Here we are on the last day of 2012. The cliche is true: time flies.
We began the year with the last few stops of a 10-month journey. On New Year’s Day 2012 we visited the Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok, Thailand. The shrine isn’t old, but is a very important site and a testament to spirituality in modern Thai society. Right in front of a busy intersection, in a commercial district, with the Skytrain speeding by overhead, we joined people praying in the smoke of burning joss sticks, giving offerings of wreaths of flowers, and entreating special favors by paying an extra fee to the musicians and dancers.
By February we were in the middle of our journey through the northern part of India, an unforgettable part of our trip. Having spent the previous 7 months at a daily average of 80F, it was cold. We saw the sights in Delhi, side-tripped to the Holy River Ganges in Varanasi, saw the Taj Mahal and a tiger, and got on and off the circuit that crisscrosses Rajasthan. There was so much more we wanted to do, but with our 10-year Visa, we’re sure to return.
A highlight of March was meeting some cousins for the first time in England and Scotland, wrapping up our international travels by getting together with family in the land of some of our heritage. April and May were homecoming back in the US with family in Cape Cod and Georgia, and visits with friends in Florida. A June family wedding was squeezed in as we started working some short projects. This time in South Carolina was a perfect change of pace and another great time to spend with family we don’t get to see all the time. After a Cape Cod send-off in July, we were back to work full-time, setting out on a new mobile marketing tour that took us across the US and back for July, August and September driving a mini-school bus. Along with working at major events and delivering school supplies to schools in need, we thoroughly enjoyed the cities we visited like New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver, among others.
Another marketing tour was already underway in October, this time for a tasty hazelnut spread! We toasted waffles and baguettes across the nation right up through last week, covering about 7000 miles (over 11000 kilometers) during the tour. We hit some great cities, starting with Boston, traveling down the east coast with stops in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Atlanta, and Orlando before heading west through New Orleans, Dallas, and Phoenix. The tour wrapped with events in San Diego, LA and San Francisco. For us these were some fantastic cities for EATING, though October’s Philly cheesesteaks were soon overshadowed by the glorious oysters of New Orleans in November. Our food tour may have to be the theme of another post! Finally, December’s focus was the long road back to the East Coast from California.
We may not know yet what our continuing journey will entail in 2013, but we plan to keep sharing it here! Happy New Year!
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Check out some other bloggers’ 2012 roundups.
I hope 2013 brings you two as many exciting times as 2012! 🙂
Thanks! I’m sure it will! Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Beautiful places and pictures.
Hi Connie, thanks for stopping by to check us out.
Another year to remember! Love the glass.
Hi Jo, thanks for stopping by. Chihuly does some amazing work huh?
What an exciting year for you, and some beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Emma! I had a chance to look at your blog as well, and it seems we share the same goals for 2013! (well, except I already speak Spanish and I’m not planning a wedding). We look forward to following your journey.
amazing photos that matched such amazing travels as well! You guys are literally all over the place! Cheers to yet another year of fun and adventures!
Thanks for visiting our blog, Aian! We look forward to checking out yours as well! Happy New Year!
Awesome pics! Congrats!
Hi Matt, thanks for stopping by. We really appreciate the kind words. Maybe next time we can slip in a feline photo for ya! Happy New Year.
😀 happy new year for yo too.
Following!
What an incredible year for you two! We enjoyed your photos and look forward to following your blog. Wishing you a happy 2013 and many more adventures! -Maureen and Eric
Thanks for stopping by! Where are you guys currently, Arizona? Happy New Year!
D3, we are in Arizona… Happy New Year!
AZ, D3 – Happy New Year!
Wonderful photos.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!