Our Blind Date with the World...

“ If travel is searching and home what's been found, I'm not stopping, I'm going hunting” (I would like to attribute this quote to some great explorer or at least historic author but alas…) - Bjork


12 days until… April 9th we leave for Great Escape--- an international scavenger hunt. The Great Escape Foundation is a charity set up to help raise money and awareness for international causes- “Trusting strangers in strange lands is our annual events unofficial motto and helping strangers in strange lands”. Each year it holds an international competition to raise money for the charity, and to name the world’s greatest travelers. Trav and I will be doing the first part--- 4countries in 10 days. To say the least, we’re stoked.

Travis and I  have done a lot of traveling together and apart. We consider ourselves GREAT travelers but actual traveling is only a part of the competition. To quote the Foundations website- “The activities will include a mix of cultural-oriented scavenges, such as finding a Buddha's tooth in Sri Lanka, and challenges such as entering a camel race in India or taking a photo of a wild orangutan. The goal is to test each team's ability to deal with the difficulties of extended travel and personal dynamics within the team”. I have wanted to do The Great Escape ever since my bosses competed in it for the first time 3 years ago. It seems like a competition built specifically for Trav and I. We are both restless and always looking for an adventure. Plus, we like puzzles and riddles -- and like to think we are really good problem solvers. We’ll find out soon enough how true that is!

The only thing putting a mild damper on my excitement is my anxiety about leaving my little girl for so many days. Over the past 2 years she has come along on almost all my travels. It’s going to be strange going through security without a baby in my arms as well as a stroller and 3 bags and even stranger being on an airplane and not having to perform a small circus act to keep my child in her seat. Ha, If they really wanted to mix this competition up a little bit—bonus points would be given for bringing a toddler along—as that is a lot like traveling with a baby bull. With that said--- Travis is 7 feet tall and if he doesn’t get a good seat on the plane—he might not be much more well behaved. Thankfully I can give him a xanex.

Wish us luck! The competition is fierce-- especially my quite brilliant (and extremely competitive) bosses who will be competing this year after winning last year (and therefore the reigning best travelers of the world!). I’m going to try and update our blog frequently (and we are much more interesting internationally). xo April