Surprise…we’re home! Though this may not be a huge surprise to anyone reading our posts. We have spent the last two weeks processing and reflecting on our experience as well as enjoying every moment with our friends and family. It’s been incredible, exciting, and slightly odd to be back in New England after such a long time. We’ve been asked many times “is it weird to be home?” The answer is both yes and no.

February 2019 vs May 2019:It’s weird to think that our bodies were on the other side of this planet, navigating unfamiliar cities, surrounded by strangers. It’s also weird to think that four months can go by quickly and slowly all at the same time. And yes, it’s weird that we planned so long for this trip and now we can officially say we have been to New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia! But at the end of the day, the answer is no, it’s not weird at all to be home, it’s actually fantastic.

Taylor and her mom’s first hug in four months:Tristan sharing stories with his mom:We are grateful to have had this adventure and are incredibly proud of ourselves for accomplishing our goal. We met people from all over the world. We had dinner with strangers. We tried new foods that were delicious. We tried new foods that were questionable. We challenged ourselves with new experiences. We tried new activities outside our comfort zone. We hiked, biked, kayaked, swam, climbed, walked, ran, drove, flew, ate, drank, talked, laughed, cried, and found ourselves speechless for reasons both good and bad. There were many things we liked and many things we didn’t like.

These past few months were truly a whirlwind and may have left us scratching our heads at times. But if there’s one thing we learned from this journey, it’s that we love being home. It’s the place we know and love. It’s where our people are. And although we didn’t necessarily come back with clarity of what jobs we want to do, we have clarity for the place we want to be and the people we want to surround ourselves with.

Tristan enjoying a walk with good friend, Otis:Taylor hanging with some of her besties, Amanda and Michael:Reunited with some of our favorite college friends:We can spend the night on a tiny sailboat, floating off the coast of Australia with other travelers from across the world but it will never top having a board game night with our closest friends. We can have cocktails at a fancy rooftop bar in Singapore but it will never beat sitting on the porch, drinking Moscow mules at Taylor’s childhood home in New Hampshire. We can climb the tallest mountain in Thailand, overlooking hundreds of miles, but it will never top after-dinner walks on Thanksgiving with Tristan’s family in Maine.

We have come to realize that we can travel anywhere in the world, to different countries, different time zones, and different climates, but it will never compare to what we have at home. And in the end we find ourselves experiencing all the familiarity of home with a new appreciation for the beauty, for the community, and for the place we call ours. It’s good to be back.Lastly, thank YOU for your support and for following our adventure. We appreciate every single one of you!

Until next time!

Love T&T