Before I move on entirely from the around-the-world trip we had recently finished, I should quickly recognize and recommend a couple of websites that truly made our trip affordable and unique.
http://www.couchsurfing.org/ - I've talked about this one many times, but cannot speak highly enough of the efforts this site is making to improve the world!! Millions of strangers from all reaches of the planet readily available to host, teach, learn from and come to understand each other along your way. Dozens of life-long friends met through this site already!
http://www.hostelworld.com/ - the ONLY place to find and choose a place to stay when moving from place to place. Customer ratings, opinions and advice, pricing and maps; this site will make sure you end up in the right location for the right price no matter what your specifications may be.
With the ease and ready availability of the internet these days, this type of travel is EASY to do, and as safe and affordable as ever! There is really no reason that anyone in my generation or younger should reach old age without ever having a passport!!
We flew out from Madrid and made way for the US for the first time as a couple. Officially, the USA was our 12th country that we would explore together, but at that moment, we wanted nothing more than to just relax and get to know eachothers' families.
Within only a week of being home, we had fully realized that our finances just weren't enough to get us through the summer with enough left over to set up shop in Australia like we had originally planned. After six months of unemployed roaming the world, we could eaisly see that our best (only??) option would be to plan for another year in Korea. We still had the open-door invite from our schools and all of our good friends there. The next time, the idea will be that we can relax a bit more and really get serious about paying off some of the mountain of debt that our lifestyles have led us to build over the last decade. The new plan is for Korea part II to take place in early September! We are both very excited to see our students and friends again and re-join the Daejeon Pandemic as we make our bid for 3-peat champions of the Daegu Ultimate Frisbee League!
First things first though; let's get caught up on some of the haps of our two months in Dixieland! Mama and Papa Jones spent two months spoiling us rotten. We went out to eat or BBQ'd 5 to 6 times a week, we took the 35-foot family RV out for extended 'camping' trips on two occasions and routinely launched the over-sized pontoon on the area lakes!
Food is a MAJOR part of the culture down there and we wasted no time getting acquainted with the staples; BBQ sauce, sweet tea and banana pudding!
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| Right away when we landed, Papa Jones began his BBQ's of Birmingham tour for Sarah and I. Pictured here at 'Dreamland' in downtown. |
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| My in-laws to be: the Jones Crew on their family pontoon here in Lake Guntersville, AL. Left to right; Mom, Dad, Katelyn, Jessica and Sarah. |
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| We put in 50 miles on the Chief Ladiga and Silver Comet state trails of Alabama and Georgia. Both trails are old abandoned railways converted into scenic (and flat) biking trails. |
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| We were unimpressed by the most recent 'Pirates' movie, but a drive-in movie date with the convertible could just never be spoiled! |
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| Finally off to the sunny beaches of Cape San Blas, Florida. Here is the bus-like RV that we got to call home for the week! |
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| Bocce Ball on the beach with Sarah and Mama Jones in the background soaking in the sun. |
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| Sarah and I discussing wedding plans while watching our 5th and final sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. |
At the beginning of June we borrowed a car from the family and headed out on the road to meet up with our old friend from Daejeon, Mr. Capt. Redbush Jr! The captain was in town for a friend's wedding and told us that as long as his parents' house hadn't sold, that we'd have a place to stay just outside of Atlanta. He gave us an address and we followed the GPS to his doorstep. What we didn't realize is that we would basically have a gorgeous 7 bedroom house to ourselves!
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| Six Flags over Georgia with Dan. Thanks for the hospitality Capt. Redbush Jr!! |
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| Canoe'ing the famed Chatahoochie River just north of Atlanta with our buddy Dan. |
While in Georgia, we took advantage and headed south to visit my cousin Katie 'Suze' Gorski in Valdosta. Suzie was feeling the discomforts of being 8+ months pregnant but still was gracious enough to host us like a pro! We had a blast playing with her 2 1/2 year old daughter, Kylie and catching up with my cousin, aunt and uncle. Unfortunately, our time there got cut short when we had to head out of town to fix a problem caused by me losing our only car key for the vehicle we borrowed from Sarah's family. Doh!!
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| Sarah and my little 'niece' Kylie Marie Gorski having a tea-party with guest of honor, Mickey Mouse! |
After 2 months had suddenly passed in the South, it was time to go home for the first time in just more than a full year year! I had met a thousand people since the last time I had seen my parents and been a hundred places since the last time I'd stepped foot in my home state of Minnesota. It was time.
"Tomorrow, we enter the town of my birth;
I want to be ready."
-Jim Morrison
