Kristen and Miguel's (aka Lonnie) search for paradise: Paradise found

You know the perfect moments in times when you catch yourself? They are rare, but they are so special. They are those moments in time when everything negative dissipates. Everything wrong in the world fades away. All your worries are temporarily forgotten and just for one moment, everything is calm, everything is happy, everything is perfect. I live for those moments and on this trip I've had quite a few of them. They may occur when you are sitting under the stars, poolside with your family. Or perhaps when you are sitting on a rooftop downtown at three in the morning listening to house music with your friends. They may occur when you are watching a simple sunset with the one you love. Whenever they happen, make yourself aware of them. They are the best part of life.

I end this trip of a lifetime with feelings of sadness, apprehension, and joy. I have seen incredible, beautiful things I will never forget. I have experienced exciting, surreal circumstances and witnessed breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. I have seen first hand the devastation that can take over a country at the hands of evil beings. I have seen that country bounce back and house some of the happiest people I have ever met.

Most importantly though, I have seen hundreds of happy people living their lives the only way that they know how. It seems to me that many of the happiest people we met are some of the poorest. They are people who love to laugh and see the value in a smile. They are people who live each day to its fullest. The last four months have been eye opening. Traveling is a learning experience. On top of learning about other cultures and ways of life, you learn about yourself. You become grateful for everything you have. You become ever aware of how fortunate you are here in America. As I think back on these experiences, tears form in my eyes. Cambodia, I will miss you the most. You taught me a great deal about life, tragedy, and overcoming it. You taught me the importance of grabbing life by the horns and taking it all in when you can. Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Macau, I will miss you all as well. We shared a lot of good times together.

And so now my journey ends and another one begins... A huge thank you to all our friends and family members. When we told you we were gonna travel the globe for four months, not one of you said don't do it. Everyone was supportive in so many ways. Thank you and we love you so much.

And lastly to my husband who made this trip extra special. Yes there were times when I wanted to ring you neck and likely vice versa. But more often than not, you reminded me why I chose to marry you. You can make me laugh like no one else ever has. Somehow you used this ability to win your way into my heart seven years ago and you have been there ever since. I wasn't sure how we would handle being together non stop for four months, but it was incredible. I am closer to you now than I have ever been. I love you beyond words and you are still my favorite.

-Kristen

It was a strange feeling flying back into Minnesota. I started realizing how far away we really were and how unique this place I live truly is. It's going to be a week before we can recover from the jet lag. We are basically on an opposite schedule here. I have missed the cats terribly over the last few weeks. I think about them a lot. Also, I can't wait to see my mates and smash some beers with them. We have a mountain of things to catch up on. After that we still need to find jobs, but I don't care. It was all worth it. The places we've seen and people we've met! I wouldn't trade it for anything. There are places I don't want to return to and some I feel I have to. It was such an amazing experience and I feel so lucky to have had it. It's such a bizarre and beautiful planet. The more I see of it, the more there is to see. It's kinda sad thinking we cannot see it all. But we will definately give it our best shot.

Looking back I have to say I enjoyed Australia the most. It was also the place we spent the most time and money. The beaches there are hard to beat as well as the rest of the beautiful scenery. Cambodia is another place I feel I must return to. There is still a lot to see there. I definately see us going back to the Philippines. Next time we will see more than a few small islands. Although once you are on the beach, you really don't care to leave.

As I walked into our home I realized we had finally found it. It may not have crystal clear water and pristine beaches. There aren't thousand year old relics darting the landscape. The weather isn't always warm and sunny, but to us this is paradise. For now, this is the place we yearn to be above all others. We had to go all over the planet to find it, and all the time it was right where we left it. You get a different perspective out there. You have to detach yourself from it so you can look at it from a different angle. Then you realize how lucky you are to live how and where we do.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED....PARADISE FOUND

p.s. We want to thank everyone who help make this dream possible for us. We love you all! And we want to thank all of you we met along the way, who helped make our trip so much fun.