225 Days Later...

The time has come for us to reflect on our journey, months in the making. 225 days, 13 countries, over 40 cities, and too many beautiful churches, remarkable works of art, delicious meals, and unbelievable sites to count, this is finally our goodbye post. 

Through this experience, we have grown so much more independent and sure of ourselves, even in the most difficult and awkward situations. Now, any challenge--from walking around a city where we don't have a map, to trying to communicate with others in a different language--can become an adventure. While there have been times when these challenges have not been "fun" adventures at the time, we realize that we have learned from each experience. From living in Rome and traveling to other countries, whose cultures are very different to our own, this year has opened our eyes to the world outside of the US, and while we considered ourselves to be "worldly" before this adventure, this year abroad really has added a whole new dimension to how we view the world and how there is still so much more to see and learn. While we will be the first to admit that not everything ran smoothly, the bumps along the way are just part of the experience. We have learned to defy stereotypes, to try to not to succumb to them, and to welcome every day in a different country as a valuable learning experience. 

We hope you have enjoyed reading our stories, marveling at the places we've been, and hearing how we've learned about ourselves and the world around us. We thank you for sticking with us until the end, and we would like to ask for your patience when we see you next as we try to verbalize our experiences and memories, for sometimes there may not be words that accurately reflect these moments. And we hope you will have the opportunity to be able (and willing) to immerse yourself in another culture, be it for a week or a year, for you will come out as a better citizen of the world, just as we have. 

From all of these adventures and memories, one thing is for certain: we have been bitten by the travel bug, and we will always be searching for the next adventure!