Cabo San Lucas for Canuche's step-brother's wedding on June 7 and we'll get to Austin by July 1. Other than that, we've got an open slate. If you come visit, you'll help us plan another segment. We'd love your advice if you've traveled in this neck of the world or know someone who has, we'd love ideas, recommendations and stories. Your help has been great at kick starting our India experience. Cheers to roller coasters and adventures.
Dates we know: Feb 15 fly Mumbai to London, Feb 20 fly to NY, Feb 26 fly to Panama City, June 7 celebrate in Cabo San Lucas, July 1 roll into Austin.
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