The UnEdited Update: 11 Months of Travel
This post is the unedited version of our 12 month trip around the world. You won’t find Instagram worthy photos here. For that, head on over to our Instagram accounts (duh) or simply check out the “Destination” category posts in this blog. Now, onto the update!
In September 2017, Pierre and I embarked on the biggest storytelling journey of our lives. We left NYC behind with a mission to fill our year with adventures and stories which we could pass on to our kids and grandchild one day. Since then, we’ve been able to:
- Sail around the Greece islands while pretending to live out an early retirement for a month.
- Road trip through France and Spain to our destination in Portugal, taking some time to reconnect with ourselves and nature.
- Catch some world-class waves on the east cost of Taiwan.
- Encountered some of the kindest people in the Philippines.
- Take Pierre’s 83 year old-grandmother on her first journey to Asia visiting Trina’s family in Thailand.
- Chase waterfalls and sunsets on the many islands of Indonesia.
- Go to Japan where Trina lived out her childhood dreams of seeing the cherry blossoms bloom in spring.
- Make a quick stopover in Malaysia & Singapore to visit old friends & classmates.
- Discover out of this world landscapes in Utah where Trina discovered that she was a desert child.
- Travel back to the Philippines not once, but twice to create crazy content on YouTube.
It’s been nearly 11 months since we left NYC. And unless you’re one of our moms, chances are that you haven’t been following our every move.
Hence, we thought it was finally time for a FULL UPDATE of our journey along the way.
Month #1 – September – Greece
We started off our world tour with a sailing adventure in Greece with Pierre’s aunt and uncle who spend half of the year living and sailing around the Mediterranean on their sailboat. Highlights from the trip include anchoring off the remote island of Arki where there was NO ONE else in sight and visiting the (not so remote) island of Santorini.
Month #2 – October – Portugal
After Greece, we flew back to Paris to pick up the car. Our road trip took us through the South of France, Spain, and down to our final destination: Portugal. Highlights from this trip were tasting local dishes in Porto (less than $6 for a meal complete with wine!). We also feel in love with Algarve where Trina went on a Yoga Retreat while Pierre slept in the car.
Month #3 – November – Taiwan
We flew to Taiwan to spend a month in a sleepy surf village on the East Coast of Taiwan called Dulan. Pierre spent his days windsurfing while I spent most of my days reading and making friends with the “workaway-ers” at the hostel. We also met Cup of TJ for the first time – she was one of the creators who inspired me to quit my job to travel the world.
Month #4 – December – Philippines
After getting a bit homesick, coming to the Philippines was great for picking up my spirits as the people are so kind and welcoming. We spent out time exploring sleepy island of Bantayan – went on one of the most beautiful island tour of my life in Gigantes – and lived out our dreams of renting a private island with friends for New Year’s Eve in Siargao!
Month #5 & #6 – January & February – Thailand
Thailand was all about family for us. Pierre’s mom & 83-year old grandma flew over from France. It was his grandmother’s first time in Asia! We traveled to the island of Koh Samed and explored the old city of Ayutthaya before heading to my mom’s home village of Lom Sok where Pierre and I celebrated our 2nd wedding.
Month #7 – Indonesia
This was my first time in Indonesia (Pierre had already been here). We started off in Ubud because everyone raves about Ubud – for good reason. We then continued on to the Lombok island next to Bali which I enjoyed even more. Highlights from this trip included a week in West Sumbawa, Trina’s Yoga Adventure in Lombok, and Pierre’s journey to Flores.
Month #8 – Japan
After dreaming of coming to Japan since I was a child, my dreams have finally come true. Despite concern for our budget, we decided to bite the bullet and visit Japan during the busiest time of the year – Sakura season. We managed to save money by not traveling with a Japan rail pass & staying with friends in Osaka. Highlights from the trip include visiting Fujiyoshida and getting to experience Japan culture first hand!
Transition Period
After Japan, we flew back to Indonesia to regroup and plan the 2nd leg of our journey. During this time, I took Pierre back to South Lombok to enjoy the place which I fell in love with during my self-made yoga retreat. After, we headed over to Canggu where we met with other content creators.
Month #9 – Singapore/Kuala Lumpur/Manila
We soon found out that we needed to make a quick stop in the USA to take care of some administrative items. We flew to Manila, Singapore, and then Kuala Lumpur before taking the flight back home to Chicago. Highlights from this trip included a visit with one of Trina’s classmates + creating multiple food videos while in Singapore & Kuala Lumpur.
Month #10 & #11 – USA
We spent most of the summer based in Chicago. I had some time to reconnect with my mom and dad back at home. I haven’t lived with them since I graduated college and went off to London over 10 years ago! I convinced Pierre to go on a road trip through Utah with me which happened to be one of the most spectacular adventures of the year for me. The landscape was truly out of this world beautiful, unlike anything else we have ever seen.
What’s next? Philippines, Maldives, & India
The final leg of our 12 country x 12 month journey begins. We’re flying back to the Philippines again (bargain ticket from Chicago > Cebu for $299 per person)! We’ll also be meeting with our good friends and fellow content creators Mike & Nelly from Making It Happen Vlog. Afterwards, we’ll celebrate our 2nd honeymoon in the Maldives before our final stop in India.
Stayed Tuned!!
xx
Trina & Pierre