We’ve learned a lot while traveling. We have seen and experienced so much that it’s hard to process everything, but here are some of the things that we think that we will stick with us….
- How to sleep in our clothes.
- How to ride an elephant.
- How to make Tibetan and Thai food.
- Things are never quite what we expect, but are always interesting in their own way and we are frequently surprised.
- Potato chips come in many weird flavours in other parts of the world, for example seaweed, tomato sauce, buttered corn, masala, ham and cheese.
- There is virtually no limit to the number of times one’s sandals can be repaired.
- A family of five and their dog can ride on a single motor scooter.
- Being a foreigner is sometimes an advantage, but never in the pocketbook.
- You can never have too much toilet paper or mosquito repellant.
- We can live much more simply than we do. We have way too much stuff.
- We are extremely fortunate to have been born and to live in Canada.
- When we work together, we’re a very strong team.
- Our comfort zone expands quickly to adapt to our environment.
- We can say ‘no’ to people in desperate need, but we often feel guilty afterwards.
- Domestic animals have a really poor life in the third world.
- In the third world, a soft mattress is hard to find.
- It’s significantly more expensive to travel in Africa than in India. South East Asia costs a bit more than India.
- Traveling in Africa was the most difficult, followed by India and Egypt which are about the same in difficulty. By comparison, it is relatively easy to travel in Jordan, Nepal, and South East Asia.
- Eat where and what the locals eat. Street food is much cheaper and often better.
- Traveling is better than working.
- Everyone speaks more languages than Canadians do.
- Local transportation is always cheaper if you walk away from the bus or train station or the tourist attraction first.
- Not all 3-wheelers are created equal. There are many varieties and configurations in Asia. The tuk-tuks in Thailand, with front shocks and rear springs, are deluxe compared to those in India.
- Traveling light is the only way to go. Sometimes even a small pack seems like too much.
- Taking with a small notebook computer was a great idea.
- Television is a brain sucking device. When we have it, we watch it. When we don’t have it, we don’t miss it. Perhaps we’re addicted, because despite this, we’re nowhere near ready to give it up.
- White people want to be darker and dark people want to be whiter.
- Sunscreen is expensive everywhere because only white people and wealthy Asians use it.
- Seeing sights is a bit like collecting things. Having experiences and developing relationships is much more rewarding.
- Life is short. We are all dying. Time is our most precious commodity. We should therefore spend our time doing things we are passionate about.
- We don’t own our possessions. We are just their custodians for a period of time.
- Worry is an energy drain. If we can fix something, there is no need to worry about it. If we can’t fix it, there is also no need to worry.
- Life is lived on the edge. Calculated risk taking and actively pursuing our fears is where we live our richest lives.
- We can be together 24×7 for a very long time and still want to be together.
- We really love and appreciate our family and friends. We have a lot of people who love us.