As of today I have been on the road for one year and one week. I have been living outside my country for much longer, but I was working and thus I don’t count that as being on the road. I know my posts of late have been much less informative and way more about my personal life, but here is one more for consistency sake. I want to take the time to say thank you to each of the people who have spent time with me on the road.
Myles & Tim the Dutchman: Thank you for going out of your way to help me find vegetarian food, explaining why I shouldn’t eat onions to very confused waiters, buying me flu medicine when I was too sick to leave bed, making jump shots a group effort, researching places with yoga just so I could do a class, telling me to keep going during the marathon, and for sharing the highs/lows of travel with me. You got to know the good the bad and the ugly aspects of me and yet you still showed me unconditional love. I can honestly say I doubt anyone else (other than my parents) in this world will ever show me limitless love and patience the way you did. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every moment. I am sad to say you are no longer on the road with me, but smile at the thought of all the time we shared. I will always carry the memories with me in a positive place in my mind. I send you kind wishes that on this road in life you find people who will treat you the way you treated me. I will always be in your corner and one of your biggest fans.
Tim & Maya: There have been very few times in my life when I haven’t been looking to the future. When you arrived, I started dreading the passing of days because it meant I was getting closer to the day when you would have to leave. Our month in Vietnam was so much more about spending time with you than seeing the sights. It was so enjoyable to share all my meals with you and to chat about things we rarely have the time to discuss. I love you both and that month was a great reminder that yes there is so much to discover on the road, but I have some amazing people to rediscover back home. Yep, the Mac Clan is special and I am oh so proud to be among them. Thank you for the years of support whether that be by hanging my underwear on the bushes in the front yard when I was five, by scaring the boys away with a revolutionary shotgun, by teaching me how to code HTML so I wouldn’t be the girl who needed a boy’s help, by cheering from the sidelines of my soccer games, by embarrassingly whistling from the front row of my college graduation, and by always being willing to answer my calls. I guess I owe you. Good thing for you I am so much younger and am willing to change your diapers when you are old (not without jokes of course).
Kellie: Some people you are just destined to meet. Kellie and I randomly met in the Frankfurt airport and as complete strangers ended up being roommates in Rome. She is a bubbly, positive, caring, and wonderful person. We shared rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, heart break, success, and a lot of laughter. Thailand with you was spectacular. I loved every moment even the orange smoothie you dropped down my bra on accident. Thank you for taking the time and spending the money to come and meet me wherever I was in the world. You were so flexible with our itinerary and because of you we were able to meet the last of the “Banana Leaf” tribe. Just so you know you are stuck with me. Deal with it!
Matt: There are few things better than a longtime friend. It was a surprise to have you come meet me in the streets of Bangkok. It was so great catching up over pad thai and lathering our extremely white skin together to hit Railey Beach. You are a generous person and I greatly appreciate you. I look forward to more Mexican food when I get home and to another four hour discussion of our plans for the future. Since we were fifteen, you have been a great friend and supporter. Thank you.
Miriam: How amazing is it how we met and continued to meet again and again. You did so much to go out of your way to meet me. THANK YOU. What sticks out even more in my mind are the days when solo traveling was making me feel a bit lonely and how willing you were regardless of the time difference to call me. You are one of the most high-quality friends I have ever had. Thank you for sharing my passions of travel, self-discovery, and adventure. Till next we meet… may we find ourselves scuba diving in an exotic land and doing downward dog on a yoga mat covered in sand.
Courtney: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to cross the Pacific Ocean by boat. It was such a unique experience that very few people get to have. The first day I arrived you organized my birthday dinner, made sure I had all the supplies I needed, and even stocked the fridge with chocolate. Thank you for your time. I wish you the best at sea and hope our paths cross again.
Myles & Tim the Dutchman: Thank you for going out of your way to help me find vegetarian food, explaining why I shouldn’t eat onions to very confused waiters, buying me flu medicine when I was too sick to leave bed, making jump shots a group effort, researching places with yoga just so I could do a class, telling me to keep going during the marathon, and for sharing the highs/lows of travel with me. You got to know the good the bad and the ugly aspects of me and yet you still showed me unconditional love. I can honestly say I doubt anyone else (other than my parents) in this world will ever show me limitless love and patience the way you did. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every moment. I am sad to say you are no longer on the road with me, but smile at the thought of all the time we shared. I will always carry the memories with me in a positive place in my mind. I send you kind wishes that on this road in life you find people who will treat you the way you treated me. I will always be in your corner and one of your biggest fans.
Tim & Maya: There have been very few times in my life when I haven’t been looking to the future. When you arrived, I started dreading the passing of days because it meant I was getting closer to the day when you would have to leave. Our month in Vietnam was so much more about spending time with you than seeing the sights. It was so enjoyable to share all my meals with you and to chat about things we rarely have the time to discuss. I love you both and that month was a great reminder that yes there is so much to discover on the road, but I have some amazing people to rediscover back home. Yep, the Mac Clan is special and I am oh so proud to be among them. Thank you for the years of support whether that be by hanging my underwear on the bushes in the front yard when I was five, by scaring the boys away with a revolutionary shotgun, by teaching me how to code HTML so I wouldn’t be the girl who needed a boy’s help, by cheering from the sidelines of my soccer games, by embarrassingly whistling from the front row of my college graduation, and by always being willing to answer my calls. I guess I owe you. Good thing for you I am so much younger and am willing to change your diapers when you are old (not without jokes of course).
Kellie: Some people you are just destined to meet. Kellie and I randomly met in the Frankfurt airport and as complete strangers ended up being roommates in Rome. She is a bubbly, positive, caring, and wonderful person. We shared rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, heart break, success, and a lot of laughter. Thailand with you was spectacular. I loved every moment even the orange smoothie you dropped down my bra on accident. Thank you for taking the time and spending the money to come and meet me wherever I was in the world. You were so flexible with our itinerary and because of you we were able to meet the last of the “Banana Leaf” tribe. Just so you know you are stuck with me. Deal with it!
Matt: There are few things better than a longtime friend. It was a surprise to have you come meet me in the streets of Bangkok. It was so great catching up over pad thai and lathering our extremely white skin together to hit Railey Beach. You are a generous person and I greatly appreciate you. I look forward to more Mexican food when I get home and to another four hour discussion of our plans for the future. Since we were fifteen, you have been a great friend and supporter. Thank you.
Miriam: How amazing is it how we met and continued to meet again and again. You did so much to go out of your way to meet me. THANK YOU. What sticks out even more in my mind are the days when solo traveling was making me feel a bit lonely and how willing you were regardless of the time difference to call me. You are one of the most high-quality friends I have ever had. Thank you for sharing my passions of travel, self-discovery, and adventure. Till next we meet… may we find ourselves scuba diving in an exotic land and doing downward dog on a yoga mat covered in sand.
Courtney: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to cross the Pacific Ocean by boat. It was such a unique experience that very few people get to have. The first day I arrived you organized my birthday dinner, made sure I had all the supplies I needed, and even stocked the fridge with chocolate. Thank you for your time. I wish you the best at sea and hope our paths cross again.
