Life as a Nomad

(Navyn) We have traveled 67 degrees latitudinally from Antarctica to the equator, covered four continents, explored the planet’s lowest country – Maldives and are soon headed to the highest country on earth – Nepal. Day ninety has arrived, not quite halfway, but close. We have seen and done so much already I can’t really comprehend how we will continue at this pace for 125 more days, yet at the same time nobody is asking to go home. (We do miss you all, just not the snow and sports sign-ups.) The girls are doing so well settling into their new life as nomads. Packing up in the dark for early morning flights can now be completed in under 15 minutes. This is a good stat as we are on the move every 2.8 days.

You realize quickly, you don’t need much. We only wear a quarter of what we are carrying. I think I used to pack more to go away for the weekend than I did for this entire trip. I noticed today that Jolie has been wearing the same outfit (including to bed) for a few days despite the ketchup stains. You can get laundry for six people done on the streets for about $13. I don’t want to know where they are washing it but it comes back clean, ironed and folded in a neat package for a fraction of the hotel price.

We have been on many flights, with only one 2-hour delay. Airlines I have never heard of like Air KBZ – “Flying Beyond Expectations”. Catchy tagline until I realized they are part of the Malaysian Airlines network. We have been in vans for hundreds of miles and thankfully only last week had our first accidents (yes, two in one day). Paul has also tried to captain most modes of transportation from safari jeeps to jet boats to rickshaws and surprisingly we all still have our fingers and toes. Jolie has been keeping meticulous records of every ox cart and rice boat we have been on so I won’t steal her thunder.

In the health report all of us have been remarkably healthy. Maya was the first puker. We all thanked her for waiting until we descended from the hot air balloon ride in Myanmar before she threw up. Paul always has an upset stomach and uses diarrhea as a kind of weight loss program. Luckily, we brought Dr. Halle with us, who recommended going gluten free as a remedy. How does she think this stuff up? Normally if I am somewhere sketchy for a week, I just avoid the obvious – ice cubes, salad and brush my teeth with bottled water. Since this trip is a little longer than a week, I am hoping I can build my immune system as I cannot go without fruit and veggies for that long. So far so good – no Delhi belly. Part of the problem is eating out 3 times a day, especially when 2 could be buffets, ugh!! If anyone wants to fedex me a decaf mocha from Starbucks, a Greek yogurt with blackberries, honey and mint, some coconut peanut butter and an avocado and tomato salad I would be eternally grateful.

I don’t know what time it is, what the date is or what day of the week it is. I do know it’s March. I charge my phone once a week, I look at it less than that. I get up in the morning, wear the same clothes as yesterday, pack my cameras and get into a van with no clue where we are off to. All I know is I average 200 photos a day which means there is a lot to see and so we keep going. I love the streets. I love the people, the colors and sights of the mundane everyday. All of it, mesmerizing.

I am most impressed with the girls learning so far. One of my goals was to have them develop a love for reading, previously looked upon as a cruel method of torture. Halle is finishing her 11^th book, Zara is on number 10 and Maya and Jolie are a little slower in the uptake but know well the stories of leaders and survivors both past, present and future – Arn Pond, Malala, Aung San Suu Kyi, Ghandi and Mandela. In addition, they have each written over 100 pages of journal entries and watched some challenging documentaries. A television has not been turned on since we left and not a text message sent. Snapchat, FaceTime and Instagram have been permitted so they continue to be inspired to take photos and share their stories with friends. To pass the time while journeying, we play cards and look out the window. My dream come true.