Yup, this is a post about July 2017. Why are you reading this now? Well, because (1) who doesn’t want to read about July in warm, sunny New England on a cold February day; (2) I’m desperate to finish the blog because I REALLY want a complete account of this incredible trip! So, here it is… some notes and pictures from our last two weeks of the US Road Trip and the final sunset from our full-time adventure. 

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We always look forward to spending time in the summer with our families, and this year was extra special (but also bittersweet) because our two weeks in Maine, New Hampshire, and New York marked the end of our world tour.

New Hampshire        

After four days of driving east from California we were extra excited to make it to Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire where we joined the Donovan crew for a long weekend with extended family who welcome us with open arms year after year.

Our family at the lake is really into wake surfing which we have all come to enjoy; not surprisingly, John has picked it up the most quickly. We spent a few hours each morning out on the lake taking turns behind the boat, trying to get a little better with each run.

We also spent lots of time lounging by the water, having awesome family dinners, jamming to music in the evenings, and just generally having a great time.

Our friends Jenna and Matt were able to join us for a few days to celebrate the 4th of July, which we were really excited about.

A few days of R&R with people we love was a great way to cap off our cross-country drive. A huge thank you to our Opel family for hosting us and making this another unforgettable summer at the lake!

Maine

After the lake, we drove up to Maine with my mom to spend time at our family’s place on a small island about two hours north of Portland. The house is one of less than two dozen on an island without any stores, cars, or electricity. Needless to say, it was a relaxing break and a great way to just chill. We spent our days walking and exploring, reading, napping in the hammock, going for (very cold) swims, and spending time with friends and extended family who also visit every summer. It’s hard to do this place justice with words (and it’s boring to tell you about all the reading/lounging we did) so here are some pictures instead:

New York

Our final stop on the world tour was [drumroll please]… a weekend in Southampton, New York! We met up with John’s family to spend some time with his grandparents and celebrate our very last weekend of freedom. Our time here was too short and filled with the anticipation of our return to the “real world,” but we enjoyed it and were glad we got to spend time with the Garland crew to ring in the end of our full-time travels.

And with that, the sun set our our incredible adventure and we returned to life in Baltimore for John’s first day of work. Bummer, right? Well… it’s actually been OK! Sure, it was super sad to end this around the world adventure but settling back into life in the city we call home has been fun in so many ways. Want to hear more about life after travel and our reflections from the road? Good news… there is another very belated post coming at ya!