Saturday, 4 June 2011

Day 202 to 203: Parting thoughts

As we packed our bags for our flight back to London, we felt a little sad that our travels were coming to an end. We'd really enjoyed all the places we visited in the past six and a half months. We still hadn't tired of our nomadic existence, and constantly moving on and discovering new places had become our norm. Since leaving New Zealand in November, the longest time we'd spent in one place was our six night stopover in London. Home was wherever we were sleeping for the night. We were so accustomed to having only our backpacks; it seemed strange to think that we would soon need more belongings.

Still, we'd always known we couldn't travel forever, and we're very pleased to have had the opportunity to take such an amazing trip. We have fantastic memories of the incredible places we've visited. Every country was unique, but if we had to pick our favourites they would be India and Tanzania. We loved India for the people and the awesome food, and Tanzania for the breathtaking beaches on Zanzibar and the stunning animals of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

After our month in the US, we've mostly adjusted to the prospect of starting "normal" life again. It feels like the right time to be finishing this particular adventure. Thanks for journeying with us through our blog, Facebook status updates and photos.

Friday, 3 June 2011

Day 200 to 202: Take me out to the ball game

Our late train brought us into Chicago in time to enjoy our first live baseball game. Well, the second half of the baseball game at least! We joined in the fun as the Chicago Cubs were roundly defeated by the Houston Astros.

Over the next couple of days, we enjoyed wandering and exploring the different neighbourhoods of Chicago. Here's a few of our favourite experiences:
  • A sunny architecture cruise along the river, led by the world's first architectural society
  • Visiting the only Threadless retail store in the world - they make an awesome range of T-shirts, and we are big fans
  • Dinner with ex-London friends Eric and Sarah Catherine, where we sampled and approved of the famous Chicago deep dish pizza
  • Going to the free zoo in the park (though we definitely preferred seeing zebras and lions in their natural habitat)
  • Ascending the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower) for stunning vistas of the Chicago skylines. I even stepped onto the slightly scary extension - an enclosed ledge where you can see straight down from the 103rd floor to street level
We finished our time in Chicago with cocktails at the top of the Hancock Building and succulent burgers at Weber Grill. Very fitting to end our American trip with yet more great food!