What started as a ‘Round the World’ adventure, turned into a life changing adventure…
In January of 2011, when I decided to spend time in 10 different countries and wanted to “soak up” different cultures as quickly as possible, food seemed like the best answer. Usually my stomach leads me in that direction, but surprisingly my head thought of this one on its own.
From my experience, how people come together over the table parallels their cultures. And it’s a unique way to see the world through somebody else’s eyes.
My goal was to spend as much time as possible with host families in their homes rather than in hotels and restaurants. And I was welcomed in each country by the most amazing hosts from the Kramer family in South Africa to new-old-friends like Alex in Greece, to kindred spirits like Sarra in Tunisia. They opened their homes and hearts to me and showed me the beauty of their corners of the world.
My itinerary led me to the most extraordinary experiences of my life…
- Seattle, WA, USA
- Toronto, Canada (Only a layover but I’ll walk around the city)
- Santiago, Chile
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Johannesburg, South Africa
- Athens, Greece
- Tunis, Tunisia (Added pitstop! New ticket booked roundtrip from Athens)
- Barcelona, Spain (Added pitstop! New ticket booked roundtrip from Athens)
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Singapore
- Beijing, China
- Seattle, WA, USA (Home, sweet home!)
And two days before I left location #9, I did the cliché
thing that a 20-something single girl traveling by herself would do…I met a
boy. And that changed everything. After finishing my “world tour” as I fondly
refer to it now – as if I’m some sort of celebratory performer (I can hear the
roaring laughter now) – I returned home to Seattle with a full heart and a
contentment that comes from following your dreams.
After much debate over my next career move, life goals, and
this new, shiny, objection of my affection living on the other side of the
planet…I did what any mildly insane love-struck girl would do. I picked up my life in Seattle and moved to
Tel Aviv.
Life is full of surprises and this was a turn of events I
definitely wasn't expecting. But as a
true believer in following your heart and letting your head “figure it out”…I
once again chose (what was to me) the more adventurous path.
It turns out that my head had no idea how to catch up with
my heart and my visa allowance was even further behind. After ups and downs and another checked box
on my bucket list (live in a foreign country for at least 6 months) I settled
back in Seattle ready to take on the next adventure. A dream job as Jauntaroo's Chief World Explorer? Another Round The World
adventure? A new business? Who knows…
And thus my blog has turned from a story about a girl
wandering the world on a defined timeline, to an account of a girl wandering
through life. And eating anything that
crosses her path.
I've thrown caution to the wind, accepted the uncertainties
of life, packed my goals and dreams, and carry my hope in hand. This blog is a mirror of my life – one that I
wasn't prepared for, but one that I will live and learn by. Lastly, but not least, I invite you to share
with me as I dive deep into the unknown…
