World Wanderings
What God has Taught me From World Travel
|Small descriptions of my time in each continent
Its no secret I love to travel internationally. Don’t get me wrong, the US is packed with amazing diversity and gorgeous scenery and I often take that for granted. But international trips are full of another degree of cultural richness, unfamiliar ways of life and exotic discoveries in addition to the beautiful views. It’s a whole different kind of adventure. My huge travel bucket list goal was the travel to each continent before I turned 30. Here is a small taste of each stop along my journey:
South America and Africa
My first taste of international travel was technically a trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls when I was five. Since I obviously would not have a lot of memory of that experience, I count my trip to Brazil, South America as my first out of the country venture. It changed my life. This experience was my first time observing a monstrously different culture, way of life, and also extreme poverty. The people are warm and gracious, friendly and joyful. Not only did I experience culture shock but the land was lovely. The Amazon rain forest is luscious, humid, rich, dense. The Amazon river is mammoth, powerful, and home of the most breathtaking sunsets and darkest nights accompanied by the brightest stars I have ever seen. In this country I had the rare gift of befriending a little two-three year old sweetheart deep in the Amazon. The following year I was able to return and see her precious little face again. The sweet child remembered me, reached for me with the tightest hug and made me feel like the most important person in the world. Her name is Deborah and I will never forget her. It was Brazil that gave me the first taste and dream to see the world.
Ethiopia, in the great motherland of Africa, was the next international journey. Stepping out of the plane onto this continent, it seemed powerful. It was Africa, this mysterious land so underappreciated. One of the biggest things that sticks out to me was the shocking number of languages and dialects spoken. For one conversation in the clinic we needed to have three translators to translate from language to language. The people were once again beautiful. One of my first encounters with a local was while walking down a dusty street a small girl (whom I had never laid eyes on in my life) came storming out of her house with the biggest grin on her face and threw her arms around me. It was as if I was her long lost friend that she had been waiting all her life to reconnected. I’ll never forget her. What depth of love.
Europe
Europe was my longest traveled continent. Seven weeks of backpacking Germany, Croatia, Montenegro, Czech Republic, Poland, Albania, Italy, and France taught me a lot!
Berlin, Germany was intriguing and bold. It was my first taste of Europe and felt very, well.. European. Some were friendly and helpful, others did not want to be bothered by the American tourists. I remember many people smoked. We explored this country aimlessly, and stumbled upon my favorite darling, quaint European café.
Croatia was home to the stunning Plitvice Lakes that we wandered around in the pouring rain. The bus ride from there into Dubrovnik was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes and the city has since remained one of my favorites. The architectural city walls were lovely to climb and meander around overlooking the city and the sea. It felt coastal and European, my first little glimpse of a sort of Mediterranean feel. Here was the most kind and generous Airbnb host I have ever met. The man must have felt a need to look after these lost, sick, probably quite pathetic looking young backpackers. He took us all under his wing those few days and drove to four different markets to find us peanut butter. I’ll never forget him.
The drive to Montenegro took our breath away. The mountains majestically towered over us and the pristine lakes complimented the mountains delicately. This little country was idyllic. You could get lost in the small winding streets of the charming old town. This ancient village sits at the base of a mountain where hundreds of steps are carved out to the top. This trek leads to a beautiful view overlooking this tiny city nestled in between the mountains and the Bay of Kotor off of the Adriatic Sea.
Prague, Czech Republic was an architectural and artistic delight. This city displayed some of the loveliest buildings, homes, and interesting pieces laid eyes on. We spent time exploring ancient castles, listening to unique musicians in the gorgeous city square and people watching along Charles bridge.
Kolobrzeg, Poland was a time to recoup and relax. We went to church and spent time with locals, going on bike rides and playing volleyball. The country, not so far out of communism is filled with many monochrome buildings; it was cloudy with a misty rain a lot of our time in this country. But the countryside is luscious, filled with rolling green hills. people were kind and welcoming, opening up their homes for authentic home-cooked Polish meals. I won’t forget their hospitality.
Albania was a wonderful surprise. We had the privilege to have many guided day trips throughout the country. I don’t even know where all I was, but we explored old city ruins, ancient castles, quint towns, and untainted countryside. We worked with precious gypsy children for a week – their unadulterated love was abundant, their difficult lives not hindering their happy spirits. We worked with genuine, kind, fun loving team of people from mostly England and Finland. This incredible team became family. I will never forget the wonderful mission team and the beautiful people of Albania. I spent my birthday in this country, celebrated by the crowd of children and the team-turned family. The love washed over me. I shared this birthday with a five year old Albanian. He was mischievous and smiley. I will never forget him.
Italy was the life long dream. It didn’t disappoint. I loved the rich beauty, the heavenly aromas. I drank in the ancient buildings of Florence and the rolling hills of Tuscany. I delighted in the brightly colored towns set by the sea in Cinque Terre. I loved the romantic canals of Venice. Wandering the streets of Florence indulging ourselves with unparalleled gelato felt so Italian – a dream. We rode bikes and picniced in Tuscan vineyards. In Cinque Terre we hiked between towns and meandered the quaint streets, sampling at markets and perusing homemade trinkets at vendors. Deboarding the train as the sun rose in Venice, we were greeted with a warm glowing sunrise and a soft rainbow over the rippling main canal. I felt like I was in a dream. Also, like a dream was the picturesque gondola ride, floating throughout the canals in the iconic vessels may be cliché but was a dream come true nonetheless. Venice is where we met a lovely lady, we believe may have been an angel. (Another story for another time). She was so kind, introducing us as her children. Running into her was of God and she aided us in many ways. I will never forget her.
Paris, France were a blur of a visit. Due to a flight strike our time here was reduced to one night – only an hour or so of daylight. We dashed around underground in the subway system, making our way to the Eiffel tower. It was romantic and unique, lighting up with glittering sparkles as dusk becomes night. Through friends, it was arranged to stay with a couple unknown to us. These strangers opened up their home and we sat at their table, unable to understand a single word from one another. But they were loving and kind, although we could not communicate with words. I will never forget them. And so ended our European journey.
North America
I do want to mention a few places in our country and the Caribbean.
Hawaii was really everything that it is hyped to be. The island of Kauai had stunning dramatic mountains that met clear waters. It was spotlessly clean - no liter to be found. We saw jaw dropping views from a helicopter since a majority of the island cannot be reached by car. We had the privilege of seeing Pearl Harbor on Oahu. It felt tragic, almost sacred. On the island of Maui we attended luau. My husband was chosen from the audience and semi-forced to dance in front of everyone for some good laughs. I love the Hawaiian people and their happy, care-free island mentality.
Everyone should go to Yellowstone National Park. The Geysers are beautiful and intriguing. Old Faithful is just that, faithfully spewing on schedule. To see so many wildlife in their natural habitat is really special. The land is gorgeous.
Cuba was a really amazing place to visit. My husband says it is one of his favorite countries he has visited. The people are so uniquely diverse and beautiful. Cuba has been a bit of a mystery and it really did not disappoint. It is rich with hidden history, the food is amazing, and the people are genuinely kind.
Puerto Rico is a special little island. We actually were able to see the island before and after hurricane Irma. The people are so strong and resilient. The island of enchantment is a fitting name, there is the luscious rain forest, pristine beaches, and I especially loved the charming Old town of San Juan.
Oceania and Asia
New Zealand was magical, mythical, powerful. It was a deep, rugged beauty. The coast felt like a combination of Hawaii and what I feel like Ireland looks like. Green fields meet sand colored cliffs, greeted by crashing waves. I felt small standing on a large rock projected into the ocean on an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Driving inland is green pastures, rolling hills, towering mountains. Fiords and sounds were mysterious – some of the most grandiose, stunning mountains towering over me. On a boat meandering on the water, I was in awe of the beauty – surrounded by rugged, powerful mountains and breathtaking waterfalls. The natural wonders brought tears to my eyes. We hiked to jaw-dropping views of turquoise waters, discovered old stone churches, witnessed perfect rainbows. It was one of the most beautiful lands I’ve seen. It felt natural, raw, untainted.
Australia was a quick stop, a small taste of the giant country. But it was impactful. Sydney had positive vibes. The opera house was as unique as I imagined. It was intriguing and impressive. The city was bustling and pleasant. I would’ve liked more than just a glimpse. We flew to Cairns in time to board a boat and discover the Great Barrier Reef for the day. To see one of the Natural Wonder of the World was once in a life time. I felt privileged to experience the beauty of this gift that we are slowly destroying. Snorkeling this reef was powerful and humbling. The colors of the coral were beautiful but so evident that we have killed so much of this precious life. The vibrantly colored fish danced around their habitat, innocently at the mercy of how poorly we treat our environment. This experience was truly once in a life time and impactful for me.
Asia was my last continent for me to check off my list. Bali, Indonesia was the first stop. This island had a very different cultural experience for me. It was beautiful, full of the religious influences. Temples and stone carvings dot the island. Unrecognizable creatures, elephant and monkey likenesses carved from stone towered over the streets and buildings. Green rice patty terraces line the streets. The streets are bustling with honking moped drivers. We joined them in what felt like a precarious ride on the fine line of fun adrenaline and death. Beautiful waterfalls are in the middle of the cities. Monkeys hop around and swing from trees above restaurants. It was in this country that I was able to walk among hundreds of monkeys and interact with one of my childhood favorites – elephants. There is a combination of kind welcoming locals as well as those suspicious of tourists. This country is full of poverty with the distinct lines of poor locals and rich tourists taking their fill of the island. These are my struggles.
The Philippines was an important stop for me. As half of my heritage I wanted to visit the country of my roots. Palawan was a beautiful Filipino island, tropical and warm. El Nido, an area that sits right on the water where rounded-top, jagged mountains seem to shoot up from the water. We spent the island hopping with these unusual and beautiful views. We stopped to explore small islands with peculiar rock formations, kayak in clear, turquoise lagoons, and sunbathe on a beautiful beach sipping on fresh coconut water from the coconut itself. In the evenings we took to the streets on a moped and dined beside the water. The corona virus covid-19 put an abrupt halt to this trip. Narrowly missing being stranded on this small island in the Philipines, we made a mad dash home, having to miss out on several days in Japan and Vietnam. At the airport in Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Philippines we were aided by a hilarious Filipino lady that played a huge part in us being able to leave the country. I won’t forget her.
The change in itinerary did allow for a several hour layover where we were able to explore Taipei, Taiwan. After navigating their very clean train system, we spent some time seeing temples and parks. We walked the streets and encountered kind people. Our time here was very short but the impression was that the city was clean and they took pride in their cleanliness and the people were kind and helpful.
And so I was able to make a check mark on the travel bucket list item to visit every inhabitant continent before my 30th birthday (minus Antartica). I recognize accomplishing this difficult feat is a huge privilege and blessing. God has taught me many lessons through my travels – which can be many posts. But here are a few things I gleaned in this:
The world is full of God’s beauty and creation. Some may stick out in one’s mind more than others. But in the end the earth is magnificent display of God’s creativeness. Mountains, seas, fields, valleys, desserts, jungles and on and on – it is all God’s glory for us to explore and discover. And the cities – full of architectural masterpieces are results of the creative abilities God gave us in His image. We can see God in every place we lay eyes on.
Secondly, the whole world is a tapestry of beautiful, different people. We are different shades of color, we believe in different Gods and religions, we eat different, speak different, live differently. We may not be able to understand one another with words, the music of our language may be confusion. But there are so many universal, beautiful ties between us as a human race. Every nationality has the capacity to bring a smile to their lips and bring forth the delightful sound of laughter. Every nation and tongue has the ability to feel the deep sorrow of pain. Every soul on this earth has the capacity to love. Although, I may not have understood a word or much from Deborah in Brazil, or the little girl in Ethiopia, the Airbnb host in Croatia, the church members in Poland, the gypsy children in Albania, the angel in Italy, the strangers that opened their home in France, the lady at the airport in the Philippines, they all had something in common: they emitted love. They smiled, the showed affection and kindness. They exuded a positive energy that can flow from human kind and connect us no matter where in the world. It is beautiful.
I recognize that not all are able to travel and see the world. But this same simple, beautiful connection and the wonder of God’s creation can be seen wherever you are. While I do encourage you to travel and see all that you can, I urge you to look for this at home in your community as well. Especially in this day and age of uncertainty, unrest, fear, and injustices let’s look for the rays of hope and love.
If you want to see photos of all of these travels
check out the "Travel Photos" tab! 
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