2015-16 RTW Trip Recap: Bests, Worsts, Most Surprising, and By The Numbers

I left in September of 2015 and was gone for 9 months, traveling solo. I started in South America, then headed west to Asia, on to Europe, back to South America, back to Europe, and finally back to North America. That’s all the way around the world and halfway back again, in case you missed it.

To simply say that I experienced a lot in my travels falls flat, so instead of “it was great, amazing, challenging, hard, beautiful, delicious,” etc., I’ve categorized some of the most notable things. Let’s start with the numbers.

RTW Trip (Round The World) by the Numbers

• 31 flights
• 36 trains (1 overnight)
• 11 ferries
• 20 buses
• Over 65,000 miles traveled
• 16 countries (in order of appearance): Chile, Thailand, Cambodia, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Liechtenstein, Spain, Argentina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bulgaria, USA, Canada
• Countless pints of beer (probably better I don’t keep track)
• 5 conferences: ATWS – Adventure Travel World Summit (Chile), TBEX – Travel Blogger Exchange (Thailand & Minnesota), AdventureNEXT Balkans (Macedonia), AdventureELEVATE (Quebec)
• 2 via ferratas (Kosovo, Quebec)
• 2 long-term apartments (3 months in Bariloche, Argentina & 1 month in Lecce, Italy)
• Over 200 miles hiked
• 7 couches surfed for 31 days on 4 continents
• 26 passport stamps (plus 1 visit to an embassy for 48 extra pages)

Favorites

• Region: Patagonia (both Chile and Argentina – want to go back with me?)
• Town: Bariloche, Argentina & Ohrid, Macedonia
• City (Besides Rome): Munich, Germany
• Accommodations: Ani Villas, Thailand & Cabins Los Cuernos, Chile
• Outdoor Adventure: W Circuit, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
• Cuisine (Obviously outside of Italy): Kosovo – Didn’t see that one coming, did you? I LOVE food in the Balkans, it’s like a perfect marriage of Ottoman and western influence, like the incredible countries themselves. Favorites are dolma, stuffed peppers, dips, and traditional čevapi and grilled meats.
• Single culinary experience: Curanto (watch the video) from an agroturismo on the island of Chiloé, Chile
• Beer (Obviously outside of U.S.): Argentina, particularly the Porter by Antares and Black IPA by Manush
• Massage: Thailand (foot massage)
• Prices: Cambodia & Balkans
• Rakia: Walnut in Kosovo
• Airport (& lounge): Istanbul
• Tuk-Tuk Driver: Cambodia (Ankor Wat)

Most Disappointing

• Single culinary experience: Sea Urchin – Chiloé, Chile and Rice with Lamb & Entrails in Bulgaria
• Beer: Anything in Asia
• WiFi: Argentina (#palmtoforehead)
• Cellular data: Kosovo (zero with T-Mobile)
• Bugs: Thailand
• Accommodations in general: Thailand (What is up with the hard-as-concrete bed epidemic?)
• Prices: Switzerland
• City: Buenos Aires, Argentina (Judge me all you want, I had just come from 3 incredible months in the depths of Patagonia to the concrete jungle that is Buenos Aires. Talk about overwhelm.)
• Rakia: Macedonia
• Airport: Santiago
• Tourist Scams: Bangkok

Most Surprising

• Country (in the best way): Bulgaria & Chile – both for the people, the colors, the culture, the incredible mountains, and the hospitality, and the best tour guides! Shout out to Fantástico Sur, BirdsChile, and Odyssea-In
• Prices (expensive): Argentina – cost of living in Argentina is about the same as Bozeman, Montana, those who call it “cheap” must be from the cities, that was a bit disappointing.
• Cappuccino: Kosovo – there is a crazy good espresso culture there.
• City: Madrid – I’m not a huge city person, but this was love at first sight.
• Fun activity: Muay Thai classes in both Thailand and Argentina
• View (as in “take my breath away, jaw-dropping, what the heck is happening, how does this really exist”): Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina
• Good beer: Sabaja Smoked Porter in Kosovo

Randoms: What I was…

• Listening to: Ed Sheeran “X”
• Watching: Game of Thrones (in Spanish)
• Carrying: Farpoint 55
• Wearing: Check out my carry-on only packing list

Want More?

Essays

• First – this is why I went alone
• Here are some things I learned along the way
• In the end, this was the most important lesson of all
• And this is what it feels like to be home again

Stories from the Road

Chile

• Destination Chile: First Stop On My World Tour
• Hiking to the Towers in Torres del Paine (VIDEO)
• An Ultimate Bucket List Experience: The W Circuit in Torres del Paine
• How to Make a Curanto (VIDEO)
• Snap Story from a Week on Chiloé Island (VIDEO)

Thailand

• Gut-Wrenching Stories Behind the Scenes of Paradise: The Truth About Why I Left Thailand
• The Nicest Place I’ve Ever Stayed: Ani Villas Thailand

Europe

• A Traveler’s Christmas in Europe
• I Ran a Race at Midnight on New Year’s Eve in Switzerland
• 7 Countries, 13 Cities, 6 Weeks, 1 Eurail Pass

Patagonia

• Why I Picked Argentina
• What It’s Like to Live in Bariloche, #Argentina
• With Chile it is Love: Torres del Paine Revisited
• How Game of Thrones Helped Me Learn Spanish

Balkans

• My First Via Ferrata (with a fear of heights)
• Overcoming Fears Through Adventure Travel: Via Ferrata (BMT Podcast)

One more: 7 Things I Wish I Packed on My RTW Trip

Have I forgotten anything fun? What else do you want to know? Ask in the comments and I’ll add it!