Someone call the Flat Earth Society! It may be time for them to change their name. We left our home, traveled west for 24,000 miles, and lo and behold, we’re back where we started.
Our round-the-world trip was just as exciting and wonderful as we expected . . .
Hoi An , Vietnam is the perfect place to bike along the Thu Bon River.Dubai’s iconic wind towers provided air conditioning in the scorching desert.Japan’s bullet train screams past Mt. Fuji on the way to Kyoto.Hoi An’s iconic lanterns shine bright day and night.Vietnam’s “Egg Coffee” is a delicacy you definitely need to try.A Vietnamese street chef.James guarding the entrance to Utrecht University.There is no unadorned surface at Bangkok’s Wat Arun.Stunning painted temple eaves in Gamcheon Village, Busan, South Korea.Steaming hot bean-stuffed buns are a street-side temptation in Busan, South Korea.The Dubai Frame highlights an ultra-modern skyline.The fisherman’s cottage in Openlucht, Netherlands.The Netherlands’ Keukenof Gardens provides a springtime kaleidoscope of color like no other.Vietnamese spring rolls are a quick snack that’s hard to beat.
And after all those miles, countries, airports, and hotels, we thought we’d take a bit of time off from blogging to enjoy the summer. It’s taken some time to catch up with family, friends, and our personal business, and we haven’t strayed far from home – which is a pleasant feeling after an RTW trip.
James stopping for a quick snack and a selfie on the Louisville Loop Bike Trail.James relaxing after a long day of cycling.Cow watching is a relaxing pastime on the farm ` especially when there are lots of new calves.Some Kentucky cows admire a rare double rainbow. Photo by Nancy & Jim NeatheryMist rising over the Cumberland River on a family visit. Photo by Ellen Lasher.Terri made James’ Mom’s luscious Strawberry Cake to celebrate our return home.And we celebrated all the birthdays we had missed while we were gone.
A few short camping trips, rail-trail bike rides, favorite local restaurants and regional museums have reminded us that sometimes your own back yard can be fun too.
Outstanding King Tut exhibit in Columbus, Ohio
There’s nothing like travel to refill the blogging idea jar, so stay tuned for posts about the places, people, and sights we saw on our trip. We look forward to giving you all the details.
We're Terri and James Vance - high school sweethearts who went on to international careers and became world nomads. Today, 65 countries later, we're still traveling ... and still in love. Check out Our Story for more of the backstory at gallivance.net.
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Welcome back! Like you, I am currently enjoying some down time at home (and thinking about all the blog posts I want/need to write). Now I’m pondering which travel plan is more appealing: yours, with a long string of being away and then a nice stretch at home, or mine, with so many 7-10 day trips all stacked up in the last 6 months that we we rarely get more than 10 days at home in between? I think I like your style better, but alas, with a dog and elderly parents, we can’t bite off a nice long RTW trip like you lucky ducks! Looking forward to seeing and reading more about your wonderful sojourn!
Lexie, we certainly can relate to family obligations and personal health considerations that keep us close to home. And we never take for granted that, at this point in our lives, we can “travel hard, and then nest hard.” To this end, we downsized, sold our house and rented a small, one-bedroom apartment so we can “lock it and leave it.”
And I have to say, that after the pandemic restrictions, like everyone else in the world, we’re gleeful that we can travel again. The RTW was an amazing shot in the arm, and we’re determined to get back on the horse with gusto. In fact, we’re a couple of weeks away from a month-long trip to Scandinavia. All the best to you for your travel plans, short or long, and Happy Trails. ~James
Thanks Rebecca. The design and engineering of these wind towers couldn’t be simpler, but they’re an ingenious passive cooling system. If I had to live in the Middle East without AC, I’d certainly want one. ~James
I think simple technology will regain favor in the future.
It’s a glorious review and puts me in mind of “Around the World in (80ish) days” 😀
I like how you blend so many different aspects of life: from delectable foods to religious institutions, from open vistas to urban life, from feet resting after cycling to shoes lounging after being walked in. You have an eye for the big deals… and the exquisite details. Thank you for sharing it, and I’m looking forward to more!
Thanks for your kind words. After the pandemic shutdown we were primed for an adventure trip and the RTW was everything we hoped for. We hope to write more soon, but our blogging life has been interrupted by a month-long trip to Scandinavia. As I write this we’re relaxing after a fun day in Stockholm. It’s great to be traveling again. Thanks for continuing to follow along. ~ James
We recently watched Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveler, whose first spot was Scandinavia. I can’t wait to hear more about your northern adventures!
I can see you’ve been really bored, James. Bring it on!
Nope, boredom hasn’t been our problem lately. Luckily, we came home to an unusually cool summer, which always makes things more pleasant. However, the 100°F temps in Vietnam were good prep for a US summer. ~James
Liesbet, it was a blast, and it felt so good to be on the road again. It looks like you guys are also having a wonderful time in Peru. We really enjoyed our time there, and our plan is to return at some point. ~James
A few weeks ago I was actually wondering about your trip, and now I got the answer. Welcome back! Since the early years of my blog, RTW trips have fascinated me. This concept was something foreign to me because there are a lot of countries Indonesians can’t just go without getting a visa in advance — although fortunately the number has been shrinking! Look forward to more details from your recent trip around the globe! Oh and has anyone from the Flat Earth Society reached out to you? 🙂
Bama, as you can imagine, an RTW trip takes lots of planning, and visas are a big part of that process. We had a few countries that required visas, but luckily we could get the visa at the airport or online in advance. However, there are still hoops to jump through and it takes research to find out the specific rules. Another aspect for being allowed entry is proof of your return trip home or onward travel. Some countries are very serious about this, and we saw a couple of instances of travelers refused boarding because they didn’t have it. So, just a one-way ticket doesn’t work anymore. We have a couple of posts in the pipeline about planning an RTW that will talk more about this, and you might find them interesting.
And no, we haven’t heard from any Flat Earthers. Funny, because I really thought we might. As someone who has just been around the globe I’m ready to have a conversation. 🙂 ~James
That is true. Even in 2015 when I was doing the six-month trip across Southeast and South Asia, in some countries they already asked for proof of onward travel. I think this is because there was (still is?) a growing number of people who abused their passport privilege and ended up begging in a foreign country.
Loved all the pictures. Was a wonderful trip!
Glad it was a safe trip for you and home.
Hope you are well.
Thanks Carla. It truly was a fun trip and it re-energized the travel bug for us. I hope you and Terry are well and all is good in Glasgow. Take care. ~James
Thanks Alison. We had a wonderful time, and except for an couple of hiccups, everything went smoothly. We weren’t sure how travel in the post-pandemic world would be but it was no problem. The biggest snafu was we had to take Israel off our itinerary due to the problems there. Hope you and Don are well. ~James
So pleased to see you are back and looking none the worse for wear. I look forward to your upcoming posts on this amazing trip. Blogging will be like returning to these places over again.
Many thanks, Darlene. As much fun as it was to go, it’s also great to see family again … and clean all the cobwebs out of the apartment. 🙂 It looks like you’ve been having a fabulous summer. Do you have some fun things lined up for the fall! ~Terri
The thing I enjoyed most in this post is the photo of the two of you looking well and very happy. how fabulous that you had your RTW adventure. I can imagine some relaxing time was definitely called for. Hugs to both of you.
Thanks Sue. Like everyone else in the world, Covid brought our travel life to full-stop. And then Terri had a very serious health scare (sepsis – out of nowhere). So, yes we are well, and happy to be back traveling again. We’re off to Scandinavia in a few days for a month before settling down for autumn at home. It’s good to hear from you, and I hope you and Dave are doing well. ~James
Thanks so much Anne. It’s always nice to know that you’ve been missed. After the RTW we stayed in place long enough to catch our breath, and decided to take our usual autumn trip to Europe. As I write this I’m sitting in our hotel in Stockholm in the middle of a month in Scandinavia. The pandemic shut down was so frustrating that we’re making up for lost time. I hope that all is going well with you. And thanks for continuing to follow along. ~ James
Chris, this was our third RTW and this one was about 2 months. They’ve varied from 2-6 months in length, and we don’t really use a “fare” as such, but piece together a series of one-way hops to locations we prefer. The internet and low-cost air carriers make it easy and relatively affordable when you consider it takes a minimum of 24K miles to do it. If you can work it out, it’s fabulous. ~James
GALLIVANCE 
I’m tuned.
Thanks Peggy. We’ll keep you posted. ~James
Welcome back! Like you, I am currently enjoying some down time at home (and thinking about all the blog posts I want/need to write). Now I’m pondering which travel plan is more appealing: yours, with a long string of being away and then a nice stretch at home, or mine, with so many 7-10 day trips all stacked up in the last 6 months that we we rarely get more than 10 days at home in between? I think I like your style better, but alas, with a dog and elderly parents, we can’t bite off a nice long RTW trip like you lucky ducks! Looking forward to seeing and reading more about your wonderful sojourn!
Lexie, we certainly can relate to family obligations and personal health considerations that keep us close to home. And we never take for granted that, at this point in our lives, we can “travel hard, and then nest hard.” To this end, we downsized, sold our house and rented a small, one-bedroom apartment so we can “lock it and leave it.”
And I have to say, that after the pandemic restrictions, like everyone else in the world, we’re gleeful that we can travel again. The RTW was an amazing shot in the arm, and we’re determined to get back on the horse with gusto. In fact, we’re a couple of weeks away from a month-long trip to Scandinavia. All the best to you for your travel plans, short or long, and Happy Trails. ~James
this is amazing and can’t wait for the posts
Thanks Beth. We have a few posts in mind that should come to fruition soon. ~James
Great review. The wind towers are impressive.
Thanks Rebecca. The design and engineering of these wind towers couldn’t be simpler, but they’re an ingenious passive cooling system. If I had to live in the Middle East without AC, I’d certainly want one. ~James
I think simple technology will regain favor in the future.
It’s a glorious review and puts me in mind of “Around the World in (80ish) days” 😀
I like how you blend so many different aspects of life: from delectable foods to religious institutions, from open vistas to urban life, from feet resting after cycling to shoes lounging after being walked in. You have an eye for the big deals… and the exquisite details. Thank you for sharing it, and I’m looking forward to more!
Thanks for your kind words. After the pandemic shutdown we were primed for an adventure trip and the RTW was everything we hoped for. We hope to write more soon, but our blogging life has been interrupted by a month-long trip to Scandinavia. As I write this we’re relaxing after a fun day in Stockholm. It’s great to be traveling again. Thanks for continuing to follow along. ~ James
We recently watched Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveler, whose first spot was Scandinavia. I can’t wait to hear more about your northern adventures!
I can see you’ve been really bored, James. Bring it on!
Nope, boredom hasn’t been our problem lately. Luckily, we came home to an unusually cool summer, which always makes things more pleasant. However, the 100°F temps in Vietnam were good prep for a US summer. ~James
Looks like you had a blast!! Amazing photo collection so far! 🙂
Liesbet, it was a blast, and it felt so good to be on the road again. It looks like you guys are also having a wonderful time in Peru. We really enjoyed our time there, and our plan is to return at some point. ~James
A few weeks ago I was actually wondering about your trip, and now I got the answer. Welcome back! Since the early years of my blog, RTW trips have fascinated me. This concept was something foreign to me because there are a lot of countries Indonesians can’t just go without getting a visa in advance — although fortunately the number has been shrinking! Look forward to more details from your recent trip around the globe! Oh and has anyone from the Flat Earth Society reached out to you? 🙂
Bama, as you can imagine, an RTW trip takes lots of planning, and visas are a big part of that process. We had a few countries that required visas, but luckily we could get the visa at the airport or online in advance. However, there are still hoops to jump through and it takes research to find out the specific rules. Another aspect for being allowed entry is proof of your return trip home or onward travel. Some countries are very serious about this, and we saw a couple of instances of travelers refused boarding because they didn’t have it. So, just a one-way ticket doesn’t work anymore. We have a couple of posts in the pipeline about planning an RTW that will talk more about this, and you might find them interesting.
And no, we haven’t heard from any Flat Earthers. Funny, because I really thought we might. As someone who has just been around the globe I’m ready to have a conversation. 🙂 ~James
That is true. Even in 2015 when I was doing the six-month trip across Southeast and South Asia, in some countries they already asked for proof of onward travel. I think this is because there was (still is?) a growing number of people who abused their passport privilege and ended up begging in a foreign country.
Loved all the pictures. Was a wonderful trip!
Glad it was a safe trip for you and home.
Hope you are well.
Thanks Carla. It truly was a fun trip and it re-energized the travel bug for us. I hope you and Terry are well and all is good in Glasgow. Take care. ~James
Welcome back. Looking forward to all the stories of your adventures!
Alison
Thanks Alison. We had a wonderful time, and except for an couple of hiccups, everything went smoothly. We weren’t sure how travel in the post-pandemic world would be but it was no problem. The biggest snafu was we had to take Israel off our itinerary due to the problems there. Hope you and Don are well. ~James
So pleased to see you are back and looking none the worse for wear. I look forward to your upcoming posts on this amazing trip. Blogging will be like returning to these places over again.
Many thanks, Darlene. As much fun as it was to go, it’s also great to see family again … and clean all the cobwebs out of the apartment. 🙂 It looks like you’ve been having a fabulous summer. Do you have some fun things lined up for the fall! ~Terri
Sounds great – can’t wait to hear more!
Pam, thanks to 24,000 miles of travel we now have lots of ideas for posts … it we can only find the time to write them. ~James
The thing I enjoyed most in this post is the photo of the two of you looking well and very happy. how fabulous that you had your RTW adventure. I can imagine some relaxing time was definitely called for. Hugs to both of you.
Thanks Sue. Like everyone else in the world, Covid brought our travel life to full-stop. And then Terri had a very serious health scare (sepsis – out of nowhere). So, yes we are well, and happy to be back traveling again. We’re off to Scandinavia in a few days for a month before settling down for autumn at home. It’s good to hear from you, and I hope you and Dave are doing well. ~James
I did miss you and I look forward to reading your posts. It sounds like an exciting trip.
Thanks so much Anne. It’s always nice to know that you’ve been missed. After the RTW we stayed in place long enough to catch our breath, and decided to take our usual autumn trip to Europe. As I write this I’m sitting in our hotel in Stockholm in the middle of a month in Scandinavia. The pandemic shut down was so frustrating that we’re making up for lost time. I hope that all is going well with you. And thanks for continuing to follow along. ~ James
Welcome home (2 years ago, I know)!
Despite all my years of travel, and working in travel, we’ve never utilised a RTW fare!!
How long was the total journey?
Some great looking adventures, but tell Terri I’d love your mum’s (or I should say “mom’s”) recipe, that cake looks divine!
Cheers,
Chris
Chris, this was our third RTW and this one was about 2 months. They’ve varied from 2-6 months in length, and we don’t really use a “fare” as such, but piece together a series of one-way hops to locations we prefer. The internet and low-cost air carriers make it easy and relatively affordable when you consider it takes a minimum of 24K miles to do it. If you can work it out, it’s fabulous. ~James
Even better!
One way fares allows complete freedom, rather than one airline or their codeshare/interline partners dictating where you can (and can’t) fly next!!
I may have to consider this some time (I’d love a couple of months spare these days)! 😉