Around the World in 717 Days

CHANDLER, ARIZONA – When we left the United States in November of 2011 we were in search of an adventure. We didn’t intend on traveling for any finite period of time. There was no big list of countries that we planned to visit, and we definitely didn’t intend to circumnavigate the world. Every day we made decisions regarding which direction to head or where to spend the next week or month and every day we were surprised by what laid around the corner. The constant discovery and unending challenges and lessons are what made our trip worth continuing. Combined, they are why our journey lasted much longer than either of us (or our family and friends, for that matter) imagined.

Starting with Latin America, we traveled by land between Mexico and Read the rest of this entry »

Snapshot Series: Food Around the Globe

Yes, we need it to survive, but food is also something we live for, searching out specific cuisines and culinary experiences. When traveling food is also a tool for getting to know a country. It is a method to connect with local people. Food is even a source for gaining insights into cultures and their histories. While we may not remember every detail of every meal there are many that stand out; we can easily recollect where we were, who we dined with, the scents whirling around us and even who prepared it and served it to us. Food has a power over us. We travel for the food.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cevapi

Grilled minced beef served with cabbage salad and somun (a spongy flat pocked bread) Read the rest of this entry »

From Munich to Krakow (With Love)

KRAKOW, POLAND – We’ve completed our journey from Munich to Krakow in 21 days, stopping in several interesting locations as we crossed approximately 600 miles by land. In addition to the Snapshot Series posts that we’ve already written on each location that we visited, we’re writing this more complete summary covering a few additional details and stories that we didn’t have time to do while we were on the road. 

Though before our trip we might have referred to this part of the world as Read the rest of this entry »

Snapshot Series: The Beskid Mountains, Czech Republic

BESKID MOUNTAINS, CZECH REPUBLIC – During our visit to Ostrava we spent three days at the nearby Beskid Mountains with Radim and his family. We passed our days sledding, hiking through the snow, drinking delicious Czech beer and visiting Pustevny, a nearby ski resort. Our evenings were spent at Radim’s parents cabin, high on a snowy hill outside of Morávka, playing games near the fireplace and watching the snow blow around in the wind.

Scroll down for photos of our more than perfect long weekend in this Czech winter wonderland.

A statue high atop the mountains depicting Radegast, the western Read the rest of this entry »

Snapshot Series: Ostrava, Czech Republic

OSTRAVA, CZECH REPUBLIC – We’ve just visited Theresa’s Czech Brother, Radim, and his family in Ostrava, an industrial town in eastern Czech Republic located very near Poland to the east and Slovakia to the south.

Like Thorsten before him, Radim was a foreign exchange student that lived with Theresa’s family in Illinois, attending the local high school and acting as a member of her family for a year. He’s now married with two children and has become a salesperson for an international steel company. See more photos of he and his family in our upcoming post from the Beskids Mountains.

The photos of Ostrava tell the story of some of the industry that the Czech Republic was built upon. Though Ostrava doesn’t have much of the old world beauty of other European cities, like Prague or Munich, its unique, gritty history has its own charm.

Scroll on for photos of Ostrava’s industrial sites and historic city center.  

Ostrava’s central Square and Christmas markets. That afternoon we saw Read the rest of this entry »

Snapshot Series: Olomouc, Czech Republic

OLOMOUC, CZECH REPUBLIC – As we traveled east from Prague we made a one-night stopover in Olomouc, a quaint university town in Moravia.

Read on for our Snapshot Post from this overnight visit.

Immediately upon entering the central square we spotted a pair of Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs being Read the rest of this entry »