Saturday, September 8, 2018

A Journey Around The World

The Glacier Express 
Not long ago, I came up with the crazy idea of traveling all the way around the Earth. And before long, I set out to do just that. I set out to circumnavigate the globe. As I currently sit here on a beach in South Florida, the last eight months began to play like an old film in my mind. Flashes of all the things I've seen and all the things I've done came spilling out of my memories like water falling from great heights, cascading down into a pool of crystal water. In a span of half a year, I have: Gazed upon the Grand Canyon covered lightly in snow.
Fiji
I have hiked the rugged trails of Zion National Park and played the slots in Vegas. I've traversed 100 km through the temperate rain forests of New Zealand and saw the moon rise and the sun set along its golden beaches. I've cruised along Milford Sound, been engulfed in the gray mist of Key Summit, and gazed upon the blue ice of a
Key Summit NZ
mountain glacier. I've spent St Patrick's Day with the Irish in Queenstown. I've drank kava with the Fijians, lazed along the turquoise sea of their beautiful islands, and dove free beneath the sparkling surface of the Pacific Ocean. I've seen the Sydney Opera House, walked the Harbour Bridge, and cuddled a koala. I've hiked through the largest eucalyptus forest on earth and watched the surfers at Bondi ride the swells of the most famous beach in all of Australia. I've seen Aboriginal villages, seen miles of crocodile-filled shorelines, snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, and walked under the canopy of the Daintree; the oldest rainforest in the world.
Great Barrier Reef
I've spent the night on the floor in the Singapore airport, sailed the Greek Isles, and stood in awe of the Acropolis. I've floated the breadth of the Adriatic Sea, spent hours walking in awe through the ancient streets of Pompeii, and stood high on the mighty Mt. Vesuvius.
Camping the Swiss Alps
I've seen the streets of Amsterdam and the rolling hills of Sweden. I've gazed upon distant planets hanging silently over the crystal waters of Lake Vänern. I've spent starry nights camping in the fjord lands of Norway and rode through the magnificent Flam Valley on a bike yelling 'wheeeeeeee' all the way. I've waved at Kings, seen colorful parades, and slept on the streets of Bergen. I was the first person to step foot on Norway's first-ever electric cruise ship; the wave of the future. I've seen my favorite performer with 80,000 other crazy fans and ridden on the slowest express train in the world. I've gazed upon the mighty Matterhorn, camped under Jungfrau and Eiger; the towering peaks of the Swiss Alps. I've sat for hours watching them never move, but change with every rolling cloud that washed over them. I've stood in those same mountains, 12,000 feet above sea level, and strolled through caves carved from their existence; caves made from solid, seemingly impenetrable grey ice. I've tented my way across Scandinavia and crisscrossed Europe through Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Greece, and beyond. I've walked the streets of Bavarian
Hiking Ireland 
 villages where fairy tales, castles, knights, and wizards sat ever-present swirling in my mind. I have hiked the sweeping sand dunes of the northwest coast of Ireland, visited its surfing capital Bundoran, and climbed from the sea to a summit in a day. I've stood wind-blown high above soaring mountain passes and swam in freezing oceans. There have been rain-filled days of slumber, music in pubs, and beers galore. I've walked the green
hills, forests, and bogs from the Irish Sea to the vast Atlantic Ocean. I've meandered along the Emeralds Isle's meadows, rocky shores, and beaches. And of course, I've visited a quaint Irish seaside village or two. I've spent hours happily walking the sweeping hills and dales of England. I've watched rain storms glide over waterfalls, walked laughing in the rain, gazed on rainbows, rode gondolas, seen butterflies flutter,
Lake District, UK.
 and have seen birds awash with the colors of the spectrum of a rainbow. I've seen a plethora of sunsets and sunrises. I've walked black, white, and red sand beaches, eaten pizza and prawns as big as my head, fallen in love with mountains and valleys, and visited cities that charmed and dismayed me. I've gazed upon raging rivers, soaring waterfalls, and babbling brooks. I have stood alone and listened to the buzz of millions of bees; the music of the earth. I've traveled over 25,000 miles spanning four continents, walked over 1000 miles, and flown further than I've ever flown before.
It's truly been the adventure of a lifetime and I'd do it all over again in a second.
                                                           

                         
                                                         
Greece