One Year Later

On top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center, New York City

One year ago today, on January 1st 2014 at 8am, we locked the door of our flat in Montreal for the last time, leaving behind an empty shell of what was our life of the previous seven years, and dropped the key through the mail slot. As it resonated loudly in the dark empty box, I felt an excitingly familiar feeling in my stomach: we were homeless, the unknown awaited us. It was amazing to ring in the New Year in such a drastic, life-changing, exciting way, and the feeling hasn’t left me since.

Kawah Ijen volcano complex in Java, Indonesia

Ta Prohm Temple in Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia

I wish I could tell you what 2015 will be made of but, in all honesty, I haven’t got a clue. 2014 will be a hard act to follow, I can tell you that much. We’ve been lucky that we are still in a position to afford travelling for a while, partly thanks to working remotely and mostly for being on a tight cheap-ass budget most of the time.

Learning to freedive in Amed, Jameluk, Bali, Indonesia.

London Eye and Big Ben and night, London, England.

I have trouble putting into words all that I have seen those last 365 days. Places so surreal that they felt like I had just stepped into the pages of a travel magazine, places where the nights were as hot and balmy as the days, places I had dreamed of and places I never knew existed. My wish for the new year is for you to realize your dreams and take the plunge, whatever your dreams may be made of. I long for you to experience such places and feelings as I have this past year. The feeling of being able to take a step back and be inspired by just waking up each day and experiencing a new country, a new city, a new bed is an amazing experience – one I will never forget. One I dare to hope will never end.

THE YEAR IN NUMBERS

Continents visited: 3

Countries visited: 9

Cities visited: 102

Distance travelled: 35,471km

Number of flights: 7

Number of beds slept in: 95

Average money spent monthly: $1000 CAD

Number of whale sharks spotted: 1

Favorite dish: The Penang Asam laksa at Luk Yea Yan in Georgetown, Malaysia

Gigabyte of storage used: 500GB

Number of blog posts published: 58

Highlights of the year: Learning to dive in Pulau Tioman and learning to freedive in Bali

Smooching in Koh Kong Island, Cambodia.

Happy new year from the both of us! We wish you and your loved ones health above all else, but also exciting adventures and lots of travel!

Much love,
Amélie & Richard

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