With 2015 just around the corner, we thought we’d put together our highlights from 2014, and share some of our plans for 2015!

When we rang in NYE 2013 in Sydney, Australia last year, we hadn’t the faintest idea what 2014 would have in store for us. We thought we’d be coming back to our Canadian winter, maybe plan a vacation somewhere throughout the year, make our annual summer visit home to Newfoundland, and ring in NYE 2014 like we have in previous years, again at home in Newfoundland (which we hope to do next year).

Instead, WE GOT CRAZY! We sold our house, left our jobs, bought one-way tickets to Ireland and boarded planes, trains and automobiles (and tuk-tuks and scooters too) all over the world, visiting 20 countries. We drank wine under the Eiffel Tower, and Guinness in Ireland, enjoyed the beaches of Croatia, learned about the Bosnian war in Sarajevo from the best tour guide we’ve ever had, slept next to lions in the Serengeti, swam at the edge of Victoria Falls, learned to cook Pad Thai in Thailand, and watched the sun rise over the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

I recount these experiences not to make you jealous. I share them because we are so grateful for the adventures we’ve had, and want you all to know that if 2014 wasn’t your year, let our story be your encouragement. We didn’t plan on having an amazing 2014, in fact, we had pretty well settled for life as it was. Then we decided to write our own story; not the one that was expected of us. We took control of our life, and we’re so glad we did!

Since I like lists, here is a list of our favorite experiences from 2014, in no particular order!

1) African Safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater
2) Swimming in Devils Pool at the edge of Victoria Falls
3) Exploring Paris with family and drinking wine under the Eiffel Tower
4) Relaxing on the island of Vis, Croatia and sharing dinner with our Croatian host
5) Diving with sharks in South Africa

PLANS FOR 2015

So what does 2015 have in store for us? We are in the middle of making plans for January, as we leave Thailand next week. We want to explore Vietnam but haven’t nailed down an itinerary yet. We also want beach and relaxation, so Indonesia is on our list. We’ve also been thinking more and more about visiting China, and the Great Wall. Oh, and just this morning we started thinking more about South America. That’s the beauty of what we’re doing, no plans = endless possibilities (as long as our bank account agrees).

Steven and I hope to have more experiences in 2015 that push us to our limits, but at the same time we want to spend these last few months on the road learning to relax. Unfortunately, our trip does have an end date, and unless something changes, we will be going back to the 9-5 soon enough. Our biggest fear is that we will fall right back into our old routine, and that scares us more than swimming at the edge of a waterfall or coming face to face with a great white! We want to find ways to stay relaxed when we get home. We don’t want to take life too seriously and we want to continue to keep things simple. We want to continue meeting new people with different stories from all over the world. Most of all, we want to keep travelling, that is one thing that will never change!

Here’s to 2015 – a new year, a chance at new beginnings with new friendships, crazy adventures, and lots and lots of delicious food!

Happy New Year!

jess + steven

Do you have exciting plans for 2015? Share in the comments below! 🙂

Want to see our year in pictures? Click here!