Family Gap Year Survey: Same Trip, Different Eyes

I mentioned before that my sister created a survey for us to complete about our year of adventure. Here are the questions and everyone’s answers. This was such an incredible way to reflect on the year and my sister came up with such interesting questions. It captures our highs, our lows, and is full of unfiltered, honest answers.

Which place did you feel most at home in during your trip? If you could live anywhere of the places you visited where would you choose?

B: I felt most at home in Guam, and I would live in Thailand if I had to.

A: I have two different answers for each one: I felt the most at home in Thailand because the Airbnb was so nice and we created a pretty consistent schedule there. But if I could live anywhere of the places I visited, I would live in Tokyo, Japan.

D: Guam felt like home, Barcelona is where I would live.

J: Guam and Thailand felt most like home. If I could live anywhere it would be Barcelona, Spain.

What were the most interesting insects and animals you encountered?

B: A massive spider, found in La Fortuna, Costa Rica and the meerkats from South Africa!

A: We saw some pretty amazing fish in Guam, it was like a movie or something, there were so many of them and they were just so pretty！ We saw a sloth and a scarlet macaw for the first time in Costa Rica, and we fed deer that bowed to you in Osaka, Japan. We didn’t see any really cool insects, just really gross cockroaches and a surprisingly friendly praying mantis in South Africa.

D: The sea life when snorkeling at Ypao Beach, Guam

J: The sloths in La Fortuna, Costa Rica , the scarlet macaws in Jaco, Costa Rica, the bowing deer in Japan, the elephants at Addo State park and the monkeys outside our condo in South Africa.

Describe the best human interaction you had with a local or another traveler during the trip.

B: There was this kid named Jay in Jaco, Costa Rica and he was my best friend there because he spoke perfect English and was very fun to play nerf gun wars with！

A: My best experience with a local was probably in The Philippines, when I met a cute boy named Lanze and got his number. It was absolutely amazing and we even went on a (very, very, very awkward) sort of date. My favorite interaction with a local traveler was in Portugal when we met an old couple from Canada. They were so fun and so sweet and we talked to them all throughout dinner.

D: The Chinese family we shared a courtyard with in Thailand, who we are still in contact with today.

J: While we were in La Fortuna, Costa Rica a man literally climbed a tree to show us a sloth that was in the field behind his house. We had a lot of great human interactions during our trip, but this one is particularly special to me because it was very early on in our trip, during a time when we were still getting our footing. I remember thinking at the time “This is exactly what I hoped for this year.”

Describe the worst human interaction you had with a local or another traveler during the trip.

B: There was this waiter at a bakery that had this famous pastry we were all going to try and he was trying to act all funny by calling me Micheal Jackson and Dad Peter Griffin and stuff like that but it was just annoying.

A: My worst experience with a local was also probably Lanze (the guy I met in The Philippines) because after that (very, very, very awkward) sort of date, he ghosted me. Oh well.

D: Grumpy old woman running a soda in Costa Rica. I even spoke Spanish to her, not English, but she seemed disgusted we even showed up to eat there.

J: While at a museum in Guam, Alexis and I engaged a group of three adults in conversation. When we started to explain our year of travel one guy looked at me, shook his head and said in a very rude tone “Must be nice to be rich”.

What was the kindest act anyone did for you during your entire journey?

B: My friend Jay from Jaco showed me the ropes of how to live the pura vida life！

A: In Tokyo, Japan, there was a little cafe that we ate at a few times and it was run by this little old woman. The first time we went there, both Braxton and I tried this really pretty magenta drink that turned out to be disgusting and bitter. Braxton actually really liked it, but I had to force myself to drink the whole thing because in Japan, it’s rude not to eat everything that was given to you. After we were done eating, the little old woman came over and asked if Brax and I liked the drink and I wasn’t about to tell her “no” so I said yes. She saw right through me. She said “you liked it,” while pointing at my brother and then she pointed to me and said “you, not so much.” I was MORTIFIED. I had basically just been caught in a lie, but I laughed along because what else was I supposed to do? When we were getting ready to leave though, she went up to me and handed me a green drink and said “I think this one you will like more, it is sweeter.” She gave us it for free! That was literally the sweetest thing someone ever did for me all of Gap Year.

D: A couple of old Japanese guys helped us find the right train line after they could tell we were completely lost. They spoke almost no English, but walked far enough with us to get us oriented.

J: While trying to get into our condo building in Spain one day, our key fob to enter the building wasn’t working. An older man walking by noticed we were struggling. He spoke only Spanish, but quickly started buzzing every condo in the building until someone answered and came down to let us in. 

What was the best personal style you saw while traveling, and what was the coolest hair you encountered?

B: I really liked this guy’s shirt that was on a plane, it was red and had all these cool little specs of white on it, it also seemed kind of normal because he said he played professional rugby. The coolest hair, I’m not really sure on that one.

A: A lot of the people in Japan had really good style, but for some reason a lot of the people in Spain wore leather jackets that were so cute. When I get back home, I plan on looking for a leather jacket because for some reason, I love the way they look. The coolest hair I encountered was probably mine when I dyed it pink, but if I can’t say myself . . . this one lady’s bright blue hair in Spain.

D: Everyone in Barcelona seems to have their own unique personal style. Hair – A lady at the beach with fancy dreads.

J: The best style was in Barcelona. The people are really beautiful there! The coolest hair was the sumo wrestlers in Japan. 

What was the best thing you ate during your trip and where did you eat it?

B: The best thing I ate on Gap Year was this fried rice that was the BEST and it was in La Fortuna, Costa Rica！

A: Melon Pan. Japan. THIS STUFF WAS AMAZING. It was basically a half-circle of bread and the outside of it was this hard, crunchy, sugary shell and the inside was a delicious, soft bread, I would eat it every day for the rest of my life.

D: Green curry at Srifaa’s in Chiang Mai. 

J: Okonomiyaki in Osaka, Japan.

What was the worst thing you ate during your trip, and where did you eat it?

B: In Thailand, there was this restaurant that my family liked to go to once in a while and the second time we went I decided to try something new so I got this weird rice soup but I don’t remember what it was called and if white rice with nothing on it has 0 flavor, this had -5 flavor and a side of lumpiness.

A: In Thailand I accidentally ordered a really spicy (and when I say really spicy, I mean REALLY SPICY) fried rice dish that I then felt compelled to eat because of how dumb I was ordering it. I said “yes” when the lady asked if I wanted it to be spicy, which is literally the dumbest thing I could have done. Worst dinner of my life.

D: Chicken wings from the market at our complex in Manila. The wings didn’t taste that bad, but I had to wait about 40 minutes for them to go to the store and buy the chicken, cook them, and then Alexis and I both got sick from them.

J: Chicken intestines in Manila, Philippines. Not sure what I was thinking trying those. 

Would you do this entire year-long world trip again? Why or why not?

B: No, because I would not want another full year of no friends. But the whole travel experience was very cool, but if I have to choose one then I would go with no.

A: ABSOLUTELY YES. This year was most definitely, the best year of my life. It was eye-opening, fun, I grew way closer to my family, and on the plus side: I didn’t have to go to eighth grade at Sierra.

D: Yes, I enjoyed every part of it, even the hard parts.

J: YES! It was an insane amount of work to make it happen, but such an amazing experience. Even when it was hard. 

What was the scariest moment you experienced during the entire trip?

B: When this guy in the Philippines asked me what our room number was and what floor we were on and what building number we lived in. Yep, that made me pretty scared.

A: Either when a man asked Braxton what floor we lived on and possibly which room we lived in, or when Braxton went to the other side of a courtyard at night without us knowing and I thought he had been kidnapped.

D: Jill putting her phone inches from a pit viper’s face to get a picture.

J: When a man in the Philippines asked Braxton a lot of personal information about our family and what building/room number we were staying in. 

Describe the longest journey you took between an Airbnb in one country to an Airbnb in another country, including all steps of the trip.

B: We went from South Africa to Portugal and the whole thing was 38 hours!!! We went from South Africa to Cape Town, then from Cape Town to Angola, then from Angola to Portugal！ The first flight was about 45 minutes long, the second flight was about 5 hours long (P.S. Alexis said that I fell asleep and started snoring SUPER loud！ And I slept the whole ride), the last flight was about 9 hours long and I know that doesn’t add up to 38 hours but when you add in the layovers it does.

A: From South Africa to Portugal: George to Cape Town; Cape Town to Angola; Angola to Lisbon. Overall the whole thing took 38 hours and was miserable.

D: Definitely South Africa to Portugal.

J: South Africa to Portugal. We flew from George to Capetown, had a 5 hour layover. Flew from Capetown to Angola, had a 9 hour layover. Flew from Angola to Lisbon, then stood in line for passport control for almost 3 hours. From the time we left our Airbnb in South Africa to the time we arrived at our Airbnb in Portugal we had been traveling for 38 hours. 

Which country you visited was the cheapest to live and travel in?

B: The Philippines, very cheap!

A: The Philippines.

D: We spent less in the Philippines, however Vietnam is the cheaper location. 

J: The Philippines was our cheapest month of the year, but Vietnam is a cheaper location. 

What memory or experience from this trip will stay with you forever?

B: Walking around all of the nature in Thailand with all of the fall leaves on the ground and the birds chirping and the sun at just the right angle to hit that bald spot on your head！

A: Definitely all of the eye opening experiences I’ve had this year. I’ve seen a lot of poverty and very different living environments which has really changed how I view the world and my own actions. I find myself really hoping that the lessons I’ve learned this year will stay with me forever. 

D: I will probably think back most to the interesting and ridiculous things that unfolded during boring moments in our Airbnbs. Alexis and I became bros, Braxton and I became Chads, inanimate objects developed full personalities, Alexis’ comedy sets and raptor running, Braxton becoming great at scratch, recording EVPs, Jill and I hanging out on utility decks and having happy hours in shoe closets, etc.

J: Watching the kids learn/grow throughout the year, and all the “firsts” we experienced. The first time walking through a dense jungle in Costa Rica, the first time we took the train in Japan, the first time seeing the beaches on Guam, the first time entering a Buddhist temple in Thailand, the first time seeing the amazing nature of South Africa, and the first time seeing the beautiful architecture of Europe. 

What did you miss most from home while you were traveling?

B: My friends, a close second was when I heard that my friend Abram was having chili for dinner.

A: My friends, and really just having a social interaction in which the other person speaks fluent English and doesn’t think I’m a snotty teenager. 

D: In some locations, potable tap water. In others, reliable access to workout equipment.

J: A stocked pantry for cooking. 

What did you think you would miss from home, but ended up not missing at all?

B: Having my own room, turns out that Alexis is a good bedroom groupie.

A: Having my own room. I have to agree with Braxton on this one: I don’t hate sharing a room with him, it is especially nice when the room feels haunted and I have backup. 

D: Four bathrooms. We often shared one bathroom this year and it was fine.

J: The comfort of familiar surroundings. 

Describe a time when you thought you could not keep going on this trip for another day.

B: THE BEGINNING！ I know it sounds really weird like I just made that up but its true.

A: Mid-way through Osaka, Japan when I realized that we were only three months in and that in another three months we would only be half-way done. Don’t worry I grew to love gap year. Or maybe in Portugal when we were eating at a time-out market and I had no one but my family to talk to, I felt very lonely. 

D: Pick any day in Manila or Sri Lanka.

J: About halfway through our time in Manila. The incident with the man talking to Braxton had happened, the small living space was wearing on me, cooking felt extremely hard there, and I could literally feel my body atrophying from lack of exercise. 

What was the funniest moment involving a language barrier or misunderstanding?

B: When mom and dad were practicing Japanese with Google Translate and it started coming out as really weird things！ Like when this wall hanging machine gave us a warning about the hot water and it came out as “Hey John, Google workout in the sky！”

A: I had a bag of lays chips with a random flavor name, when I translated it using the google translate camera, I found out that I was eating “country woman” flavored chips!

D: In Sri Lanka we thought we were being offered a drink called “Donut Rum”, but he was asking if we liked Donald Trump.

J: In Sri Lanka when we thought our server was offering us “Donut Rum” to drink and he was really asking us “Do you like Donald Trump?”

What was the most embarrassing moment involving a language barrier or misunderstanding?

B: In La Fortuna when I “tried” to make friends with the other guys around and I probably said something that was (unfortunately) not in Spanish.

A: Literally every single time someone said something to me in Spain. Every single time a little part of my brain was going “okay, Alexis, you know how to do this, just respond in the Spanish you know”, while the other side of my brain was freaking out. This caused me to stare wide-eyed at the person and laugh awkwardly until the other person left or switched to English. 

D: After exiting the plane in Barcelona, a guy spoke fast Spanish to us, probably about baggage claim, and we blank stared at him until he said in English “you don’t know what I’m saying do you”.

J: When ordering at a food stand in La Fortuna, I had to count on my fingers to remember the Spanish word for the number 7.

Describe a moment when you thought to yourself, “I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.”

B: The beginning of gap year when mom and I LITERALLY said “We are doing it！”

A: Floating on my back in the clear, empty waters of the Guam beach. 

D: Driving on the left hand side of the road, in the right hand side of the car in South Africa.

J: Swinging from the tarzan rope and dropping into the water in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. 

Describe a moment when you thought to yourself, “No one could find me here.”

B: When I was inside the Cu Chi Tunnels!

A: I’ve never really thought that, but I have thought about how hilarious it would be if I bumped into someone I knew from back home in one of these countries.

D: Most of the year I felt like we stood out, and if anything I thought I could easily be found.

J: I never had the thought that no one could find me here, but I often thought to myself “I can’t believe I am in (Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, etc)”.

Which country had the friendliest people you met, and why do you think that?

B: Japan, because everybody was livin’ the dream！

A: Sri Lanka: they were so happy to see tourists there (probably because it’s not a super well known country) and we got thanked multiple times for visiting.

D: ​​Sri Lanka – they are genuinely happy when foreigners visit.

J: Sri Lanka. They were excited to have tourists visit their country and genuinely wanted to know what we thought about it. 

Which country had the least friendly people you met, and why do you think that?

B: In the Philippines, we were some of the only white people there, and there was this woman that literally stared at us so much she ran into a bench！

A: Personally I’m not sure anywhere was overly unfriendly. Portugal had a lot of anti-tourist signs, along with Barcelona, but no one was overly unfriendly to me because I was a tourist. I have had some people (usually old ladies) walk by me, glare at me when I try to smile at them, and then smile warmly at my mom when she smiles at them. I’m pretty sure that was just because I was a teenager though. 

D: South Africa was the only place where I could for example walk up to a cash register with a person I had never met and realize “oh this person doesn’t like me”. However, some people in SA were equally as welcoming as Sri Lanka and were very helpful to us.

J: We never encountered outwardly unfriendly people in any country. In South Africa, I never felt very warmly accepted and I wonder if that isn’t still an after effect of Apartheid. We saw signs about anti-tourism in Portugal and Spain, but never had any rude encounters. 

What were the best markets you visited during your trip?

B: I really liked the one in Spain, there was all this cool food you could try and it was just really awesome！

A: The Guam night markets – they had great food, shops, activities, and were really close. 

D: Guam night markets.

J: Guam Night Markets, Ben Tanh Market in Vietnam, and the Portugal Flea Market.

What was the best place to be at night?

B: Vietnam, because all of the lights were on and my bedroom had a view of this place called “Landmark – 81” and it went all out on their lights!!!

A: Japan (specifically Tokyo) – there were always people around, and it seems like things didn’t close until late into the night, so there were endless fun things to do. Also, it was by far the safest. 

D: Japan – Even when we sought out the most dangerous area of Tokyo one night, it was still lovely.

J: Japan. My favorite was walking along the Sumida river with all the bridges lit up. 

What was the best place to be in the early morning?

B: Thailand, because the sun was just really pretty and the leaves were all on the ground and the chirping birds really finished it all off！

A: Thailand. Mom and I went on a walk every morning while we were there and every time I stepped out into the morning air, I always thought of the crisp, cool mornings in Colorado. 

D: Barcelona – early morning is the only time it is quiet

J: Thailand. The weather was cool and it was so peaceful.

What was the scariest car ride you took while traveling?

B: There was this Uber we took back to our condo in the Philippines and the driver was great and all, but there was a lot of traffic and he was swerving left and right and it was kind of scary and made me car sick, but I’ve heard that YOU brandy, get insanely car sick so I’ll just stop talking now.

A: Unlike my family, I loved the ride back from BGC. For me the scariest car ride was at Addo Elephant National Park, when Mom first tried driving on the left side of the road. It didn’t go very well. 

D: Returning from BGC to our condo in Manila. It was scary before the ride because we were stranded for two hours when nobody was willing to go to the area of our condo. That area has literally the worst traffic in the world, ranked. We got a ride by paying a multiple of the normal fare, and the traffic was pure chaos.

J: Disco taxi ride home from BGC in Manila. It was the worst traffic I have ever seen and we were so close to other cars. 

What is your favorite country you visited during the trip, and why?

B: My favorite place on Gap Year was Thailand because it had the best outdoor area and was the best place for a relaxing nature walk！

A: JAPAN! It was absolutely amazing there: it was safe, fun, the food was life-changing, the people there were amazing, it was clean, quiet, and overall amazing. 

D: Japan, it’s so foreign and safe and fun.

J: Japan. Everything just seemed to work in Japan. The culture was so different from ours and everywhere was safe and clean. 

What is your least favorite country you visited during the trip, and why?

B: The Philippines, because the condo was small and everybody stared at me, and that made me feel small.

A: I think if I hadn’t met Lanze or any other people in The Philippines, it would be my least favorite, but Sri Lanka is. There wasn’t anywhere to walk, the food generally sucked (even though I found a sandwich I enjoyed) and it was hot there. The mosquitoes were also a problem. 

D: Sri Lanka, although Manila was a singularly worse location

J: The Philippines. Our condo was so small and we were stuck in the area because of the horrible traffic/transportation issues. 

What is your favorite place you visited (restaurant, beach, structure, museum, etc.)?

B: My favorite place I visited was this restaurant in Tokyo and they had the best pizza EVER!!! The beach in Guam was really good too. (I don’t remember the name of the pizza place, sorry.)

A: Electric Town in Tokyo, Japan. It was such a fun mix of food, games, and giant buildings that I have never encountered before. It was the most foreign and fun experience. 

D: Time Out Market in Lisbon.

J: The beautiful beaches on Guam. They were so calm, peaceful and never crowded. The snorkeling was amazing and we could do it right off the shore without a tour guide. 

Describe a moment that you wish you could stay in forever.

B: Walking around the park area in Thailand, SOOOOOOOOOO beautiful！

A: Floating on the water in Guam. 

D: Happy hours at Barceloneta Beach.

J: Hiking the peninsula at Robberg Nature Reserve. It was the most beautiful hike I’ve ever been on and I took my favorite picture of the year there. Dave is standing on an outcropping of rocks overlooking the ocean. It feels like a symbol for all the adventure we had throughout the year. 

What was the coolest technology you encountered while traveling?

B: Japan AI robots

A: The robots at the Museum of Emerging Science in Japan. 

D: Japan transit systems.

J: Japan’s train systems.

What are one or two things you saw while traveling that you wish existed in the United States?

B: Thailand’s walking area.

A: Japan’s trains and Japan’s food. 

D: Japan transit systems, Japanese toilets.

J: Trains that span the entire country and smaller portions (restaurants, houses, etc.)

What was the best Airbnb you stayed at during the entire trip?

B: GUAM!!!

A: Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

D: Chiang Mai Thailand followed closely by Barcelona.

J: Chiang Mai, Thailand.

How many times did you go through airport security during the entire trip?

B: 19

A: 19

D: 25

J: 19

How many different beds did you sleep in during the entire trip?

B: Whatever mom said

A: 22

D: 24

J: 22

How many different currencies did you use during the trip, and which one was the hardest to calculate and get used to?

B: Whatever mom said

A: 9 – Vietnamese Dong

D: 9, Vietnamese Dong

J: 9 – The Vietnamese Dong was the hardest to get used to at $1 = 26,000 Dong.

What was the most surprising cultural difference you noticed compared to home?

B: I would go with Dad’s.

A: The mutual silence that everyone in Japan seems to have. There could be thousands of people in one spot, and relatively no noise.

D: Pissing outdoors in the open view of people is apparently acceptable in most locations.

J: The quiet/reserved nature of the people in Japan. 

What was the most beautiful natural landscape you saw during your trip?

B: Addo elephant national park! – South Africa!

A: The beaches on Guam. 

D: Knysna South Africa in general – Buffalo Bay Beach, Coney Glenn Beach, Robberg Nature Reserve.

J: Robberg Nature Reserve and Coney Glen Beach in South Africa.

What was the most interesting historical site you visited?

B: Cu Chi Tunnels – Vietnam.

A: Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam.

D: Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam

J: Cu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam.

What was the weirdest local custom you encountered?

B: Caganers in Spain. Big or Small statues of all sorts of famous people taking a dump on the ground.

A: In Japan, it’s common to slurp your noodles or soup loudly, it’s supposed to be a sign to the chefs that you enjoy it, but mostly it’s just gross. 

D: I can’t recall if we witnessed the full display of this first-hand, and it’s certainly not widespread, but Japanese salarymen feel compelled to drink to the point of blacking out if their superiors keep offering them drinks. You can find them passed out in public places with water bottles around them that passersby would leave them. This isn’t viewed negatively by the public, but rather as a neutral known part of white-collar work culture.

J: Caganers in Spain. Little pooping statues that are part of the nativity scene. 

Is there a person you met that will stay in your memory as a symbol of the spirit of one of the countries you visited? Who is it and why?

B: Jay from Costa Rica, he was always happy and had a smile on his face even when something bad was going on!

A: When we first arrived in Sri Lanka, Braxton was super tired so he leaned fully on an old ladies baggage cart. I was horrified when I saw he was doing that because he was basically preventing her from going anywhere (his arms were crossed on the handle and his head was resting on his arms). I went to tell him to stop doing that, but when I told him to stop the lady saw and put her hands up in a calming gesture to me saying in broken English “It all right.” I think this really showed how kind the people in Sri Lanka were and also just how kind she was. 

D: The mom of Braxton’s friend Jay in Jaco Costa Rica was the embodiment of Pura Vida. One time it was raining and we saw her lift and hold her potted plants over the balcony so they could catch rain water. She was smiling the entire time she did it.

J: I never actually met this person, but there was an older man that swept the streets in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Alexis and I would pass him each morning on our walk and he would always smile and say “Krup” (hello). He always had a sparkle in his eyes and seemed at peace. Thailand was such a peaceful place.

What was the best local festival or event you got to attend?

B: The Dragon Boat Festival – Guam

A: I don’t remember what it was called or what it was for, but in Tokyo there was a parade that went right by our house, and when we went on our balcony to look at it, I had someone wave at me!

D: Barcelona Whit Monday.

J: The Dragon Boat Festival in Guam. 

What was the most unexpected thing that happened to you during the trip?

B: Me thinking I wouldn’t like the trip but then I did when we actually were doing it.

A: I think I grew more flexible and also funnier. I think this whole year went by much quicker than I thought it would. 

D: Alexis reverting from peer-oriented sullen teenager before the trip to a joy to be around on the trip.

J: That the year was easier than I thought it would be. We turned our entire worlds upside down, and there were hard times, but we all accepted each other wherever we were at. 

What was the best souvenir you brought home with you?

B: A pen from Guam, a colone from Costa Rica, a toy airplane made out of cuttings from soda cans from South Africa, and a key chain from Japan. That’s all I can think of.

A: I got a lot of new clothes on gap year, but my favorite souvenir is probably a giant elephant tapestry from Spain. 

D: I didn’t bring anything back with me.

J: Chopsticks from Japan and a pair of earrings from each of the other countries.

What is the biggest lesson you learned from this entire trip?

B: The more you learn about how other people live their life in other places, the more you feel like your life is too boring. No joke, I feel like the people in Guam would die of boredom if they came to Colorado and saw what I did on an average day.

A: To be grateful for everything you have. I saw a lot of poverty this year and now that I have I feel like I’m a lot more grateful for what I have. I also learned that money doesn’t buy happiness, to give to others, and definitely to never waste food. 

D: This year was fragile and any of a million things could have stopped it from happening in the first place, or derailed the year after it started. I guess the lesson is that if you have an opportunity like this in your grasp, you have to take it while the door is open. Your situation could change on a dime, and that one moment may have been your only moment.

J: When in doubt, choose the bigger life. It took us about 5 years of talking about doing something like this before we actually got brave enough to do it. I’m so glad we did! I also learned to say what I want more of the time (something I’ve never been good at).

What was your favorite form of transportation? (Plane, Train, Bus, Car, Motorcycle, Walking, 3-wheeled car)

B: Plane

A: Train (a Japanese train to be specific). 

D: Train

J: Train

If this year was a color, what would it be? 

B: I think of it as a mix from the rainbow all into one color to present endless possibilities.

A: Yellow, I don’t know why, but this was a yellow year. 

D: Yellow for all the sunshine we had.

J: Blue – so many beautiful blue skies and oceans.

If this year was a song, what would it be?

B: Three Six Five – “ShineDown” Rock Band

A: I Lived by One Republic 

D: Cody Johnson – ‘Til You Can’t

J: I Lived by One Republic

Which family member adjusted easiest during your trip? (Jill, Dave, Alexis, Braxton)

B: Dad, he didn’t really care I don’t think. When it comes to the country or going out of his comfort zone.

A: Alexis, Dad was a close second, but I won. 

D: Alexis

J: Dave, with Alexis a very close second. 

What was a time that made you laugh uncontrollably?

B: Mom’s Metro Pole Dancing 💃

A: The time Mom pulled off a whole pole dance routine on our subway. 

D: Any of Alexis’ impromptu standup routines, and Jill’s bark hiccup.

J: When I almost fell over on the train in Spain. We now refer to it as “Mom’s Metro Pole Dancing.”

What was a time that you felt so sad for the inequalities in the world?

B: Walking past homeless people that are begging for food.

A: The woman eating food out of the trash and asking if we had any food in our trash in South Africa. 

D: There was a woman digging for food in the trash at our complex in South Africa and eating anything she found. She asked us if we had any food in our trash bag as we brought it out to the dumpster. We waste almost zero food, so we told her no, but brought her a bag of fresh food.

J: Driving past informal settlements in South Africa. There was one specific time that it had just rained. There were people throwing buckets of water in an effort to keep their yards from flooding as small children sat on the tattered steps watching. 

After traveling and living all over the world, what is the thing you feel most grateful for in the US?

B: Safe drinking water, all the seasons, 80% to 90% of people speak English, nice people and friends to have around.

A: Safe drinking water, English, and social connections. 

D: Potable tap water

J: Social connections and safe drinking water. 

Anything else you want to tell me about your amazing trip that we haven’t asked about already?

B: This year was a truly fun and amazing experience for all four of us! Can’t believe we did it!

A: Most places we went had really awful wifi, including Japan. I thought when I walked into Japan it would be like walking into the future, but it’s not. Also, this year was absolutely amazing!!

D: I was surprised how little down time Jill and I had this year. Before the year started I thought there would be vast stretches of leisure time, but that never materialized. That would-be time was dedicated to school planning, the school day, researching and lining up our next location, financial tracking and maneuvering, learning Spanish, working out, being the kids only in-person entertainment, and getting basic necessities. This was probably for the best – we aren’t great at luxuriating in leisure time.

J: When Dave and I were going back and forth about our final decision to actually do this year of travel, I did this fear setting exercise. Completing this was the final tipping point for me to be all in. It was extremely helpful! If you have something big you want to do, but can’t quite take the leap, maybe give it a try. I am so glad we actually did it!