Until we meet again...

In twenty-one months, over six continents and thirteen countries we have experienced different cultures, sampled foods (delicious and not so appetizing), met new friends, reunited with old friends, seen some of the world’s wonders and ultimately circumnavigated the globe. We have gone places that we will definitely be revisiting in the future, and been happy to check others off the list as “done”. And, after traveling together all day every day for so long, we have learned A LOT about ourselves, each other, other cultures, and traveling in general.

Here is an incomplete list that we have compiled (in absolutely no order) of things we have learned/discovered during our walkabout:
- If left to our own devices, without prior appointments, we won’t get out of the house until noon.
- We love wine.
- We prefer to cook rather than go out.
- We are complete beach snobs.
- We REALLY love Hawaii.
- We are patriotic.
- Regardless of individual political preference, Americans abroad are accepted more enthusiastically when Obama is in office than most other recent presidents.
- Almost all people abroad get excited to learn that there is a visitor in their town from Hawaii.
- We are not as food adventurous as we once thought we were. While up for trying new things, we always go back to our old eating habits.
- Keeping a stash of toilet paper is always a good idea.
- As far as deadlines go, modeling agencies are like surfboard shapers in that you need to lie to each of them in order to get anything done in a timely manner.
- It’s easy to not dwell on money when you have it.
- The abolishment of apartheid in South Africa is more recent and less popular (within the country) than we ever imagined.
- In most cities, great neighborhoods can be found by locating areas with many dogs being walked.
- French people frequently say they can’t speak English even though they can- often that is out of embarrassment more than rudeness.
- Many people who smoke are rude.
- Todd hates people who act entitled.
- We are not happy living somewhere and not working there. (Who is?)
- Living in a place takes away much of the exoticness and excitement that exists when visiting the place.
- When vacationing, things not working and other idiosyncrasies are not only tolerable, but amusing or part of the adventure. When living in a place, those things are not so amusing and are in fact are VERY frustrating.
- Tourists frequently mistake us for locals but locals usually know we’re tourists.

Now we are back in the USA (just arrived a few days ago) with all of the familiar good and bad that being in Hawaii entails - family, friends, poke, musubi, Costco, SCREENS, the year-long presidential election process that dominates American media, North Shore surf and sand, our own familiar language, Pandora, driving on the right side of the road, massive potholes on the roads, Netflix, the ability to use credit cards in most places (with no international service fee), utilities that work (wifi, hot showers, potable water, toilets, toilets that accept toilet paper), turtle traffic, 7/11 coffees, Ross stores, long-term cell phone contracts, and Aloha.

While we are pretty sure we are finished with our international travels for a while, we are still planning on a domestic walkabout in the near future. So, ktwalkabout is not over… For now, we will use the French “au revoir”!