We're doing WHAT ??? We're going WHERE ???

On August 30th, we’re leaving the comforts of Canada for 137 days to learn about ourselves, each other and the world around us. Our trip will take us to Rwanda, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and India. We might do a pit-stop in China as well if we can fit it into the schedule.

When we first tell people about our plans the general reaction is shock, awe and occasional disdain. We’ve basically decided to leave our comfortable jobs and take ourselves on a 5 month adventure to some of the world’s poorest countries. As one inspired soul put it, we’re going on the ‘Poverty Tour’.

People have asked how we arrived at our decision to pack up and take a hiatus for 20 weeks with no set jobs to return to. There have been many influences, but here’s the short version :

• Dal’s had Africa on the brain for years. And now she gets to volunteer with kids in Africa (we'll be working with http://www.prefer-rwanda.org/)
• We recognize how randomly lucky we are to live in Canada and want to give back to the world in some way
• We’ve had the good fortune of meeting other couples who’ve taken extended periods to travel/teach/work abroad and they’ve inspired us
• We read the “4 Hour Workweek” during our honeymoon in Costa Rica last year which helped shift our perspective on work/life/goals.
• The stars aligned, we asked and were granted and lots of little things simply fell into place. We’d be remiss NOT to take this calculated risk.

We know this will be a life-changing experience although we’re not entirely sure what that means. Are we going to move abroad and eschew the luxuries of North America middle-class ? Yes..we suppose that’s possible. Are we going to become Brangelina 2.0 and adopt a bunch of kids from these countries ? No..probably not. Are we going to become hippy vegetarians who grow dreadlocks, wear crocs and linen pants ? Dave’s thinning hair and our love for wings & ribs says no.

The least we expect is for us to come back with a fresh, rejuvenated perspective on life, relationships and careers.

Thanks for reading our blog. Our intent is to update it every few days (internet-access permitting) with insightful thoughts, remarkable recaps and photos of our adventures. We would greatly appreciate your comments/questions and look forward to staying in touch over the next few months.

much love,
Dal & David