Home again

Well, all good things must come to an end. After 8 months of travelling, we're now back home. Time flew by in the blink of an eye. We visited so many impressive places and met so many interesting and charming people that it's difficult to pinpoint our favourite moments during our travels.

We did learn a few practical lessons along the way though, which we'd like to share with you:

- Be flexible. The more open your itinerary, the more smooth your travels will be. It's logical that the less you plan, the more you can afford to be spontaneous and enjoy that unique experience that inevitably arises during your travels.

- Build in time for reflection. It's tempting to want to maximise your time by seeing every major site in every country you visit. But so many new experiences is like an assault on your senses: they require time to absorb before you can move on and appreciate the next new adventure.

- Don't leave home without a laptop. We left it behind, fearing it would be too cumbersome to carry in our limited backpacks. But staying in touch with family and friends, updating a blog, researching facts about your next destination... these are so much easier and faster when you have a computer at your disposal.

- Check important facts before arriving anywhere. Visa restrictions can significantly alter your travel plans while, in other cases, certain country information can be a time and money saver. For example, a Japan Rail Pass can save you a significant amount on travel costs. But it must be purchased before you arrive in the country. Handy to know!

- Travel lightly. Long-term, round-the-world travel requires a great deal of moving around and multiple modes of transport. The lighter your load, the easier to move around and make last-minute descisions for that unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

We had a once-in-a-lifetime experience of our own. While the travelling was occasionally tedious, exploring the world is highly addictive. Once we started, we wanted more and began looking forward to uncovering the next new place, its secrets, its uniqueness, its people. We're now busy planning our next adventures around the world!

We feel remarkably fortunate to have had the luxury to undertake this type of trip. We are now rich with beautiful memories. We encourage anyone who is thinking about a world trip to simply make it happen. You will be greatly enriched by the experience.