2000 'Round The World Trip'

Dear Friends and Family,

Welcome to our latest adventure. We safely returned from our wanderings around the world, spent a few months at home, and packed our bags again. To see and read about our latest encounters, go to the '2001 Trip' link on the bar to the left.

Our around the world trip was outstanding, even better than we had anticipated. We have added some pictures to the 'Round the World 2000 Trip' to more fully tell the stories.

There were many factors that contributed to the enjoyment of our 'round the world trip, not the least were your wonderful e-mails along the way. At the end of a day of exotic sightseeing and listening to foreign languages, it was comforting to turn on the computer, connect to the internet and find that we had mail. As we would read aloud your comments and questions we could almost hear your voices. Immediately we would feel like we were in our study at home, with you just a short drive or call away. We are convinced that this continual connection with you was a critical factor in the comfort we needed to travel for such an extended period.

Knowing that you were reading our website added another factor which increased the richness of our experience. We have embarked on other trips with the intent of keeping a journal, but always ended up abandoning the writing after the first week. With the website being a public journal, there was an obligation to complete each country. Believe us when we tell you that we heard from you, especially Mother, when the site wasn't updated in a timely manner! With the website in mind, we started to take pictures that would tell the story of our days and to write down our adventures in a way that attempted to captured the sights and sounds and emotions. We came to find out that when we worked on the website it not only brought our experiences into focus but, because we could not include everything in the website, we also found ourselves in the midst of a conversation in which we had to compare what experiences we each felt were the most significant. This reflection and the discussions were invaluable. Without them we would have just gone on to the next day, accumulating events.

We also believe that spending time with our friends along the way was an important factor. While we valued the events that provided us with opportunities to meet new people, it was nice to relax into old habits and conversations with established friends. After a long, disorienting plane trip and the strangeness of being in a totally different culture, it was wonderful to hear a familiar voice on the phone when Bea called. After a week of being immersed in the 3rd world culture of Cambodia, we loved being greeted at Chiangmai airport by Bea, Addy and Parp. And Europe was all the more interesting since we had the chance to see it with Lynn and Judy, Larry, Diane and Michele.

Many thanks to all of you. We wish you safe and happy voyages of your own.

Jane and Tim