Trevor and Renee

Our Baby Girl...she opens her mouth, ahhh!!

2009-06-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

London, our final blog entry

2008-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

For the sake of finality we have to complete our blog. Here are a few pictures of London, our last city before heading home! My friend Maria met us there and we had a great time checking out the sites and hanging out at the local pubs. The trip has been quite an experience, 4 months, 16 countries, and countless memories. Every penny spent was worth it! We both enjoyed traveling and were surprised at how easy it came to us. We both are sad that it's over, but looking forward to moving and seeing our families and friends. We also have to sort through 3,000 pictures we took on our journey. Yes, 3,000 pictures. Hope you all enjoyed looking at our blog as much as we enjoyed posting. We are now reachable by phone, yeah!! Hope to hear from everyone soon. I'll email links with pictures once we're in VA. I start my job on the 11th!! Wow, it's coming up too quickly. Love you all!

Brussels, Bruge, & Amsterdam

2008-07-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here are pix of our last few days. The first 3 are from Brussels, the one with Trevor and the 1L boot glass beer is from Delirium Cafe, where they have 100s of beers on tap! The middle 4 pix are of Bruge, where we climbed to the top of the Belfry and went on a brewery tour. The scroll picture is of a cloth soaked with the blood of Jesus. The last 2 are in Amsterdam, the finial one is the Red Light District. We have been enjoying all the great beer, chocolates, and waffles. We may never come home! So sad, but there will only be 1 more blog entry. Tomorrow off to London for 3 days. We are meeting Maria there!! (Jake if you are reading this check your email to see your new Delirium shirt.)

Glacier Treking in Norway

2008-07-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hi All, we made the long journey up to the fjords of Norway this week. We have been enjoying the beauty of the area. Yesterday we went climbing-hiking on a glacier, yes a real glacier! It was really amazing and difficult. We got a quick mountineering lesson and instructions on how to use the equipment and then off we went climbing up the glacier! Off to København, Denmark in the next few days to visit our friend from India. See you sooner than later!!

Berlin and Radiohead!!

2008-07-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hello from Germany (well actually we're in Sweden now, but just updating you on Germany). Anyways...Here are a few pictures of our time in Berlin. The first 3 pictures are of the Berlin wall remains and the 4th is Checkpoint Charlie, where we got our passports stamped "East Germany." The next 2 pictures are of the Radiohead show. It was such an amazing show, we are still talking about it 2 days later, wow! Last night we took an overnight train to Goteborg, Sweden and will update from here later. And sorry we will have no reports on Swedish meatballs.

Prague, Czech Republic

2008-07-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hi all, we are posting from beautiful Prague. The city is amazing! We are also enjoying delicious Czech beer thanks to Aunt Sandy and Uncle Pete. The first 2 pictures are at night in the main square after we took a Ghost and Beer tour. The 3rd picture is a hike we took to an overlook above the city. Off to Berlin today...Radiohead concert tomorrow!!!

Vienna, Austria

2008-07-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of Vienna. We were only there a short time. The second picture is of Mozarts paino that we saw at his old house and the last picture is a famous church in the town square.

The Swiss Alps!!

2008-06-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our hike today in the alps. It was like nothing we've ever seen before. It ranks on top of the most beautiful places we've visited. The hike was amazing up through the mountains with vistas we've never imagined. We could see Eiger Mt along with many other higher peaks. We are uploading a video that we shot on the hike today to show you a glimpse of the views that we saw. Hope it works. Love you all!

Switzerland

2008-06-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

We made an unexpected, but much needed stop in Switzerland to relax a little and get away from the crowds of tourists and the cities. We took the train up north today and stopped in Inerlaken, Switzerland. It's such a beautiful little town. We took a bus ride up into the mountains about 4500ft and went for a short hike before dinner. We'll update again soon.

Ciao Italia

2008-06-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from Venice, Italy. This was our last stop in Italy before heading to Switzerland. We had a great time relaxing and watching the gondolas while enjoying the last of our Italian food.

Tuscany, Italy

2008-06-26T02:19:00.000-07:00

Ciao from Tuscany. Here are a few pictures from our last few days here. The bottom picture is of my cousins in Rome. The top pictures are in Florence and the middle 4 are in Siena. The picture of us drinking our cafes is thanks to Maria's parents (thanks Mr and Mrs Strum). Of course we had to include another picture of Trevor eating pizza. Yummm!! We are having a great time here, off to Venice tomorrow.

Ciao from Roma

2008-06-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Ciao from Roma!

We are eating our weight in pizza and pasta...the food is amazing. We are currently staying at my cousins house in Rome and have enjoyed spending time with our family and siteseeing. The pictures are of the Colosseum, a view of the Vatican from the top of St. Peters Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and of course Trevor eating pizza. Tomorrow we are going to Siena-Tuscany. We will post from there. Ciao.

Good-bye Greece

2008-06-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to say good-bye. Here is a few pictures from the towns of Fira and Oia in Santorini. Last night we sat out on the caldera in Oia and watched the sunset and the full moon come up over the town of Fira. It was amazing!! We're sad to say good-bye, but excited to visit Italy and meet my family there. We'll see you in Italy-Yasu.

Santorini Island

2008-06-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

We are now in Santorini. Yes, it's as beautiful as you see on postcards! Here are some pictures of the caldera and views from the island. We are having lots of fun and trying to enjoy our last couple of days in Greece. It'll be sad to say good-bye. Friday morning we fly to Rome. We'll try and post one more time in Greece. If not we'll see you in Rome.

Naxos Island

2008-06-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hi all, we are currently on Naxos Island in Greece. It's absolutely amazing here!! We rented a 4 wheeler today and rode around the island. We went through some rural villages and got some cheese and bread from a little old Greek man who spoke no English and told us the type of cheese was "ba, ba" not "moo-moo." Hilarious! We then drove up to Mt. Zeus at 1000 meters high and climbed to the caves up in the mountain. We ended the day relaxing at the beach and enjoying the crystal clear blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

Athens Pix

2008-06-11T03:43:00.000-07:00

Yasas from Athens! Today we went to the Acropolis and to Ancient Agora. It was amazing!! We woke up early and beat the crowds (for the most part). Then we walked to the Parliment building to see the changing of the guards. The view of city from the Acropolis is awesome. The pictures are of the Parthenon (built in 447 BC), Odeon of Herodes Atticus (a theater built in 161 AD), and Trevor and I from the top of the Acropolis. Tomorrow off to the Greek Islands for a little R&R. We'll update from there.

Yassou from Greece!

2008-06-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

We've made it to Athens!! Yeah! Western life once again. We took a self walking tour around Athens today and tried to take it easy (we're still trying to recover from India). We went to the temple of Zeus and saw the Acropolis from a distance. We walked through the streets and sat at cafes eating fresh fruits and veges. Tomorrow we're going to go the Acropolis area to explore. We'll update again soon.

Our last week in India

2008-06-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

We have had an amazing last week in India. We went on a tiger safari where we spotted a wild tiger. It walked across the road right in front of our jeep!!! So AMAZING! The picture is of a tiger paw print that we spotted on the safari. Now we are in Varanasi and took a boat ride down Ganges and got to partake in a flower ceremony. It was a night we'll never forget. This morning we went for a morning boat ride and saw cremation ceremonies and the burning of bodies by the banks of the Ganges. Now time to check out the local market before it gets too hot. (we would upload more pictures, but the internet is too slow.)

India Pics

2008-06-01T02:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of the last couple of days in India. We went to a rural village yesterday and stayed at the kings palace. Our guide took us on a walk through the village, including stops at the local hospital and police station. All the kids followed us around the village saying "hallo" and "bye-bye." It was so cute. The first picture is from the village's weekly market and second is one of the kids who kept following us around. So cute!! We wanted to take a few home with us. The other pictures are from Old Delhi and the local people and animals in some of the other villages we have visited. It truly has been an amazing experience. Tomorrow off to a tiger reserve for a safari! Namaste.

Incredible India!!!

2008-05-30T02:05:00.000-07:00

Hi All, we're now in India!! It's been an amazing adventure so far. We've been to multiple forts, temples, markets, and of course the Taj Mahal! Here are some pictures from the Taj Mahal and the spice market in Delhi. We heading off to the Ganges and tiger reserve park in the next few days. Our group and guide are great and we're all having a lot of fun together. I wish the internet was faster because we have soooo many beautiful pictures to show. We are also quite the tourist attraction here...attracting many locals. We call them the "Indian Paparazzi." They ask for pictures everywhere we go. One local told our guide "I've seen a few westerners before, but never this close." We have to laugh and of course pose for as many pictures as possible. At the Taj there was a line of people so long we had to start saying no. It's funny to think what they tell other Indians who see the pictures. We'll update more on the road. Namaste!

Farewell Thailand

2008-05-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we're sad to say that it's our last day in Thailand. It's been an amazing adventure! Here are a few pictures from our last day here. The first is the area we're staying in called Khao San Rd, then the Grand Palace, the reclining Buddha(which is ~150ft long by 30ft tall), the gold Buddha, and a monk on our boat from Ko Samui. Off to Delhi, India next, we're looking forward to a new adventure, but sad to leave Thailand. See you in India!!

Trevor's Birthday!!

2008-05-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Trevor!!

We're in Koh Samui, Thailand, on bo phut beach. We rented a sweet bungalow right on the beach with a big pool and a/c-it's quite a luxury for us lately! We've been chillin these past few days resting up for our trip to India. That should be an adventure by itself! We are meeting our good friends in India (hi Jen and Aaron) and we're looking forward to seeing them and hanging out!

We are backpacking and we wanted to post a picture of us with our packs on. It's hard carrying them in the heat...it's about 100 today and it's supposed to be 10 degrees hotter in India. AAAaahh!

Today we're planning on relaxing by the pool, on the beach, and then of course doing the traditional night out of pizza and beer for Trevor's birthday.

Ko Samui

2008-05-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Hi from Koh Samui! It was quite an adventure to get here, but it has been great so far! Here are a few pictures of us....we feel like we never have any pictures of the both of us. The beach is beautiful and the weather is hot! We'll update more soon!

Phuket Pictures

2008-05-11T01:40:00.000-07:00

Hi All...we are now in Phuket, Thailand. We have spent the last few days at Kata and Karon beaches up the coast. The water is a beautiful green with waves larger than the pacific. It's also monsoon season here on the Andaman coast, but with breaks of sun! We took a trek yesterday and rode an elephant. It was really cool. We also hiked to a waterfall in the rainforest and canoed down a brown river. Finally we were treated to an authentic Thai dinner by the locals...which was very tasty!! It was quite an adventure! The other pictures are of the Andaman sea, this is the very place the tsunami hit the hardest, and Trevor in his Thai gear. The Thai people are so nice and we're having a lot of fun! Miss you all!

Thailand-!!!!

2008-05-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hi All, sawatdee from Thailand!

We arrived Monday and have been trying to bare the heat for the last few days. We flew to Phuket yesterday and are now about to hit up the beautiful beaches. Yes, this is the area where the tsunami hit a few years ago. Here are a few pictures from our short time in Bangkok. One is a Hindu temple for goddesses and the other is of the beloved lotus flower. We'll update more soon from the beach!

Last NZ Post

2008-05-02T19:05:00.001-07:00

Well...this will be our last post from NZ before leaving for Thailand on Monday. We are now back in Auckland after returning our campervan today. Here are some pictures of the "Bay of Islands" and the NZ countryside. Our last few days were a little rainy, but still very beautiful. We'll update in Thailand!

More NZ Pix

2008-04-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hi All, we're writing from NZ again! It's so beautiful here we're trying not to blink or we'll miss something. It seems like every time we turn a corner there's something more amazing than the last! Anyways...here are a few pictures from some hikes we went on in the "Pacific Ring of Fire" or Tarangi National Park. This is the park where "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed! The other 2 pictures are of Trevor trying to win us $5,000 by getting a hole in one 0n a floating green and of me zip lining on Kai Iwi beach.

Kiwiland Pix

2008-04-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hi Again from NZ. We're having an amazing time here!! It's just beautiful! We left the Coromandel Peninsula (which was awesome!) and now have made our way to Lake Taupo. Tomorrow off to the Mts. It was difficult at first getting used to driving on the opposite side of the car and on the other side of the road, but Trevor picked it up quickly!! Here are a few pix of our last couple days here.

New Zealand Pix

2008-04-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hello from New Zealand!

It's absolutely beautiful here and has not disappointed at all! We picked up our campervan on Sunday and have been driving around the Coromandel Peninsula for a couple days. The pictures we uploaded do not do justice to the beauty that surrounds this area. We have been camping, hiking, and enjoying as many kiwi's as possible!!

Cheers from our last day in Australia

2008-04-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

G'day...here are a few pictures from our time in Katoomba the Blue Mts of Australia. We did 3 amazing hikes in the 3 days we were here. The YHA hostel in Katoomba was sooo nice!! It was more like a nice hotel than hostel. Anyways, the first 2 pictures are from a hike that we did. One of the hikes we took was entitled "The Great Staircase" and that is was. 900 steep narrow stairs down into the valley of the Mts, it was a true test of mental and physical endurance, but amazing! On Wednesday night Trevor played an open mic night at a local pub. He played 3 songs and was the hit of the night!! The local musicians loved him so much they couldn't help but play their instruments along with him (it's a long story!). I got carded at the bar, yes my friends, I got carded at an Australian pub where the legal drinking age is 18!!! Yesterday we returned to Sydney and will be here until tomorrow when we pack up and leave for NZ. We wanted to hit up the beaches today, but it's cold and rainy, so we'll see. Australia has been a great starting point for us and we both unexpectedly just love it out here!! The Aussies are so nice and helpful! Another bit of exciting news...I got the job at UVA in Charlottesville, VA. YEAH!! It's quite a story, as most of you know. Cheers!! Our next post will be from NZ!

Blue Mountain, NSW Australia

2008-04-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

G'day Mates, we are still in Australia. We have now made our way to the Blue Mountains of Australia. It is beautiful here. We took a hike today descending from the dry forest to the rain forest, it was unbelievable!! The vistas are amazing, as are the waterfalls! Here are a few pictures from our hike today. XOXO!

G'Day Mates!

2008-04-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

G'day fellow yanks...we are here in Australia after a long bumpy 15 hour flight. We arrived at 6am and struggled through 1 long day to try and adapt to the time change, which I think we have successfully done! On Thursday we walked from our hostel to the opera house and then into the downtown area. It was all we could do to stay awake. It's very beautiful here...blue skies and very similar to San Diego in some ways. We met a San Diegan within minutes of leaving our hostel. Funny hugh? 7,000 mls or 12,000 km (if my math does me right) from home and we meet someone from the same city. Yesterday we took a ferry to "Manly Beach." It was gorgeous lined with pine trees and soft sand beaches. From there we took a 7mile or 12Km hike around the bay through the forest. Anyways...here are some pictures of our first 2 days down under.

Almost There!

2008-04-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's Monday the 7th and now we're counting down the hours until our departure. We are excited!! We'll arrive in Sydney, Australia on April 10th, yes 2 days after we leave, thanks to the international date line and a 15 hour flight. We will be in Australia for 10 days, which doesn't leave us a lot of time to venture outside of Sydney. We're planning on heading up to the Blue Mountains, outside of Sydney, and of course making our way to some Aussie beaches! Of course we are sad to leave San Diego. We had a great last couple of weeks here and lots of fun with all our friends. (I'll post the pictures of our going away parties when we get them.) Our next post will be in the outback...not really, but somewhere near the outback.

Love you all!!!

Carrianne and David's Wedding

2008-03-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

One of the best friends got married this weekend. We've known each other pretty much our whole lives. It was so great to see my friends and enjoy this time together. I'll never forget the camping themed, winterwonderland wedding...it was so much fun! Trevor provided his talent by playing music for the wedding ceremony and dinner. Care Bear you looked beautiful...when I saw the pictures you looked like you were glowing! Here are a few pics of the wedding. See for yourself how beautiful my friends are!

PS Carri, Maria, Tiffany-I miss you girls so much already!! Can't wait to see you all over the summer. We'll plan another adventure!

Last few San Diego Moments

2008-02-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had our "Huge Moving Sale." It went off quite well. We sold 75% of our furniture before the sale even started!!

Anyways...that's the boring stuff. The weekend before we went to the zoo and Balboa Park to say our last goodbyes. It was a beautiful day...75 degrees and bright blue skies (why are we moving again to snow again?) Here is a picture we took at the Prado where we hung out for hours and sipped on Sangria!!

San Diego Pictures

2008-02-02T17:59:00.000-08:00

California the beautiful!!

2008-01-29T18:12:00.002-08:00

Hi all...welcome to our blog

We started this little website to keep all of you, who know and love us, informed and up to date on our up and coming journey. As most of you know we are planning an adventure around the world (so to speak). This may sound romantic and spontaneous, but it has been in the works for over a year now. I can't remember quite how it all evolved, but I do know that it started with some inspiration from our friends Julie and Rob about 4 years ago. They shared photos and stories of their adventure across the globe and sparked an interest in the both of us. I think it started to become more of a serious conversation last winter when we were both getting an itch to do something BIG. The long road to this conclusion is still foggy in my mind. The paths of the trip have changed, but our intentions and hopes are still solid as a rock. When we bought the plane ticket in Novemeber we knew this was more than we could have hoped for. The path has been bittersweet. We never thought we would have fallen for our little neighborhood in Encinitas, but we have. Driving to work each day I see the sunrise over the mountains and at night the sunset over the water. A palate of colors more beautiful than any artist could create. The beauty of this area is intense and overwhelming. Leaving the house in Jan in a tank top and jeans is also pretty sweet!!

What will we miss you ask?? Here are some of our favorite SoCal things!
-Living walking distance to the beach
-Perfect weather everyday...yes everyday
-Our little neighborhood bars/cafes
-The Leucadian, where beer is cheap and bar games are a plenty
-Bean and Rice burritos from Kotija
-Flowers in bloom year round
-Cheap produce year round...oh and the avocados...!!! They're good in everything!
-Never turning on our heat or air conditioning.
-Never feeling like you've missed out on a perfect day when you decide to lay in bed with your pj's on, because tomorrow and the day after will be just as beautiful.
-Just living the California dream!!!