Here we are, finally heading to the airport for our round the world trip, after years of planning, saving and the completion of oh so many ‘to do’ lists.  The last 2 weeks have been filled with excitement, anxiousness, farewells, lessons learned, 20-hour train rides across China and a trip to the stunning mountains of Guilin.  We will share details soon about our last weeks here but today we share why we have chosen to purge ourselves of many belongings, quit our jobs and travel the world for 13 months.

We loved living in Colorado, enjoyed our jobs and cherished the time spent with our family and friends.  We are not choosing this lifestyle because we were unhappy or needed to find purpose to our lives.   Expanding our education and minds beyond our beautiful bubble of home is why.  Travel is about the experiences we will have and the people we are going to meet.   Here are some words from another travel blog that ring true for us.

Travel is the tool, the method to the outcome. The real attraction is the personal transformation that travel has on our minds and our souls.  It causes you to be uncomfortable, to step out of the familiar and into the unknown. It compels you to see with new eyes and to consider things you had never been aware of.

Instead of repeating the same life experience every year for ten, twenty, or fifty years, travel can give us fifty life-changing encounters in one year. Travel can and will transform your life, if you let it. 

We are excited to bring you with us on our continued journey.  Thanks for following us through our challenging, short-lived and interesting adventure in China.  Boracay and Palawan are the 2 islands in the Philippines where we will spend our first 3 weeks.  Unknown to us before we booked our travel here, these islands were voted #1 and #2 for the best islands to visit in the world in this article by travel and leisure.  Guess we made the right choice for our first stop!

http://travel.yahoo.com/photos/world-s-best-islands-1374775524-slideshow/

Here is what we are left with after donating, selling and throwing away items.  Let’s hope Zane carries his own pack.  Our world is now on our backs.