The clock is ticking...

As our adventure slowly but surely comes to an end (that is, if our life ever stops being an adventure!), we have been going through many different emotions. We have been fortunate enough to see, do, and experience so much during our adventure, but we really are looking forward to coming home, hanging out, and getting on with our lives (whatever that means!). We have learned so many things about ourselves and the world around us. We have been able to sit back and contemplate how we want to live our lives going forward. We have been able to meet some amazing people and have gotten to know some organizations that we've been able to help out with around the entire continent. We have challenged ourselves in many ways and have had the opportunity to rise to the occasion to meet these challenges.

One of the biggest realizations that we've had is that despite how amazing all of this traveling has been and how great the scenery or beaches or food or people are, we are extremely fortunate to have the life that we have in California. Other than the obvious - our family and friends are there - we are so lucky to be able to do whatever we want, when we want. To eat whatever type of food we feel like, at our whim. To take a hot shower at any time of the day or night. To not have to worry about the cleanliness of the sheets that we will be sleeping in. And mostly, to be able to articulate our thoughts - and communicate with others - in a language that we have complete fluency. I have got to say that Brazil has been most difficult in this way...Portuguese is not Spanish, and one of the best parts of our trip has been getting to know locals by speaking their language. Now I understand some of the problems that our state is facing...

I think that the most difficult thing for us when we return will be to make sure that we take the realizations, goals, and priorities that we have come to down here and apply them to the normal fast-paced world that we all live in in the States. Of course, we will be able to do this while eating In-N-Out, downloading a movie on our iPhone in ten minutes flat, and reading the Wall Street Journal on our iPad. All at the same time. Good and bad.

Food for thought...