Jet lag in the rear mirror for the most part, Andrew and I used the day before Ruthie and friends arrive to do some very chill exploring. With the days so long we don’t have to rush to grab the daylight – we left the house around 9am and didn’t return until nearly 8pm…still light! … More Uppsala and Sigtuna: Back in Time
Despite the fact the Andrew and I do a lot of international travel, our ability to combat jet lag is not always in top form. Usually we can tough out the very long first day going to Europe and beyond, stay awake through dinner time, then crash and wake the next morning reasonably coherent. Not … More Day One: Getting on Swedish Time
Aaaand we are off again! Andrew and I are so very blessed to be able to travel and work (or travel and not work…) and we fully appreciate that flexibility. As family and some of our friends know, we have also discovered home exchange – a seemingly magical way to swap homes with other people … More Sweden!
Saying goodbye to New Zealand was hard. Andrew and I had such an amazing experience exploring these incredibly beautiful islands, it was sad to think that our adventure was coming to an end. To be frank, we agreed that we’d been away long enough – and were missing our family, our dog, our own comfy … More A Taste of Australia, and then Home
Our last few days on the South Island – and in New Zealand – was spent back in Queenstown, and we took advantage of the more sporty activities this go around. We were treated to front row seats on Hamish’s Jet boat. These boats literally hydroplane on as little as a few inches of water, … More Return to Queenstown: A Little Adventure Time
We’d been told that we could not miss visiting Milford Sound if we got to the South Island, and I absolutely understand why now. We booked a day-long kayaking trip that would take us on the sound, and what made sense was to drive to and stay in the small town of Te Anau – … More Te Anau: Kayaking Milford Sound
We said goodbye to the North Island as we flew from Christchurch to Queenstown, and it was abundantly clear we’d be entering a vastly different landscape in this second part of our journey. Jungle-like, tropical hills and flat acres of farmland were replaced by soaring jagged mountains, deep canyons, and expansive lakes and water channels … More Christchurch to Queenstown: Big Change in Scenery
Frankly, I’m not sure how to describe all the incredible moments of the six-day biking adventure we did with eight other people and two fabulous guides…so I guess I am best to simply retell the highlights in hopes of giving you a flavor of the experience. Put simply, this ride was not for the faint … More Alps to Ocean Biking: Tested Our Mettle, Captured Our Hearts
Admittedly it was a bit hard to leave the North Island – we’d had so many amazing experiences it was hard to imagine there’d be anything to match it. This was also the juncture when Ruthie was parting ways with us to continue her travels with her friend, Tori, to see other parts of North … More Off to the South Island: A Real Change in Scenery
Our next stop on our Kiwi wanderings was to Rotorua, a town set on its namesake lake (still on New Zealand’s North Island), known for its geothermal activity and Maori culture. Locals also call it “Rotovegas” because it is the epicenter of all sorts of tourist and action-filled activities for the mostly younger set. To … More Rotorua: Visit to a Maori Village and a Redwood Forest
Living La Vida Loca 