This is a blog where we share travels past and planned for the future. We also post our seemingly ‘directionless” musings, gripes, bits and bites about travel. We only offer our own perspective and have no intent to guide nor influence. In a way this is a selfish manifestation of our love for ourselves…so this is NOT a travel blog since we probably will write off tangent many (many) a time. And many a time you might see our posts make reference to songs too… look out and see if you can tease it out!
Perhaps the stories and posts might inspire you to plan your own journeys and build a handprint map to call your own.
Who are we?
Mel works as an office stiff by day and becomes an antiquities buff at other times. It did not start this way. As an economics graduate with an electronics diploma, Melvin wanted to be in marketing. And he did that for a short while. Then the financial crisis struck (sigh) and he moved out of sales and marketing. Beggars cannot be choosers right? It has been more than 20 years working in the same functional area since then, rotating around the globe a fair bit along the way as a corporate stiff drone (lucky for us!).
Suan on the other hand was an accounting girl by circumstance more than choice. It was a practical way to quickly get a paying job. She just wants a simple life where you get to do what you like, you know – the lucky-go-happy sort. She’s the model for our photograph collection/gallery/exhibition… plus the boss at home.
Combined we are more than the dynamic duo. Suan cooks, Mel clean up. Its an equal relationship (depends on how you see it). So, its dynamic – ie it changes to circumstances where Suan gets to select the part of the equation she wants – eg mop the floor but will leave the toilet to Mel. So long as both parties in a relationship have agreed with each other. That’s most important.
So, how did we get here?
With no kids and ample opportunities to work outside of our home country, it should be easy to see how we got “carried” away as our travel handprint grew larger. Click here to read all about our travel handprint. If you really need to know, ask us. We are very happy to hear from you. Aside from saving for “retirement” (if there was really such a thing), it’s all for the airlines, travel expenses, rental car etc…
On this blog Mel does most of the writing and Suan the editing. And we comment and respond jointly. What we are really interested is not in the number of followers and likes but the how often we engage in conversations/dialogs with other bloggers.
There are many sites and blogs on the web that caters to almost anything you need to know about the places you desire to be. In fact, the sheer number of sites constitutes somewhat of an information overload. Well, this blog adds a view from our perspective, in addition to our newsletter. Click here to find out more.
Just us adding our two cents to the mix.
“All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” Samuel Johnson
Don’t you think what he said is true?
August 2017
I come across your website and it is nice to meet you and to get to know you more. I am Yunni and my husband is Mickey. Both of us love travelling and we just start blogging last month. We are a new blogger, and unlike you, Mickey is obsess with a no of follower and everyday I see him staring all night at the computer screen and do nothing. ha..ha.. it was soo funy to see him and keeps ridicule him:) anyway, have a fantastic week ahead.
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LOL. We do not show the number of followers we have. We are mainly interested in readers who comment and have a conversation. Its a very different approach!
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ha..ha..true. Interaction is better and hopefully can make friend in the future.
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Hi!!
Thanks for reading our post and encouraging. We are new bloggers. Your blogs are full of useful information and fun to read. Do plan and visit india
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Hey Mel and Suan! I highly enjoy your articles, alongside your comments on my own articles. I have therefore decided to nominate you for the Mystery Blogger Award! A great way to get recognition for your amazing work. I hope you choose to accept the nomination, but if you don’t then simply take it as a compliment for your commitment to blogging. Here is the link if you would like to participate. https://travellingantics.com/2018/03/29/mystery-blogger-award/
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Hi Maria, many thanks. We are an award free site! But we are grateful for the recognition!
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No worries, I understand! Keep up the great work! 😀
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Hi 🌿❤️😄 How are you? I nominated you for The Entertainer Blogger Award – https://cookthebeans.com/2018/01/30/the-entertainer-blogger-award/
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Hi Ana,
Many thanks!
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So, I never checked this out before!!!!! Que horror! He-he. Somehow, I sensed Suan and I were a lot more alike. Does being an Accountant really the easy and quick way to a not-so-bad pay? 🙂
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Heheh…. she decided not to comment…
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Haha. Suan agrees with me. *wink*
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Have a read of this – https://fomoist.wordpress.com/2017/09/28/look-mum-i-am-on-my-way-to-world-domination/
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Heheh…thanks for nominating us… but we are award free!
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Hi Mel and Suan, thanks for visiting my blog https://justwander.org/. I have started following you guys and love your articles 🙂
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Many thanks! We really like to visit Cuba some day and you’ve given a wonderful account!
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LOVE your relationship equality and dynamic! Sounds quite a bit like Angela and myself. Thanks for stopping by our site and liking our post. Best of luck and travels!
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We are glad for you too! Most important thing about married life is communication and being able to work out differences!
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Hi,
Thanks for liking my post on http://www.galleyvantingaround.com . That means I discovered your blog, how interesting! I am fascinated by how you mix your past and current travels, also love your ” ramblings ” and observations.
Looking forward to following you, one always need inspiration and stimulation from others…
V
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Glad you like it. We’ve written a lot but its been offline and perhaps in the newsletters. So its more about sharing and perhaps telling a story and raising a topic more than the travel journey itself. Hope you enjoy it more!
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Muchas gracias. ?Como puedo iniciar sesion?
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Hello, Mel & Suan. Your blogs are awesome I enjoy reading them. If possible I would like to request you to post your stories in my blog http://www.startbagpack.com/ .
If you want or anybody who wants to share your travel stories or adventure with us please visit and contact us.
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Glad you like out blog posts. However, our stories are not the most current….lol because they are from the past! Will that be something you’d like us share at your blog?
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I would surely share your travel stories with others you can share your travel stories from any place you had travel and like to share, even past stories is okay. Contact@startbagpack.com is my mail.
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I would surely share your travel stories with others you can share your travel stories from any place you had travel and like to share, even past stories is okay. Contact@startbagpack.com is my mail
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You two sound like a fun and adventurous people 🙂 Also, thanks for sharing Samuel Johnson’s quote – it’s a good reminder to everyone that all kinds of travel can serve us well!
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LOL. Thanks! We try to make the blog fun, sharing thoughts and things we read elsewhere. Perhaps it can be thought provoking too.
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I’m sure you are busy, but I nominated you for “The Sunshine Blogger’s Award!” Even if you are awards free I still like what you have going and wanted to share your blog. If you have a little time at least I’d like to know your answers to the questioned I posed. Here is the link: http://thesixfootbonsai.com/2017/04/20/ten-questions-for-sunny-bloggers/
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Oh thank you for nominating us!
Its true we are award free…heheh. Short answers here ok?
1. Can’t decide! keep adding to bucket list.
2. Have not counted. 50?
3. the part of the whale the produces ahem!
4. Oh we’ve fallen off watching movies!
5. Blogging was a means to keep in contact with friends and ex-colleagues initially
6. English, Mandarin, a little Dutch, and 4-5 other Chinese dialects if you will.
7. Everyday!
8. Oh there are too many to list!
9. Be financially independent. Start volunteer work full time
10. The dry season…lol. We live on a tropical island!
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Hello
Just to let you know that I have nominated you for the Blogger’s Recognition Award. I am pleased to have come across your blog and have enjoyed reading your posts. Have a look at my recent post for the rules/conditions regarding this award.
https://japaninsidersite.wordpress.com/2017/03/25/bloggers-recognition-award
I hope you accept the nomination and I look forward to seeing who you nominate. Congratulations!
Yoshida-san
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Hi Yoshida-san,
Many thanks for nominating us! But we are an award free blog, meaning we are not looking for awards. But we are very grateful for your nomination! Do keep posting too and we enjoy reading your adventures too!
Mel & Suan
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Hi! Thank you for visiting and commenting my blog. I’ve only recently started the whole thing and was often confused as to where to click to see what, so it took me a while to get back to you. I noticed that the background in your wonderful picture above looks like Germany. Did I guess right? 🙂 Also, I will definitely take a look at the other fun things to do in the heartlands of your home base (great collection of posts on your page!), when I am, hopefully soon, in Singapore again.
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No worries. It is always the most challenging to start something new. We were a little like this too a year back!
Our featured photo is of Strasbourg, Petit France area. Historically part of Germany at some point too but now part of France.
Yes there are lots to do in Singapore’s heartlands. One just need to take the MRT and step out to see the real Singapore!
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Thanks for stopping by my blog. I was looking at your trip through your “Toyama Road Trip” post and saw you visited Kanazawa! Did you get to stop by Kenroku-en while in town?
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Thanks for looking us up.
The castle was free to access until end February, so we only went there and skipped the gardens entirely!
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Thanks for visiting Flying Goannas and for the “like”. I look forward to reading more of your travels.
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Hi, thanks for the recent like on my blog… You have what appears to be a very interesting blog here which I look forward to exploring more.
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Hey, many thanks! Give us your comments on where we are lacking!
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I am sure you are not lacking 🙂 …. I also welcome feedback on my blog if you have time to read it and of course find it interesting.
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Will surely do. Soonest we get back home! Internet connection is not easy while on the go! lol
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Of course there is no hurry – are you on holidays now ?
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We are in Japan now. And making our way back to Tokyo from Toyama. So will be on the road and not connected.
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Enjoy your time in Japan .. I look forward to reading about it 🙂
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I liked your blog, good article, I invite you to my blog:
http://dishdessert.wordpress.com
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love your quote !
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I really love reading all your travel updates, and the concept of a “travel hand print” is awesome! Just to let you know I’ve nominated you for the Bloggers Recognition Award – I hope you will accept this nomination! More information at https://aikaite.wordpress.com/2017/02/06/bloggers-recognition-award/
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Oh thanks! We are award free, so thanks for the kind thoughts!
Yes the concept of a Hand print is our way of distinguishing from a “footprint”…we say we touched the places we traveled to, because we do think it is only momentary. It will take many lifetimes to experience the lives of people in the places we travel to! lol
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You’re welcome! I really love reading your posts, so this award is just a way of saying “thank you” for your hard work and helping to share your blog with new readers 🙂
It is such a great idea, I love it so much! Yes, travel is often just a brief glimpse into another culture and way of life, the hand print analogy is perfect.
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I love your whimsical and honest about page 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Chlohemian. Looking forward to hearing about your travels!
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Heheh, thanks for the compliment! It is all true. We had been lucky considering our humble backgrounds!
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Thanks for your wonderful About page. I am totally intrigued about how you guys can lead such prolific travelling lives whilst working in the corporate sector.
Our common friend Len has done well to recommend your blog! I’ll definitely be back for more 😉
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LOL yes we do what is known as “bleisure”, ie try to combine business with some leisure for each possible business trip. Sometimes this works and other times the schedules conflict…but it happens enough to be able to travel a few times together in a year…so it boils down to planning and a lot of luck!
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Here’s to a bleisurable year ahead! 😉
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I wanted to thank you for checking out my StruckByWanderlustBlog.wordpress.com. It is sincerely appreciated !
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Our pleasure!
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Beautiful about page and not just the looks, Mel and Suan. Thank you so much for coming to my blog and commenting. You have great senses of humor, and I love that. I’m anxious to explore your blog.
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Well, tell us more about what you think about our blog. We are open to any form of opinions. What we want are conversations!
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That’s a wide open invitation! I’d love to talk to you about your goals – conversation is certainly a main one! Why don’t we talk by email? My personal email is tchistorygal@gmail.com.
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Sure thing!
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Suan: 0urs is melsuan0810@outlook.com
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Excellent, I have some appointments this afternoon and evening, so I’ll email you tomorrow, if that’s ok! 🙂
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Thanks for checking out our blog Suan & Mel! I took a minute to read a couple of your articles and it sounds like the two of you would be wonderful Sojourn Ambassadors. If you think you might be interested in putting together a group of 7-14 people, you would sojourn with them “our treat”. We have a new line of “Live-Like-a-Local” sojourns and I’m looking for Ambassadors for the 2018 trips to Provence. You can check the itinerary out here (http://www.sojournertours.com/live-like-a-local-in-provence/) and drop me a line if you’d like to know more at lisagustavson@sojournertours.com
-Lisa (owner, Sojourner Tours)
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Oh sure thing Lisa! But pulling 7-14 ppl could be tough! LOL. We’ll let you know if we can get enough people. The itinerary sounds intriguing!
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We know it is challenging, hence the reward of the complementary “thank you” sojourn. 🙂
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Thanks for liking my blog: http://www.here2where.wordpress.com – I’m glad I now found yours!
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Really happy I’ve found your blog!
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Thanks you! Let us know if you think anything needs tweaking. Always learning something every day!
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Interesting and insightful blog.Happy New Year !
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Thank you for your kind comment!
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That was a funny about us!! More blogs should have that sense of humour hehe
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LOL yes, its meant to be. Afterall we all have enough stress in our lives not to bring it to blogosphere right?
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Lovely blog and great work. Safe travels wherever you are 🙂
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Found your blog after you commented on my entry on finding a place in Rotterdam. Gotta say I’m in love already! You guys sound like a great couple and I am loving your posts – so glad I found you! Keep up the good work. 😉
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Thanks! We wish to inspire readers to craft their own stories through travel.
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love your blog so much! it seems like you guys have the best time and lots of fun! that is so great
btw your whole blog is such an inspiration! xx
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Thank you! We really hope to inspire readers to build their own travel stories and go see the world.
Not by quiting the job (LOL) but slowly over time. Because life may seem short, but there are other things in life too that are important!
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you’re welcome!)) that would be an honor to be your online friend if you don’t mind)
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Sure thing!
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great! following you here)
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Of course you are welcome!
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Hi, love your blog and have started to follow and read your posts. We have an almost identical outlook to yourselves on travel. I’ve tried to follow you in my Newsify app but it won’t connect to you, do you have your RSS feed switched on! DrB 👍👍👫
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Hi thanks for the follow. No we do not have RSS feed switched on. Will look into it!
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Howdy, this is Michael from mdtcreative.com after following and appreciating all of your thought provoking comments on my blog I had to see what type of blog you have and, as I assumed, I’m very impressed. I have to admit you folks are living the life “Honey” and I always wanted and soon will. We have always loved to travel and within the next couple of years we plan to retire and hit the open road to see what’s out there and learn all we can.
I’m also a huge history buff so I love to visit new places and soak up all of the history I can. I really look forward to more of your writing and to share more of your adventures with you. Thank you again for following my writing and always sharing an intellectual and thought provoking comment. Take care in your travels.
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Michael, is your comment in reply to me or to Mel & Suan?
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It’s to Mel and Suan sorry if there was a misunderstanding. However, I’m happy for the mix up because it gave the opportunity to take a look at your site, and I wouldn’t have had that opportunity otherwise. You also have a great site with interesting content and I look forward to reading more of it.
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We are happy to be a broker here! More reads = more interactions = more blogosphere friends!
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Thanks Michael, but you may have followed the wrong site? My Quality Education Global site was created for overseas aid workers in education with no further posts, it’s an online learning resource. My personal site is http://www.thetwodoctors.wordpress.com
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Oh man, I’m just all thumbs today lol must be the brain numbing cold here in Michigan. I did go to the wrong site then because the one I just looked at wasn’t anything like that, sorry.
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Guys, no worries.
We are all in the same community here!
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That pic looks sooo typically German. Is that Monschau?
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Actually it was petit France in Strasbourg. It’s a wonderful city to make the journey to. Food’s great, place’s beautiful. Can’t ask for more!
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I’ve been on the stretch from Freiburg to Karlsruhe many times — never been to the other side of the river, but the towns and architecture seem so similar on both sides — e.g., Colmar and Freiburg … OK, Strasbourg is on my list now.
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Well, the names in Alsace and Lorraine are more Germanic then they are Gallic. But politically it has been part of France for a long time now!
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You sound like a great couple, and how lovely to be able to travel around like you do. Have you ever been to Greece? We live on our yacht over the summer and spend six months floating around the greek islands.
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Well, we’ve only been once, more than 10 years ago! Really hope to return and spend more time in the islands, they deserve so much time!
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Its an equal relationship (depends on how you see it). 😀 You guys are a lot of fun. Love the enthusiasm on adding Russia to the map of visited countries! 🙂
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Yeah! Its equal. Some more equal than others!
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Thanks for liking my post about my son Nick’s trip to the Great Wall of China. Also check out my previous post about the rest of his trip to China with his girlfriend Summer, to visit her family and see some sights! I’ve got some other travel posts, too, to Turkey, where I lived for awhile, and to Mexico, to visit a friend who lives there at Christmas time.
Your blog looks awesome, so I’m now following it! 🙂 Take care and happy travels!
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Thanks for your kind words. We are looking at Mexico now
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I had a lovely trip to friends in central Mexico for a week at Christmas quite some time ago. You may want to check out my post called “Christmas in Puebla 2007,” which I published in June of this year. 🙂
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Hey guys! I have just found your travel adventures and I’m absolutely amazed and will be following you for sure!
Check my adventures as well and I hope you may come to Portugal to add my country to your beautiful travel experiences! Cheers 🙂
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Sure thing! We’ve been only once long time back and only to Lisboa for a short time followed by Fatima. Its time to revisit!
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You two have an incredible travel website, and I will follow your journies 🙂
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Look out for more as we transcribe our offline content over!
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Hi guys! Thanks for taking the time to stop by in my blog. Greetings from Minnesota, USA. -L
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Many thanks for stopping by too! Let us know what is happening stateside !
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Happy to find your blog and read your posts.
Invite you to visit and follow my blog too:
http://www.greenglobaltrek.com
Peta
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Thank you for stopping by! Yes we are definitely following your adventures. When will you swap Chicago for Asia again?
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We just arrived back in Viet Nam a week ago.
http://www.greenglobaltrek.com/2016/10/slipping-comfortably-into-life-in-hoi-an-viet-nam.html
Peta
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Hello, would you like to share Vietnam your travel story with us in our blog http://www.startbagpack.com
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Oh as soon as we write it! LOL
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If you face trouble writing guest you can sent me a travel story in microsoft word file including image and sent me.
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HI,
Do you have a wordpress follow link?
Mel and Suan
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Hi! Thanks a lot for the follow!
Great blog! 🙂
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Yes, give us your thoughts too on the posts. We will be in Korea in November and extending a few days to Busan. Let us know if you have any tips for exploring that city!
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That’s great! I’d love to but the hubby and I didn’t go to Busan. Have fun there! 🙂
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Yes we sure will and will post our experiences too!
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Hi there..love your blog..Please check my new Blog https://kitli-culture.com/
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Hi,
Thanks for reading for posts. I know they are sometime (well maybe most) directionless. And sometimes a little more on the serious side. Kind of “schizo”.
I am very curious about places you touched on your trips. Do you have any references on th web that I can read up more about them? I cannot seem to easily purchase books on Indian history. This is one of the blindspots in my collection.
Mel & Suan
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