As our passport pages fill and our steps carry us closer to 100 countries, we’ve realized something unexpected: memories, once so vivid, are beginning to blur. Retirement isn’t far off, and we want to hold onto the moments before they fade. Years ago, we tried keeping a travel journal, but like so many good intentions, it was left unfinished. This blog is our new way forward—our motivation to keep reflecting, to capture what we’ve lived, and to leave behind a small legacy. Not to boast, but simply to remind ourselves—and perhaps others—that we truly lived once.
Looking back, we see how much our way of traveling has changed. In 2009, on our very first backpacking trip through India, we clung to guidebooks, booked flights through a travel agent, and wandered into guesthouses hoping for a room. It was trial, error, and trust. Fast forward to our recent journey through Namibia and Botswana: with a few clicks—and even the help of AI language models—we could plan everything in advance, from flights to lodges to transport. Yet one thing hasn’t changed: we still travel independently, resisting packaged tours in favor of finding our own way.