saying goodbye to the best thing we have ever done

On a couple of occasions we have said to each other, "This is the best thing I have ever done." We have both made good career decisions at different times and bought a house and all that. But packing all of that in on the gamble that this would be the magical experience that it turned out to be, is definitely at the top. We have learnt a lot about ourselves, our relationship, other cultures and seen the most incredible landscapes that we never even knew existed.

The whole experience has obviously come with pros and cons. We have learnt a lot about the things we like and the things we don't. We have compiled a short list. 

Don't Like:

• Drinking games enforced by Adam Sandler doppelgängers which force people to do embarrassing things they really don't want to. - Mexico
• Nobody understanding our Spanish. - Chile
• Car horns going off everywhere all the time. People don't seem to realise that everyone can hear your horn, not just the ass-hole that cut you off. - Everywhere
• Stray dogs. - Everywhere
• Window bars that protrude onto walking paths. Ouch. - Guatamala
• Being scammed. - Nicaragua
• Food poisoning and pain medication in the bum - Mexico and Bolivia

Do Like:

• Burning Man. Nuff said. - United States
• Watching thunder, lightening and intense rain from the safety of our third floor apartment - Mexico
• A huge plate of food for a dollar. - Peru
• Fruit and vegetable markets. - Everywhere
• Kids throwing you beer for a dollar while you float down a river in a tube. - Guatamala
• Wonderfully kind people that go out of their way to help you. - Everywhere
• Volcanoes, geysers, lagoons, lakes, rivers, mountains, valleys, beaches, rainforests, caves, salt flats, deserts, waterfalls etc. - We are proud to say that this has been our life over the past nine months. 

Whether we like an experience or don't like an experience, there has been one constant. The fact that we have each other. We have been there for one another through thick and thin. We wouldn't have had it any other way.

valparaiso, chile

Well this is our final stop. And this is the last day of our trip. Tomorrow we wake up early and fly home to Western Australia.


During our time in Valparaiso we have chosen to just chill out in the apartment we have rented over the last couple of weeks. Our calendar is looking a little crazy for our month back in Australia, and so it's been a good time for us to wind down before gearing up for the madness that awaits us at home. Valparaiso proved to be the best place for us to relax. Walls are lined with street art and there are plenty of little alleyways with cute boutiques, cafes and bars to explore. Although we did spend a fair amount of time in our apartment, every time we went into town we found something new that tickled our fancy.

santiago, chile

Time to relax
We were excited to get to Chile. Mainly because we had pinned this country as our designated stop to relax. But we are travelling and not working, why do we need time to relax? Believe it or not, while travelling is fun and exciting, we have constantly had to be on our toes for the past 8 months. We have had to find our way in a new town or city every few days. Nothing is familiar and it can sometimes be stressful just to find food. Not only that, but it's easy to feel the pressure of finding things to do that will make the most of your time in that place before moving on. So there is a lot of research, bag packing, bag carrying, buses, taxis, dirty hostels, uncomfortable beds, shared bathrooms, shared kitchens, maps, confusion and all kinds of preparation. And that's what we were excited to let go of.



We rented a modern Airbnb apartment with our own clean kitchen and comfortable bed. We decided to let go of doing all of the "Must See!" tourist destinations and "Top Ten Things to Do In X City!" lists. We decided to just live there for a week. We went to the beautiful local markets which were abundant in fresh fruit and vegetables, cooked home-made meals everyday (except for a couple of sushi parties we had on our balcony) and got into an exercise routine. Oh and we hit up a couple of wineries as well just to make it feel all the more like home.