Fountain in Gubbio, Umbria, Italy

Traveling around Umbria, Italy was a pleasant surprise. With places like Rome and Tuscany getting most of the attention, it’s easy to overlook many of Italy’s other regions. I stayed in Gubbio, a small town to the northeast of Perugia. Known for its stone architecture throughout the town and its Corsa dei Ceri festival in May, it was the kind of place I could imagine myself hanging out for a few days while traveling in Italy. During our walk around town, this small fountain caught my eye and I loved it’s position against the old, tall building behind it. I caught a few angles but this photo was my choice for this week’s Suh-Weet Shot.

Note: My tour was provided courtesy of the tourism board of Umbria.

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Fountain in Gubbio, Italy is a post from: career break secrets: Travel video guides and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

At Everest Base Camp in Tibet, China. Courtesy TrekkingthePlanet.net

In this week’s ¨Who’s Out There Now¨ feature, we bring to you Darren and Sandy, who as their site’s name implies, are out Trekking the Planet. They are, in many ways, world traveler veterans having already taken a break to take their kids around the world in 2003. This time around, they’re focused on helping school kids learn more about geography.  I knew a bit about their journey, but prepping these questions gave me a chance to dig in deep. They are traveling to 50 countries on 6 continents over their 14-month journey. Check out their site – lots of photos, stories and videos to enjoy, even if you’re not a school kid!

1. So, where in the world are you answering these questions?

We are currently in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in Central Asia (just north of Afghanistan in fact).  We have been on the road since the end of January, so almost five months now.

2. So, you’re out traveling around the world encouraging schools to integrate your adventures into their curriculum. What drove you to want to undertake this project?

We took our daughters around the world in 2003 for 4 ½ months when they were 10 and 12 years old. We actually took them out of school for a semester and home schooled them on the road.  We saw what an impression a trip like this made on them and also on their classmates back home (We were sending emails to their teachers each week which we later found were being read to the entire school!). When we decided to take this trip nine years later, we came across the results of a National Geographic study which found that 29% of 18-24 year olds couldn’t find the Pacific Ocean on an unlabeled map.  This statistic challenged us to get as many students as possible to follow along so that they could learn more about the world through our travels (We currently have 850 classrooms from 20 countries, representing 50,000 students following our expedition over the Internet.).

Sandy giving a lesson at a school in Northern Laos. Courtesy TrekkingthePlanet.net

3. How are the kids responding to your travels? What are some of the best/funniest/oddest questions you’ve been asked by them?

Here’s a question we got from the 4th and 5th graders at Byrd Elementary School on a navy base in Negishi, Japan.

Questions:

We were wondering if you packed mosquito nets or mosquito repellant. Also, did you pack any sort of tools, such as a Swiss Army knife? Do you have any sort of item to help you learn the local’s language? Is your backpack heavy with your laptop inside? What do you put in your daypack? We are VERY curious!  (One of the students is from Germany and recommends bringing climbing gear because there are lots of pretty mountains.

Answers:

Hi – great to hear from your classroom! We have both mosquito nets that you can wear over your face and repellant. We have two Swiss Army knives that come in very handy. We have a fold-out card that contains a set of pictures that we can use to communicate if need be. We carry our laptops in our daypacks and they can get heavy. Let us know if you have any other questions! Thanks for the suggestion about Germany!

4. You’ve done a big trip before. How was the planning and preparation different this time than the first time?

For the 4 ½ month trip in 2003, we planned about half of it and left half of it open. For this journey, because we are releasing educational materials each week, we needed to have a fairly precise itinerary. So we planned and booked the first 11 months of the trip before we left home. This meant that we had to make hotel / transportation arrangements for that time before we left.  We were able to split this work up between the two of us, so that helped. We are taking 12 overnight hikes or treks to remote places around the world as part of this trip, so had to spend time researching that and integrating it into our schedule.  That said, the last three months (South America) are in the planning stages right now because it was too far out to book before we left.

Hiking in Kyrgyzstan. Courtesy TrekkingthePlanet.net

5. A lot of people who want to take a career break worry about reentry and becoming employed again. Can you talk a little about your experience after your 2003 trip? What tips and tricks did you learn about talking about your career break to a potential employer?

In 2003, we operated under the assumption that we would have to quit our jobs since we would be gone for 4 ½ months.  So we saved money not only for the trip but to live some time afterwards. Exactly one month before we were scheduled to leave, we each went into our manager’s offices with resignation letters. When we explained why we would be leaving, both our managers said that they would rather us not quit but take a “leave of absence”, which we readily agreed to do. We think by going in with the worst case scenario and being confident about it helped our case.  In the end, we were able to take the leave and come right back to our jobs.  Everyone was super supportive.  Many people from work were following our trip through our emails!

6. Career break, nomadic adventure, backpacking, how do you characterize your trips?

Trekking adventure!  We are always on the lookout for the unusual, off-the-beaten-track experiences.  In this case, we have purposefully selected destinations and treks that are remote so that we can learn and share about these parts of the world.

Hiking in Tasmania, Australia. Courtesy TrekkingthePlanet.net

7. What are some of the secrets to travel that you’ve discovered that you think more people who aren’t traveling should know?

On our first trip with our kids in 2003, we discovered a mode of travel that we now call the Holiday Inn model. This name came to us at a Holiday Inn in Dar Es Salam (Tanzania).  We arrived there after a long stretch of living in hostels and picking up meals at the market.  Though it was only a Holiday Inn, we found it very nice.  It was a high rise with air conditioning (that worked) and a nice bathroom (that we didn’t need to share).  Breakfast was included — the food was great and it was served outside near a garden!  After a few days there, we felt recharged and ready to return to lower-cost accommodations.  Alternating between nice places and lower-cost ones is a sustainable way to travel and save money.

Another story: In 2009, we visited New Zealand (If you haven’t been there, you should go.  The place is packed with wonderful things to see and experience.) . Anyway, we only had two weeks and felt the need to see everything while we were there.  We started in Auckland (in the north) and ended up in Queenstown (in the south).  We stayed in a different place every night and completed two treks there – Abel Tasman and Milford.  We came home more exhausted than when we left.  Since that time, we have learned that pace and balance are important, no matter how long the trip. We can’t be on the go every minute of every day.  Now we build in down time and try not to go too fast even when we are taking a short trip.

8. What was your first ¨We’re not in Kansas anymore¨ moment on this trip?

We had wanted to go to Nepal for years.  So, when we planned this trip, we made sure that we included it in our itinerary.  We selected a remote area called “Mustang” and booked a 12-day trek there.  Mustang is former kingdom.  It has only been open to foreigners since 1991.  Most of the people there practice Tibetan Buddhism.  Though things are changing there, they are changing slowly.  We spent each day, visiting monasteries and witnessing the daily life of the people there.  In our video for the week, we used the term “living history” – I mean, they still make some of their own clothes, carry loads on their back and travel on horseback.  The scenery there was “otherworldly” too – dry and desolate like the moon with 7,000 meter snowy peaks in the distance.

9. What’s been your most ¨local¨ experience so far?

In Laos, we took a trek in the northern providence of Phongsali in which we spent the night in a hill tribe village.  We stayed in the home of the chief and were able to observe authentic village life.  The next morning we were able to speak to the local school (through an interpreter) about our journey, which was a great thrill!

Hiking in the Mustang Region of Nepal. Courtesy TrekkingthePlanet.net

10. What has been your most embarrassing moment?

We had a stretch about two weeks ago where we had a 48-hour stretch in which we took a 25-hour overnight train trip, followed by two flights, with an overnight between them, in order for us to get from Tibet to Kyrgyzstan.  Just before the second flight and after only 3 ½ hours of sleep, we were craving coffee.  We found a place at the Urumqi, China airport with some of the best coffee we had had in months but when we got the bill we were shocked to see that two cups of coffee cost us the equivalent of about $27!  Normally, we would have done more due diligence on the cost before we sat down but two days of nonstop travel does that to you sometimes!

11. What’s your secret for getting the most out of your journey?

We have come up with a concept of staying “close to the ground”.  Instead of flying everywhere, we try to use local public transportation whenever we can.  Sometimes it’s a bus, but other times it is a public ferry or train.  We have met so many local people this way and almost always come away with a memorable experience.  Once on a train in Central China, we were “adopted” by a Chinese family.  The patriarch offered us some of the food they had brought for the journey (it was a barbequed duck and really good). We had a laminated map of China which we showed them.  Over the next few hours, this map “made the rounds” through the entire train car.  Our fellow passengers were so curious to see a map of their country with all of the names in English instead of Chinese.

12. Finally, our lightening round.

• Best dish you’ve found so far: Anything Thai.  The food in Thailand was amazing, especially the mango with sticky rice at the Chiang Mai night market.
• Most exotic food eaten: Fermented horse milk in Kyrgyzstan. We were invited into a nomad’s yurt for a taste. Not the best thing we ever drank but great to meet the family and understand their way of life.
• Most breathtaking moment: Our first trek was the Overland Track in Tasmania, Australia. It was 50 miles of incredible scenery, ranging from alpine terrain to rainforests.
• Biggest disappointment: We were saddened to see so much development in northern Laos, which we thought would be more untouched.
• Most memorable place: Tibet was amazing! From seeing Mount Everest to visiting the monasteries, we had a real immersion into the culture and natural beauty there.
• Most memorable person: Having tea with Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista, the former king of the Mustang kingdom in Nepal.
• Best thing to have on a long bus ride: Newly purchased music!  Music can really help on long, uncomfortable rides. We both have downloaded the Kindle app on our phones as well so that we can buy books from time to time.
• Worst thing to have on a long bus ride: Unpaved roads – we have certainly have had our share of that in multiple countries!
• Best thing you packed: Our smart phones. Darren has an unlocked Android and gets local SIM cards in each country. Sandy has an AT&T iPhone with an International Data Plan.  Between the two of us, we can always get a signal!
• Dumbest thing you packed: Reusable water bottles.  We were hoping to fill up and not have to purchase so much bottled water but that has not worked so far in Asia.
• Funniest travel habit the other has: We are the opposites when it comes to neatness.  Sandy has her luggage neatly organized and keeps it that way, even in the hotel room. Darren lets his stuff spread out and then makes a mad dash to put it all back together when it is time to move on to the next place.
• Place you wish you could’ve stayed longer: We both loved Singapore and felt that we had “just scratched the surface” in the three days that we were there.

You can follow Darren and Sandy online at TrekkingthePlanet.net on Facebook and on Twitter @TrekkingPlanet.

Every week, Career Break Secrets profiles a different traveler or traveling couple who are embracing the ¨Because Life Is Out There ^TM¨ travel spirit.  These are people who have taken the plunge to embark on a career break and are currently traveling the world.  

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Time to tango? Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

This clock tower has an interesting history in Buenos Aires. It sits opposite the Malvinas War Memorial, commemorating the Falklands War against the British in the 1980s. Before the war, it was known as the Tower of the English. But, when war broke out, its name was changed to Torre Monumental, or Monument Tower, despite the fact that it was a gift from the local English community to the city in 1910 celebrating Argentina’s independence from Spain. But, politics is a full contact sport as you’ll discover while traveling in Argentina.  I like this shot because it captures the flag that actually flies on the grounds of the Malvinas War Memorial. Enjoy this week’s Suh-Weet shot from Buenos Aires.

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At Base Camp, Mount Everest. Copyright Global-Encounter.com

In this week’s ¨Who’s Out There Now¨ feature, we bring to you Toby and David, who runs the travel site, Global-Encounter. After meeting on Twitter, I had these guys join us for the 2011 Austin Meet Plan Go event, and they were a hit. The next day I had the honor having coffee and pancakes with them. One’s an IT VP and the other is a Director of a kids summer camp. Together they are pushing the boundaries of what a career break can be. They are mixing travel and volunteering with hundreds of kids around the world, helping to educate a new generation about what the world is like. Check them out!

1. So, where in the world are you answering these questions?

We’re in Bangkok, Thailand at the moment and will be heading to Nepal April 17.

2. You guys got the year off to a good start by hitting the road immediately to New Zealand. Do you feel cheated that by crossing the date line, you lost a day right off the bat?

Initially we definitely did! Our plane took off on December 31st and didn’t land until January 2nd, and spending New Year’s in the air with Fiji’s national airline was an experience. But after thinking it through further, we realized that we would slowly gain that lost day back one hour at a time as we headed westward. So it all works out in the end!

Hiking the Milford Track in New Zealand. Copyright Global-Encounter.com

3. Tell me more about your educational program and how you connect with the kids.

We call it the Global Encounter Experience, and right now there are more than 1,500 elementary kids following us from the States. Before we left, we put together a workbook that follows our itinerary; each of the 26 countries we’re planning to visit was given four pages of fun activities and questions, and we also have a special website that allows the kids to interact with us as we travel. Additionally, we have integrated an international treasure hunt as a part of the experience, requiring students to help solve clues and riddles that not only teach them about other countries but help us find the “Lost Treasure of Siam.” We’ve now had three live broadcasts and tons of positive feedback from the teachers involved.

4. What’s the funniest question you’ve received from the kids so far?

Before we left on the trip, we visited several of the elementary schools that were gong to be involved to meet the kids and get them excited about the journey. One little guy in sixth grade asked us with a perfectly straight face, “If you’re traveling for so long with only each other, what do you do when you get tired of the other person?” We had to laugh at the reality of such a question, and although traveling hasn’t been with out its occasional stresses, there have been no falling-outs so far.

Hiking Around New Zealand. Copyright Global-Encounter.com

5. You’ve been vlogging (video blogging) instead of writing about your adventure.

Yes, early on we agreed that video blogging would be a fun challenge for the trip. We’ve tried the blogging thing, but we really wanted people to feel like they were along on the journey with us from back home. It’s posed some interesting difficulties, like trying to find reliable internet for uploads, editing video on the go, and trying to keep up with a fair bit of equipment. But so far so good! We’re more than three months in, and now there’s more than 30 videos up on our site.

6. Career break, nomadic adventure, backpacking, how do you characterize your trips?

All of the above and more. Variety has been key to keeping the trip interesting–some legs of the trip we’ve focused on trekking (New Zealand, China, and next Nepal), others we’ve spent time on beaches (Australia, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka), and now we’re wrapping up a month in Thailand visiting a friend from college. Plus, with the education component, there’s really no one way to characterize everything we’re trying to accomplish while we travel.

7. What are some of the secrets to travel that you’ve discovered that you think more people who aren’t traveling should know?

Well, if you haven’t already, you should tune in to the Global Encounter Facebook page (www.facebook.com/gencounter) and watch Travel Tips with Toby. In three videos he’s pointed out some pretty nifty tips for the un-savvy traveler, and they’re good for a few laughs too. However, for those traveling to Asia, we highly recommend traveling with bed bug spray (available on Amazon) or having a cheap silk “sleep sheet” made. The other tip we would mention is that it’s okay to travel without having every single thing planned out. We rarely book hotels more than a few days in advance, and finding rooms, buses, and activities nearly always takes care of itself. Plus, that way you’re not locked into something you no longer want to do when you arrive at a destination!

Volunteering in Nepal with Safety Bear! Copyright Global-Encounter.com

8. What was your first ¨We’re not in Kansas anymore¨ moment on this trip?

New Zealand and Australia were pretty Western countries, so it wasn’t until we arrived in China that we had one of those moments. We were hiking across the Dragon’s Backbone Terraces in Guangxi Province and at one little guesthouse, we decided to be bold and ordered the most expensive dish on the menu: bamboo chicken for about ten dollars. We had no idea what to expect, but we were literally each served a large bamboo shoot that had been grilled. Inside the bamboo, the full body of a chicken had been chopped up into bits and cooked–head, feet, bones and all. At one point, Toby put his fork into the dish to eat a bite, and as he pressed on the piece, an eyeball popped out! It was the head and he didn’t even know it. To make things worse, the owners were so excited about serving it to us, they stood by and watched us eat every bite. There was no escape!

9. What’s been your most ¨local¨ experience so far?

We actually gave Couchsurfing a try during our time in Australia and had some really great experiences. Both families we stayed with cooked for us, took us around to see local attractions, and gave us deep insight into local life. One great example is that we just happened to time our stay with Australia Day (the July 4th equivalent), and because we were with locals, we were treated to an amazing midnight fireworks show that we would have otherwise never known about.

Riding Around in a Tuk Tuk in Cambodia. Copyright Global-Encounter.com

10. What has been your most embarrassing moment?

As we’ve traveled through Asia, when people have asked where we are from, we’ve always said “Texas,” hoping to spark some excitement about our state. Inevitably, every time people respond with blank stares until we concede and tell them that Texas is in the USA and try to describe where. So, when we were visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia, one sweet Asian woman offered to take our picture at one of the sites. She spoke pretty good English, though with a fairly strong accent, and when she asked where we were from, David responded with Texas. Based on the aforementioned pattern, when we got a blank stare from her, David proceeded to explain that Texas was a state in the US. The lady cut him off, offended that he had assumed her ignorance, and said, “Oh I know where Texas is. I’ve been practicing medicine in Boston for fifteen years.” Her accent gone, she then chastised David for his sunburn noting that she was a dermatologist!

11. What’s your secret for getting the most out of your journey

• Get a good mix of traveling quickly and traveling slowly. Sometimes you just have to get to the sights and stay on the move, but don’t make that the entire trip.
• Know your limits. It’s ok to miss a few things and take it at an easy pace.
• Don’t be too luxurious on your travels. You miss out on local culture. Take the trains and eat at local spots.

Hiking around the Li River near Yangshao China. Copyright Global-Encounter.com

12. Finally, our lightening round. 

• Best dish you’ve found so far: We’ve been staying with South African friends in Bangkok, so the best dish was a South African one they prepared for us called: Babotie
• Most exotic food eaten: Definitely the bamboo chicken
• Most breathtaking moment: So far, McKinnon Pass on the Milford Track in New Zealand
• Biggest disappointment: China’s pollution and second-hand smoke
• Most memorable place: Perhaps Sri Lanka? Impossible to really say!
• Most memorable person: Our tour guide for the Great Wall. She thought we were the greatest people ever and ended our day with her declaring that we would “forever be in her heart.” We still quote some of her infamous one liners!
• Best thing to have on a long bus ride: Noise-canceling headphones
• Worst thing to have on a long bus ride:  A bad meal in you belly
• Funniest travel habit the other has:
• Best thing you packed: Our kindles

You can follow David and Toby online at Global-Encounter, on Facebook, and on Twitter @gencounter.
Every week (more or less), Career Break Secrets profiles a different traveler or traveling couple who are embracing the ¨Because Life Is Out There TM¨ travel spirit.  These are people who have taken the plunge to embark on a career break and are currently traveling the world.

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Who’s Out There Now? Toby & David is a post from: career break secrets: Travel video guides and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Lots of color even at sunset. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Most people who travel to Colombia cover Bogotá, Cartagena and maybe Medellin. But, one of the true secrets of the country is the coffee region, called the eje cafetero in Spanish, and is being branded as the Coffee Triangle in English by the tourism folks. One of the things to do is to head to Santa Rosa and go to one of the volcanic thermal spas, for the day or for the night. While heading up the volcano, we stopped to check out the sunset through this lush, green valley. It’s always been one of my favorites and happy to make it this week’s Suh-Weet Shot.

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Sunset in Colombia’s Coffee Country is a post from: career break secrets: Travel video guides and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

George hanging out. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

Oh George. You will be missed. I only met you briefly on my career break in the Galapagos in 2007 at your home at the Darwin Center on Santa Cruz Island. I was the one styling with the camera, the sunglasses, the daypack and the new pair of Keen’s. Yeah, I knew you’d remember. You were just waking up from a nap so I knew you were up for me sticking a camera in your face. Your story has always stuck with me. Of all the animals I met that week in the Galapagos, there was something special about you. Maybe it was your age, maybe it was your dashing good looks. Whatever it was, you should know that you had an impact on a lot of people. You taught us all about the fragility of life and the beauty of nature. You inspired a lot of people around the world. You should see the news reports out today. There are a lot of eulogies out there. They called you lonesome George, but you were hardly alone. Rest in peace. The world is better for having had you in it.

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Great for a lazy stroll around the old city. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

The old walled city of Cartagena is a mix of the old with the new. Restoration and preservation are the backdrop for the modern traveler exploring the city. There’s a lot to see while traveling in Colombia, but Cartagena gives you a chance to rest and relax in its outdoor cafes and restaurants. I don’t have much more to add to what I wrote in my post ¨Back in Time in Cartagena.¨ So check that shot out after enjoying this week’s Suh-Weet Shot.

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They're HERE (Machu Picchu). Copyright twoOregonians.com

In this week’s ¨Who’s Out There Now¨ feature, we bring to you Ted and Bethany, a landscape architect and social worker who left it all behind just after the new year to see the world and capture their travels on their site, twoOregonians. As with many RTW travelers, I met them on Twitter and have been following their journey. I had the chance to finally meet them in Italy at a blogging conference. The only downside is that I didn’t have more time to hang out with them.

1. So, where in the world are you answering these questions? 
We started the interview while we were on a ship, 12,000+ feet above the ocean floor in the middle of the Atlantic, and now we’re finishing on land from our final port of call, Barcelona, Spain.
2. You have a very unique and refreshing blogging style. Rather than long prose, you jot down a series of observations about what happened to you. And, you do it every day!!! That’s dedication. Why do you write that way?
Bethany: Thank you! I like the freedom of spilling random words on our Daily Travel Journal without pressure to piece together a “blog-worthy” post (whatever that truly is!). If I fool myself into waiting to write until each photo is uploaded and each story is polished, I’ll have forgotten the details and little favorites like “People to Remember.”  The format was inspired by travel blogging friends Matt and Erica at Living If; I came across their journal before we started our trip, and a lightbulb went off. The secret/public page, separate from our stream of blog posts, is easy to update without triggering bombardments of digital notifications to subscribers and followers. It’s also a roadmap back through our adventures, helpful for refreshing my memory of places, people, experiences, and timing when I’m writing full length posts. Plus, the page functions as a “Hey, we’re still alive!” feature for our moms and dads.

Biking Outside of Buenos Aires. Copyright twoOregonians.com

3. You jumped right into the trip tackling Machu Picchu, a stomach bug and high altitude right away. Do you plan to keep this pace up the whole trip? 
Ted: No, we’re not planning on hiking the entire trip
Bethany: We committed to our transatlantic cruise from Brazil to Spain before deciding on our RTW Trip departure date. Ultimately, when we chose to leave home on January 5th, we had two and a half months for the continent of South America, so we hit the ground running, putting all of our pent-up excitement and energy to good use. “Mr. Indoorsy” was a superhero during our high-speed, high-backpacker-grunge style adventures through Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. We hiked and trekked and tent camped and bused and wore ourselves a bit ragged, then we holed up in an apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina for a month to purposefully give ourselves a change of pace. We don’t regret any of the early adventures (well, maybe the 24 kilometer day of torture at Torres del Paine, though that’s a good story now), but we’re also happy to have hit a slower stride for the time being.

4.  It seems like you found a place in Bolivia to put your skills to good use. Can you tell me more about the project and how you got involved?
Bethany: Yes! In 2006, I was daydreaming about our future RTW travel plans, and I found www.workaway.info. International volunteering in exchange for room and board in all sorts of beautiful locations? Sign me up. Over the years of browsing through listings on lunch breaks and late into travel-planning nights, I couldn’t help but think about all the ways that Ted and I are equipped to be helpful. Workaway is a bit like online dating, including the cheesy bios: “Responsible oldest siblings from big families; raised on a farm and not afraid of hard work; love to cook and willing to help with cleaning…both enjoy long walks on the beach and generous pitchers of sangria.” (You get the gist.)  But seriously, I’m a landscape architect and Ted’s a social worker, and it’s terrific to have practical skill sets to offer. We joined the site, created our listings, contacted potential hosts, and sorted through the best options.

Our chosen Workaway hosts in Bolivia needed help with their rural property just outside La Paz, and we arranged to stay eight days with them, assisting with manual labor to combat some of the rainy season erosion damage and completing a Landscape Master Plan to guide them as they preserve their land and construct an ecologically sensitive yurt and tent camping facility. It was a win-win-win for all of us. We enjoyed meeting really terrific people, sharing delicious meals, learning about their lives and work in Bolivia; they received help with much-needed manpower and design and planning work; and we received free accommodations while I added to my professional experience and design portfolio.

In Patagonia. Copyright twoOregonians.com

5. You got to Europe via a very unconventional method, on a cruise ship. Looking back at it, what were some of the pros and cons of spending part of your time at a slower pace than you had up to that point?
Ted: Pro – you get spoiled with good food. Con – you lose your rhythm of exploration.
Bethany: Pros – sleeping in while making travel progress, experience unplugged life (no $.95/minute cruise ship internet for us!), stopping at unusual locations like the Canary Islands and Cape Verde (albeit briefly, and with the overwhelmingly cliched title of “cruise-ship-tourist” hovering overhead and sometimes slapped on our foreheads), having two and a half weeks of accommodations, meals, and transportation paid for in advance, feeling free from the travel budget spending and tracking, truly experiencing the grand size of the ocean without the aid of jet-engines, and having time to learn and play hand after hand of Canasta with newfound friends. Cons – feeling stir crazy without the ability to accomplish internet research and planning, getting less exercise and movement (the stationary bike just isn’t the same as hiking mountains), and every now and then running into bitter, spoiled, unkind travelers who have lost their sense of wonder and gratitude.

6. Career break, nomadic adventure, backpacking, how do you characterize your trips?
Pressing the re-set button and meeting the world.

Somewhere over the Atlantic. Copyright twoOregonians.com

7.    What are some of the secrets to travel that you’ve discovered that you think more people who aren’t traveling should know?  
Ted: It’s not as scary as it sounds. Do it now while it’s cheaper; it’s going to get more expensive.
Bethany: Like marriage, travel doesn’t change who you are, it amplifies your best and worst qualities and gives you space to learn and grow.

8.    What was your first ¨We’re not in Kansas anymore¨ moment on this trip?
Ted: When we got off the first international flight in Lima, Peru and walked through hundreds and hundreds of taxi drivers.
Bethany: No texts, no phone calls, slow-to-no internet.

9. What’s been your most ¨local¨ experience so far?
Ted: Fishing with a Portuguese speaking local off the Pier in Natal, Brazil.
Bethany: Sharing a humble meal with a family living in the outskirts Lima, Peru.

10. What has been your most embarrassing moment?
Ted: Singing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” during Karaoke with a bunch of South Koreans in a water-less, electricity-less hovel in Bolivia.
Bethany: I try to forget them as soon as they happen.

On the salt flats in Bolivia. Copyright twoOregonians.com

11. What’s your secret for getting the most out of your journey?
Ted: Bringing Bethany along. Asking questions and interviewing people when I have the chance.
Bethany: Bringing Ted along to break the ice and strike up conversations with interesting people. Too, this is a season of time unfettered by jobs and responsibilities of life at home. Making the most of it means taking time to write in a journal that never makes it to the blog, taking time to sit in one place and make sketches, taking time to pray and seek out wisdom about paths and decisions, and taking time to ask the deeper questions and acknowledge the blessings of this year of opportunity.

12. Finally, our lightening round.

• Best dish you’ve found so far. T: File com Fritas (beef, onions and fries cooked to perfection in Recife) B: Chicken curry and cassava and sweet potato chips with tomato, honey and ginger salsa at Zaza Bistro Tropical in Rio de Janeiro
• Most exotic food eaten. T: Ostrich on the cruise ship; cooked to perfection. B: Cape Verdian Wahoo (a fish dish – overcooked, but worth the experience just for the name).
• Most breathtaking moment. T: Iguazu Falls on the Argentina side – astounding. B: A window seat view of Patagonia from the air. On my birthday.
• Biggest disappointment. T: Bolivian busses. B: The cost of living in Argentina. But that may have had something to do with countless bakery visits.
• Most memorable place. T: The Sun Gate overlooking Machu Picchu. B: Cape Verde’s desolate landscape and aquamarine waters.
• f. Most memorable person. T: The Swedish cafe owner in Bolivia serving the best coffee I found in South America. B: Too hard to answer! Freddy, our guide on the Inca Trail? I think we’ll be quoting him for the rest of our life.
• Best thing to have on a long bus ride. T: Bose noise canceling headphones. B: My trusty eye-mask; good for shutting out the world and catching Zzz’s.
• Worst thing to have on a long bus ride. T: A drunk driver. B: Leaking exhaust fumes, and a seat next to the downstairs bathroom stairway.
• Best thing you packed. T: Ear plugs and high quality shaving cream. B: An amazing little tube of hand lotion sent with me by my best friend. It’s like a hug from home every time I put it on.
• Dumbest thing you packed. T: Spare razor blades; for some reason, I didn’t think I’d find razor blades around the world. B: The super-heavy-duty combination lock that I’ve already ditched. The tiny one does just fine.
• Funniest travel habit you have. T: Checking for bedbugs. B: Zipping our sleeping bags together.
• Place you wish you could’ve stayed longer. T: La Escondida, Punta Arenas and the Canary Islands. B: The Chilean countryside.

Rio! Copyright twoOregonians.com

You can follow Bethany & Ted online at twoOregonians.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @twoOregonians.
Every week (more or less), Career Break Secrets profiles a different traveler or traveling couple who are embracing the ¨Because Life Is Out There TM¨ travel spirit.  These are people who have taken the plunge to embark on a career break and are currently traveling the world.

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Who’s Out There Now: Ted and Bethany is a post from: career break secrets: Travel video guides and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Statutes remain of an ancient civilization. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

In a remote part of  southern Colombia lies San Agustin, the hub of an ancient tribe that little is known about. This area is also a UNESCO world heritage site. because it is home to ¨the largest group of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America.¨ Luckily for those traveling around Colombia, you don’t have to go to San Agustin to see the statues. Many have been taken and placed around Colombia, including the Gold Museum and at the base gondola station at Monserrate, both in Bogota. Since there are no seasons in Bogota, the flowers grow all year long. And, on one trip up to Monserrate, I was able to capture this Suh-Weet shot of the statue in the garden.

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Statue From San Agustin is a post from: career break secrets: Travel video guides and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures

Looking up to Monserrate from the Plaza Bolivar in Bogota. Copyright CareerBreakSecrets.com

The center of the La Candeleria district in Bogota is the Plaza Bolivar, one of the most visited sites for people traveling in Colombia. In addition to the Congress and Supreme Court, the Primary Cathedral of Bogota is the most striking landmark. Behind it, you can look up to see the church atop Monserrate accessible on foot, gondola and funicular. As is typical of Bogota, the clouds will likely give you a cloudy, cool day while your exploring. With the clouds it can be difficult to get a good shot with minimal silhouettes. I have many that are bad. But, I feel fortunate to have gotten this Suh-Weet Shot.

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Looking Up Towards Monserrate From Plaza Bolivar is a post from: career break secrets: Travel video guides and advice for career breaks and around the world travel adventures