Our Instagram and blog is about a month behind and we had been cycling along the beautiful Gulf of Thailand this past week. While at present, everything was calm, we had a difficult week struggling to decide what our next move was as borders closed and the situation worsened at home. It was an emotional roller coaster but finally after a long discussion and a call to family we decided that flying home was the best decision for us. When we woke up the next morning the state department announced Americans should return home immediately or prepare to stay abroad indefinitely. This both cemented our decision and added a bit more stress.
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That same day we found bike boxes, packed everything, and bought train and plane tickets. In the evening we took an overnight train to Bangkok, where we flew to Tapei, then Chicago, and finally St. Louis, arriving 72 hours after we left. We know that our bicycle touring days are not behind us but it was still an emotional trip home.
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Originally we planned to cycle Southeast Asia for as long as six months. It was the culmination of our tour and we had been looking forward to reaching this point for the last two years. Now we are appreciating what we saw of Myanmar and Thailand and making peace with returning home early. On our way to this corner of the world we have traveled through so many areas that we never imagined ourselves cycling and we are thankful for the beautiful experience we’ve had in each. We know Southeast Asia will always be there to return.
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This trip may be over but our adventures will continue. While we may be calling our tour finished, the last two years have transformed from being a trip to a lifestyle. Never could we have imagined how our mindsets and outlook would change over the last two years. We had hoped to stay abroad and find work but we now have no idea what the next months or year has in store for us, we’ve been caught off guard and have no plans. We are incredibly fortunate and privileged to have the ability to still live off our savings and have parents who love having us crash with them. For now we will enjoy time with family at home and begin to think about what our next steps are.
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We still have about a month of our cycle through Myanmar and Thailand that we haven’t shared. We will continue to post about the remainder of our trip on Instagram and Travelmap. But first - sleep!
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Stay safe and healthy,
-Ross and Pax