1 year on the road!

We have been on the road for 1 year, yahoo!! 🌍🌏🌎

Over the last year, we have visited 29 different countries in total (26 with our bike, Domino, and an additional 3 via flying) and have driven a total of 27,740 km (17,237 miles). We have learned so much about world history, our bike, new (and old) interests, new cultures, ourselves, and each other.

We have had days of pure bliss but have also had days of struggle and strife. It has been amazing to travel together to celebrate the best days together and also support and love the other through the lows that come with travel. God has guided us in so many ways whether it has been answering simple prayers, guiding us to meet particular people, opening doors for logistical travel route problems, and so much more.

Below are some unique experiences we have had over the past year:

- Stolen/found Domino: In Italy, our bike got stolen but was found about 3 days later. It was abandoned and seemed like the thieves just wanted to take a joy ride in it

- Scuba diving 'The Bells': The Bells is a dive site in the Red Sea where you swim head first, straight down through a tunnel to the bottom of the ocean. The Red Sea was impeccable to dive in but this site was particularly special because of the chute

- Dialogue in the Dark: This is an exhibition where non-blind people experience blindness through taking a tour in pitch black rooms. During the pitch black tour, we walked (with canes) through rooms set up like an apartment, a park, street crossing, and a cafe where we could order a drink

- Sahara Desert Bread: During our overnight trip to the desert in Tunisia, one of the guys baked bread in the sand and hot coals. It was very crazy to watch and we expected there to be sand in the bread but it ended up being some of the best flatbread we have had on this trip!

- Geese Catching Party: We helped French friends capture 7 geese that were living (and pooping too much, ha) on their property and take them to a bird sanctuary. It was a lunch party with about 15 people and then shortly after, we all helped confine and capture the geese

- Volunteer work in Romania: We spent time volunteering with a church in Romania, specifically their youth programs and also helped at an organization called UBC'22 that is currently helping Ukrainian refugees

- Excalibur rock climbing wall: We climbed the Excalibur wall in the Netherlands which is the tallest freestanding climbing wall in the world (121 feet or 37 m tall)

- Rainbow Gathering: Austin picked up a hitchhiker who was on her way to a 'Rainbow Gathering' which is essentially a group of 50-200 hippies meeting up in the wilderness to live off the land. It lasts about one month but one day was plenty

- Sauna Day: In Sweden, we took a boat to a small island that has no cars and then hiked to a public sauna that was right on the ocean. We spent a couple of hours between the sauna and jumping in the cold ocean, it was very rejuvenating and refreshing!

- Star Wars film sites: In Tunisia, there are many Star Wars film sites that were left intact after filming. Some were very remote and well kept, others had lived more life, but all of them were really unique to see in person!

We are currently in Turkey heading towards Central Asia and we plan to drive through China to Southeast Asia arriving in Laos in the fall. We are excited for the next year of travel as we adventure to some very different cultures and countries! Feel free to follow our journey on Instagram too (@sidebysidecar) 🌍🌏🌎

Our trip route