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: Munich, Germany

MUNICH, GERMANY – We are departing Germany this evening, en route to Prague to begin our 2.5 week trip through the Czech Republic to Krakow, Poland. Since we will be traveling rather quickly and spending only a few days in each location, we’ve decided to create a series of posts we’re entitling our Snapshot Series. These posts will consist of some of our favorite photographs from each location with short descriptions; a sort of photo journal. We hope you enjoy our first instillation: Munich, Germany!

The Neues Rathaus. Read the rest of this entry »

Life on a German Alpaca Farm

BAD MÜNSTER AM STEIN, GERMANY – We met Sibylle (or “Billie,” as we came to know her by) and learned about her alpaca farm through WorkAway. Immediately we were drawn to visit her in the beautiful rolling hills not far from the Rhine River. She invited us to help out for a few weeks and to learn about the funny creatures, part of the camelid family, that we came to adore during our visit.

The land and 400-year-old farmhouse actually have two owners, and so Read the rest of this entry »

Germany’s Rhine River Valley

BONN, GERMANY –  Theresa’s family began hosting foreign exchange students in the early 1990s, and due to the wild success and genuine fun the Stachowiaks experienced they ended up hosting six students in total over the following years. Besides attending the local high school and participating in various sports and clubs, each exchange student integrated with the family, participating in daily chores, holiday celebrations and family vacations. And so, after departing from Amsterdam we headed to Bonn, Germany to see Theresa’s German brother, Thorsten. Now a successful physician, Thorsten is completing the final year of his dermatology specialization. He hosted us at his home during our visit, sharing his recent past and exploring the Rhine river valley with us.

During Thorsten’s workdays, while he was busy seeing patients at the hospital we began getting to know Read the rest of this entry »