After traveling to 28 countries in 2012/2013, in 2014, we focused on reengaging in our life in Boulder. We spent time in Colorado and neighboring states and tackled some things that had been on our bucket list for a long time. First, a few highlights from the photos on our New Year’s Card: Skiing Photo…
Author: jayorris
Ecuador and the Galapagos – From Spanish Immersion to Island Paradise
After spending 6 months back in the USA, we decided it was time to pry ourselves away from our comfortable routine in Boulder and see more of the world. We had intentionally skipped Ecuador on our extended travels earlier this year because it is relatively close to the US. We took advantage of the kids’…
Orris Takeaway’s From Travel – PDF Presentation of our key lessons learned
Please click the following link to upload a presentation containing our key lessons learned from our nine months of travel. We have started making this presentation in the community. We are happy to share it with groups or individuals and take you through it in person. OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS
Turkey – Meeting point of East and West
We could not wait to arrive in Turkey for two reasons: first, we had always wanted to experience this country where Europe & Asia intersect; and second, it was our last destination until we headed back home. Our first stop in Turkey was the touristy Mediterranean beach town of Antalya in the south. Imagine a…
Palestine and Israel – Friends, religion and history
For the first time in a very long time, we spent five nights in the same place. And even better it was with friends in their home! The Maayah family ensured that our time in Palestine and Israel was a highlight of our travels and very informative. Tareq is a fellow in Christy’s Henry Crown…
Jordan – Lively people, ancient ruins and a Dead Sea!
Jordan surprised us all with its inviting people, vast ruins and stunning natural beauty. Any concerns we had about how we would be received by the Jordanians were alleviated right away. Everywhere we went, people would say, “You are welcome here. Welcome to Jordan!” Shopkeepers invited us in to have tea and talk about their…
Sri Lanka – Buddhists, Beauty and Beaches
Sri Lanka was full of surprises for us: it’s Buddhist, not Hindu; it is only 18 miles from India and used to be connected by a land bridge; and it has every climate you can imagine from tropical jungle to high mountain plains. In 2009, the country ended 25 years of civil war with the…
Myanmar/Burma – A Country Undergoing a Massive Transition
We have dreamt about going to Myanmar for many years, but its a tough destination because the country has been largely closed to tourists since 1989. Over the past year or two, the military government has been opening up the country and paving the way for an open democratic election in 2015, when Nobel Peace…
Laos – From New Years to Elephant Treks!
We were awoken early our first day in Laos to music pulsing from temples and gatherings in the streets as Laotians welcomed their New Year. Everyone flocked to the temples with buckets of flowered water to wash the Buddha statues and give thanks and prayers to their ancestors and to make their wishes for the…
Dhaka, Bangladesh – Friends introduce us to the “Maximum City”
Maximum – people, traffic, chaos, noise, heat, politics, religion, construction, kindness, opportunity…. The road was packed with cars, three-wheeled pedal rickshaws, motorbikes, motorized rickshaws, people, piles of dirt and other construction materials. Vehicles haphazardly inched their way forward, across or backwards – usually only centimeters from other people or vehicles. There appeared to be no…