Around the World

Year in Review – 2014

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2014 Map

It’s that time of year again. The end of December is when everyone looks back over their year and makes lists. So far be it for us to not follow the trend.

2014 was one hell of a year for us. In addition to starting this blog, we still found some time to travel around the world while working full time. We were on the road almost once a month in 11 separate trips. We finally got to cross off Australia and Peru from our bucket list, which were over 2 years in planning. We’ve even literally flown around the world – flying only eastward to Australia through Abu Dhabi and then eastward home through Los Angeles. We also visited our 6th continent – only one more to go! The more we see on our travels, the more we wanted to see.

Some of the more impressive stats include: over 91,000 miles flown, on 42 individual flight segments. 7 countries, 5 continents. We spent over 26 hours flying in first class, 70 hours in business, and countless hours in coach.  12 of those flights were over 8 hours long, and 5 of those 12 were more than 12 hours – thats a lot of long-haul flying.  Even with all that however, we fell short of of the re-qualification threshold for American Airlines Executive Platinum status – 100k miles. It looks like next year we’ll have to settle for being just Platinum. This means no more unlimited domestic upgrades, and no 8 SWUs for international flights, but we still get lounge access and priority seating/boarding, etc. We also have a stash of points built up this year we’ll work on using up in 2015.

Our trips in 2014 included:

This past year we specifically planned more travel than normal in order to maximize the benefits of our status. This resulted in a lot of busy weekends and running around packing, unpacking, and repacking. In fact, it felt like we spent most of 2014 living out of our suitcase. All this travel definitely took its toll on our bodies.  Between the long-haul flights, meals in airport lounges, time changes, jet lag, busy weekends, and packed schedules to fit as much in as possible on our trips we both feel a bit worn down.  Even though we loved every minute of of our whirlwind year, we’re also looking forward to some R&R time at home this winter. For 2015, we have a lot of ideas of where we want to go, but nothing concrete planned. We are excited to start planning our next adventure around the world (any suggestions?).  It’ll be hard to top 2014, but we can’t wait to see what 2015 brings. We wish everyone a safe and happy new year!

On the Road: Day 16 in Melbourne

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This picture was taken from inside the Atrium in Federation Square. Today is our last day in Australia before we head back to a snowy New York.  It is very hard to say goodbye to this beautiful country and all the friendly people we’ve met along the way.  Our trip was full of great food and amazing memories that we won’t soon forget.

On the Road: Day 14 on the Great Ocean Road

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Three words: epic road trip. This morning we picked up our tiny car and made our way south on the Great Ocean Road.  This scenic route zigzags along the shore providing spectacular views of the coast.  The Australian coast line is full of jagged cliffs towering over the deep blue ocean. After a long drive, we ended our day at Port Campbell just in time to see the sunset over the Twelve Apostles.

On the Road: Day 13 at Ayer’s Rock

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We woke up early today to go to the base of Ayer’s rock for a short hike before heading to Melbourne for the final leg of our trip.  Every time we approach Uluru, we are still awestruck by how massive it is looming in the horizon.  Up close at the base, the rock rises up like a red mountain.  Surprisingly, there is a lot of green vegetation around for what is referred to as a desert.  Walking the path along the base of the rock, we learned about the history of the Aboriginal tribes that used to live in this area. Uluru was their sacred site, their livelihood and their shelter.

On the Road: Day 12 in Uluru

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We arrived in Uluru today and it’s sweltering hot here in the desert. I mean sweat pouring off your face, hide in your room, 45 degrees Celsius hot.  In the late afternoon, we finally ventured out to watch the Wakagetti cultural dancers.  The dancers  performed authentic  Aboriginal dances passed down through the generations.

On the Road: Day 11 in the Great Barrier Reef

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Today we finally made it out to the Great Barrier Reef for some scuba diving and snorkeling.  The Great Barrier Reef is massive, stretching almost the entire East coast of Australia. We only visited a few sites near Port Douglas.  The day was beautiful and the water was calm; it was the perfect condition for diving.  Even if you don’t dive, there is plenty to see as you snorkel around the shallower reefs.

On the Road: Day 10 in Daintree Rainforest

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Today we left the Whitsundays behind and headed up north to Cairns.  Upon leaving the airport, the first thing we noticed is how unbearably hot it is with the sun beating down on you relentlessly. Driving towards Port Douglas, the landscape was a mix of rainforest and sandy beaches, separated by a road in the middle.  With the mountain ranges in the distance, it made me feel like I was in Hawaii again. 

We spent the afternoon hiking around the Daintree rainforest.   This is my favorite picture of the day because of the soft glow created by the afternoon sun filtering through the forest canopy.  The ferns growing on the vine almost looks like hairs standing on end. 

On the Road: Day 9 in Hamilton Island

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We woke up excited this morning ready to go out to the Great Barrier Reef to do some scuba diving, but unfortunately our trip was rained out.  The sky was dark and ominous as thunderstorms rolled in. We spent the whole morning indoors, wallowing in the fact that we came all the way across the world, not able to see the reef.  In the afternoon the clouds cleared up and we made it to the beach for some snorkeling instead. Here is a GoPro video that Fausto recorded of the fish and coral around Hamilton Island. 

 

On the Road: Day 8 in Whitehaven

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Blue sky, white sand, clear water. Paradise is the perfect word to describe Whitehaven, one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to.  The clear water reflects the blue sky, creating varying shades of turquoise.  The sand is so fine and white, it feels like baby powder on your feet. This place might have ruined all other beaches for me.