Before I write up my perspective of this trip, it’s really important to me to take a moment and thank those around me for their support, kindness, friendship, and just being there. This trip has been one of the hardest, yet one of the most amazing things for me to do. The time away and experiences has taught me lessons which I will cover in a different post. Also, I will try to cover things like my favorite places along the way. One thing I did not realize when I first started the trip was the amount people that I would be thanking. I am truly grateful for that support which has been a part of my trip’s success. I apologize in advance if I have forgotten to name you specifically for something you did for me with this trip.

I’d like to thank:

• Charlie and Justin – thank you for your unconditional support of this trip and letting me crash your places at various points on this trip and storing some things as well. Thank you for reminding me to rock the trip, putting up with my crap, and being there when I just needed to bitch about something. Thanks also for helping me through last year (summer and fall) and everything that went on. Your txts, voicemails, and emails kept me going. You guys rock and I will never forget your support of the trip.
• My Mom and Dad – thanks for being there, getting past the nerves of having me out of the country, and understanding my need to do this trip. Thanks for storing my stuff, picking me up at airports, taking delivery of things from overseas, and not getting worried when I might not have called for sometime.
• Charlie – thanks for joining up in Amsterdam and Berlin…it was an epic time. Seeing you rock out on the streets of Berlinwith the Spaniard and celebrating July 4^th are some of my favorite memories of the trip. You wanting to go to Europe was the only reason I went, otherwise I would have skipped it altogether!
• James (and Amy) – Thank you, friend, (yes I said friend, not co-worker) for storing most of my stuff in your basement. I also appreciated your witty facebook comments over the past year. They always gave me a laugh. We shall continue our happy hours and beer NDAs! J. I also want to thank Amy because I know her permission was also needed to store my stuff in your basement J
• KD, Waigash, and Njenga – Thank you for letting me blast off in Nairobi and letting me make Nairobimy home for a month. It was the perfect way to kick off the trip. Partying in Nairobi was def one of a kind! Please visit Minneapolis any time.
• Rohit – Thank you for letting me stay at your place in India and treating me like family.  My time in India was awesome and I will be back sometime in the future! It was great once again to hang out in person. Ending the trip in India surrounded by friends made this part one of my favorite memories of the trip. Doing the Wagah Border and Golden Temple VIP style was another great memory for me. I will also not forget your suggestion of visiting Ladakh – as it is truly unlike any other place in India. Thanks also for putting me in touch with your friends across the world. It was like hanging out with you. Also, thank you for the occasional video chat, it always made me happy to see a familiar face.
• Ashish – thank you for letting staying at your place both during my break in June and shortly after my trip. I will not forget your support and kindness!
• March and Katie – Thanks for always having your house open to me in Iowa and meeting up with me last minute. I think the only time I played Xbox within the last year was with March.
• Enoch – thank you for your perspective and advice before my trip (especially with what went on last summer) and meeting up in Phoenix. Your perspective helped especially when I started to see it more and more while I was on the road. Probably the best advice you gave was that even the bad experiences will be good….Haha…way too true.
• Adam and Liza – Thanks for letting me stay at your place in Phoenix and taking me out to dinner. One of these days you guys will have to come up to Minneapolis– (in the summer time of course)
• Abhi – thanks for letting me crash in Nashville and chill there for a few days. One of these days you will have to swing by Minneapolis so I can return the favor. Thanks for your perspective on Ladakh!
• My cousin, Hannah – thanks for showing me a little of Ft.Worth, going on a run, and seeing 4-day weekend. I still think Dallas is better, (just kidding!..haha)
• My Aunt Donna and Uncle Larry – Thanks for letting me stay in Quincy on the way to Nashville! Playing cards is always fun with you guys!
• Ryan and Soeurm – Thanks for having your wedding in June 2012. It gave me the perfect reason to come back for a short break!
• My professional colleagues and friends – Joe, Colt, Ed – thank you for your friendship, perspective, and support. You helped me think about how this trip might impact me professionally. Thank you also for your help in my job search!
• Colt – Thank you for letting me keep my car at your place while I was in South America.
• Derek – thanks for staying in touch through txts and facebook – it was nice getting that random txt every once in awhile.
• James and Vivian – Thanks for showing me around Melbourne, taking me out, showing me the Yarra wine valley (Vivian) and buying me a meal (James and Vivian). The night life inMelbourneis pretty awesome as well (James).
• Nikhill and Shashank – Thanks for showing me around Singapore and taking me out. There was at least one epic night in there!
• Abhineet – Thanks for showing me some of Melbourne’s night life and going to that casino’s club which wouldn’t let me in. I ended up winning 200 AUD that night because of that.
• Alex M– thanks for chilling out with me in NZ and doing the Great Ocean Road in Melbourne. A trip to London and aChelseafootball match is in the future…
• Chris from the UK–  thanks for partying it up in HK and NZ…doing 2 days straight of seeing the sunrise was fun.
• Rob H – Thanks for meeting up in Bangkok…the German brewery with an Asian variety show…still a good call. Hope your travels are still going well!
• Rob S – thanks for hanging out in Cambodia. We had some epic times there.
• Phoenix– thanks for an awesome time in Cape Town. When are you opening that hostel again?!?
• Steve D – thanks for your support, not flipping out when I said I was moving out, and always having an optimistic attitude. Your optimism kept me going.
• Steve D and Jacquelyn – thanks for letting stay at your place for 3 weeks in June! I really appreciated that and will not forget it.
• David Yi – Thanks for dinner in Shanghai, your interest in my trip, and your advice on traveling in China.
• Matt and Erica – Thanks for meeting up with me in Sydney and Taupo, NZ. I envy your ability to travel for so long and see much more of the world than me, but 1 year is enough for me!
• The Danish guys – Johan, Frederik, Hjalti, and Carl – thanks for fun times and stories in NZ…maybe one day if I am still “cool” enough, I can drop in to Denmark for a visit
• John C – Thanks for letting me borrow your truck on way way short notice to help me move stuff.
• Lam – Thanks for hosting me in Ho Chi Minh City and being my first couch surfing experience. It was a great experience. I’m only sorry I couldn’t spend more time in Vietnam. When you get your chance to visit the U.S., you will have to add Minneapolis to your trip so I can return the favor!
• Adam M – thank you for showing me Amman, hosting me for 2 nights, taking me to Jaresh, and letting me experience Jordan.
• Antonio M – thanks for hosting me in Amman at the end of my journey in Jordan and hanging out in Petra and Wadi Rum. Your language skills are amazing. You’re one optimistic person. Best of luck in your next country.
• Andrew and Renae – Thanks for hosting me, picking me up from the airport, and letting me stay your place. It worked out well to fly in and out of Chicago especially for Thanksgiving last year.
• Ryan Ng – Thanks for meeting up in Hong Kong, the awesome dim sum, and your travel advice for China.
• Prudy – Thanks for trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge. It was great to do this with another American and more importantly, a fellow Braves fan! I hope you enjoy your travels throughout Asia!
• Clay and Vincent – Thanks for hanging out in Amsterdam and checking out some of the breweries!
• Kuralay – thanks for hanging out in Alice Springs and the Outback. Your photography skills are amazing – thanks for helping to improve mine just a little! Best of luck at your new job in DC.
• Eyal – Thanks for hiking Zhangjiajie with me for 2 days.
• Polly – Thanks for treating me like family during my stay in Shanghai. Next time I’m there, I’ll look you up.
• Phillippe S – thanks for doing Yellow Mountain and Nanjing and hanging out in Shanghai for 6 weeks.
• Silas – Thanks for training me in Shanghai for 7 weeks and getting me back in condition to work out again.
• Phong – thanks for hanging out in Shanghai for a few weeks and doing Nanjing. Best of luck in Hong Kong!
• Kushi, my Kilimanjaro Guide, thank you for making sure I reached the top!
• Max – thanks for going Emei Shan and rushing up to the top with me. Wouldn’t have made it there otherwise.
• Kim, Crystal, and Blakesley – Thanks for a memorable time in Tibet and Kathmandu. You ladies certainly kept me on my toes and were fun to hang out with. Good luck in all your future endeavors and if you’re in Minneapolis feel free to stop by!
• Amit and Aakanksha – thanks for hanging out on the trip to Golden Temple and Wagah border! It was great getting to know you and hopefully I will return to India one day!
• Rahul and Mridhu – thanks for letting me “invade” your space for a lot of my time in India. Thanks for helping me navigate the language barriers when I needed help. Enjoy your travels to London and Edinburgh!
• My fellow travelers – thanks for the sharing the experiences of new places with me, a little bit of your culture, and your offers of places to stay. If you’re ever in the States, please look me up and come to Minneapolis.
• My facebook friends – Thank you for liking, commenting, jeering, and pushing me to try stuff

Tim is preparing to travel the world on a much needed career break. His travels have already taken him to New Zealand, India, China, Taiwan, and many places in western Europe. On his world trip he hopes to become more fluent in Mandarin Chinese, meet new friends, gain new perspectives, and find new opportunities. Follow Tim on his global adventures.

Tim

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