Because I feel the need to make one of those awesome cliche New Years posts, I bring you…
THINGS YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE’RE ENTERING A NEW ONE!
So a few statistics:
- Currently in: Monanita, Ecuador
- April 12th, first flight beginning our big trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
- 9 countries visited
- 14 straight days on a bus
- 5 planes
- 21 passport stamps
- 15 lbs lost (from Erica)
- 13,000+ miles
- Casualties: 1 point and shoot camera, 1 daypack, 2 pairs of shorts, 3 shirts, 1 pair of flipflops, 1 Flip video camera, 1 tacklebox, 2 knives, 1 hard drive
- 3 official Couchsurfing hosts
- 11 bloggers met
For 2012:
- New countries to visit in 2012: Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and for my 30th bday: Germany and The Netherlands (along with Burning Man)
- Looking forward to: Machu Picchu, Patagonia, the Amazon, MEAT and steaks
- Possibilities: Teaching in Japan, Shaun getting TEFL certified, setting up a small CSS/php business, road trip to the eastern US and working towards getting to Asia.
We’re so incredibly excited to bring in the new year and continuing our travels (sorry ‘rents and family). We’re so close to making our virtual endeavors a valid career and traveling for the rest of our lives. 😀
And now for some of our favorite memories of last year:
CHEERS!
Your stats make me feel extremely lazy in comparison.
Obviously in a totally-inspirational-I-have-to-go-to-the-Jaguar-Rescue-Center-right-now sort of way!
I can’t wait to read about your 2012 travels!
What a great year! Not sure about your itinerary but I’ll be in Buenos Aires Easter Weekend and the weekend after. I’d love to meet you both.
Eeep!!! I LOVE your 2012 schedule. Particularly if it means I get to see you in America. Or Asia. 🙂 <3
What an incredible year! And in 2012 you’re visiting some of my most favorite countries in the world, so 2012 is going to be even better haha!!! That sloth picture is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PS Congrats on losing 15 pds!
It was so great meeting up with you guys when you passed through DF. Glad to hear the trip is going well. Happy New Year and all the best in 2012! 🙂
@Sarah: lol! To be honest, I can’t believe we even DID all of this last year. Good lord we have been busy! Get on it! The Rescue Center needs peeps! <3
@Terri: Hopefully we should be in Buenos Aires that weekend! It would be so amazing to meet up with you guys for dinner. <3
@Andi: You are so amazing lady. Thank you for making us feel special. <3 Looking forward to this year and more travel (Oh God my fam is going to have a heart attack).
@Laura: We were just reminiscing about you guys the other day! We’re missing DF and hopefully we’ll be back through one day. <3 Feliz ano!
I still looooove that frog photo. It’s one of my favorites of yours of all time.
Turns out I’ll be in Ecuador in mid-May for work…too bad you guys will be long gone by then. Did you happen to hit up Manta while there?
A great 2011 and wonderful plan for 2011. Congrats guys!
A wonderful plan for 2012. Damn phone…
When and where are you going in Germany? Come visit me & Andy in Freiburg! There’s a brewery 3 blocks from our apartment 🙂
@C&C: Thank you – makes me smile knowing someone appreciates my photography! 😀 Why do you keep going to places just as we leave them? I want to hang out over a bottle or seven of wine. 😛 As for Manta, it was really only to catch another bus back to Quito. It was weird… looks like my old hometown El Paso next to the sea.
@Kim: Thank you! I am just so happy that we’re making it work. Life has never been so good to us.
@Ali: For Oktoberfest/my 30th bday! We may just have to make a pit stop there. <3
You are living your dream. I am happy as long as you are happy, healthy and safe. I miss you mija…..period. I am so grateful for the technology of the day and the ability to check on you. Love your photography. Love your spirit. Love you.
@Mom: Thank you mama! <3
I love the list and the photos! I’m looking forward to exploring the rest of the Americas after this trip ends (eventually!). We’re off soon to Bali in Indonesia, and I’m a bit nervous about SE Asia. In all of the countries we’ve visited so far, I could either speak the language or at least manage to read the signs and communicate on a very basic level (Spanish for me and French for Greg). I don’t speak or read any of the Asian languages though, so we’ll see how it goes!
Good luck on your adventures!
@Tiffany: Your trip is going to end? lol
We’ve been to Japan before but enough people spoke English to help us on our way. I can totally understand your apprehension though. SEA may be one of the things we try to tackle next. <3
Oh I loved this… so glad I could see this all unfold from the beginning. I love your casualties… I may be stealing that from you for my 1 year post… coming up soon!!! Looks like we both had an amazing 2011!!! Cheers to an even more amazing 2012!!!
EEEeee I miss y’all!!!
@Jaime: Steal away! 😀 Here is to 2012! Also, I don’t think we’re going to run into you. 🙁
Love this – also, check out your pose in the jumping photo! Tyra Banks would be proud (Erica that is, not Shaun!) Loving the Medellin street art, too. Looking forward to seeing where 2012 leads you guys 🙂
@Tom: Thank you! Although, Shaun has way more ups than me. I used to be in dance when I was younger so the pointy toe is a habit lol.
Here is to 2012! I’m hoping we are able to travel more!
Glad to see you guys still going strong. Safe travels, and all the best for the coming year.
@Jason: We would be going strong for the next few years if we had the money! 😀