The more we talk to people (i.e. friends, family members, complete strangers) the more conversations we have that go something like this.

Justin: Actually, we are not sure how long we are going to be gone.

Random Other: I see.  Well that sounds exciting….. Hey, have you ever thought of going to Estonia (enter your favorite random country here).

Justin: Hmm. Natalie and I have not exactly finalized our route yet (complete truth) but everything is a possibility.  I do not know much about Estonia (translation: where is Estonia?), can you tell me more about it?

Random Other: Well it is located in Northern Europe just south of Finland any my (insert distant relative, friend, spouse, co-worker, etc.) lives/visited/may be still alive in Estonia.  You should go visit them.

Justin: That sounds great.  Can you help me get in contact with them.

Okay, not every conversation follows this dynamic but this is more realistic (and exciting) than you may think. That being said, if you know someone out there in the world and you think we would like to meet them or they us, leave us a comment and hopefully we can make that a reality.

Natalie and I are not going to spend a year going to tourist attractions and sitting in restaurants and bars designed to attract the affluent traveler. Rather, a main motivation for traveling the world is to interact and experience different cultures and people. To do that, we plan on really experiencing the cultures we travel through (not just those individuals who work in the service industry). Although we can meet people on our own, any connection that you want to share (no matter how tenuous) could lead to some great experience. I promise that we will take pictures and send them to you!

Tags | help, Planning