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To Beard Or Not To Beard? Comments On Change & Routine While Traveling

7/25/2013

9 Comments

 
Picture
What is it about vacation that makes us fall out of our routine, eat poorly, drink more, grow facial hair, and wear clothes we would never be caught dead in back home (hello Hawaiian shirt)?

Perhaps it is an escape from life, a chance to forget our troubles back home and just relax. This is, of course, fine for a week or two. But Tom and I will be traveling for a whole year.

I don’t think our bodies or minds can handle a year long vacation. So we aren't viewing this trip as a vacation. Rather, we are approaching it as a year of living abroad while traveling. We still need to do life while away; we need to maintain friendships and community, refresh our marriage, worship, learn, work, exercise, and eat healthy.

So, in the absence of continuity of location, beds, food, languages, people, and weather, we plan to find some consistency, enjoy a break from change, and maintain our "lives" by establishing a few simple routines.

Several people that have done lone-term travel have recommended to us that we establish a basic routine that we can take with us anywhere. 

We’ll figure out our exact routine as we go, but one friend suggested that we wake up each morning at roughly the same time, work out, eat a healthy breakfast, read or study, journal, and work for 2 hours at a cute café to soak in the local flavor before taking the afternoon off to explore the city. 

We expect to better enjoy each location if we maintain mental, spiritual, and physical health. We believe a simple routine like the one above will help. And the best part is that packing a routine doesn't take up any room in our luggage!

Now, don’t get me wrong. We are going to experience a LOT of change while we are gone. We will build flexibility into all our routines to make sure we don’t miss out on unique experiences due to rigidity. Tom is especially good at this!

We embrace the fact that traveling inspires change and affords the opportunity to break out of our typical routines. We are open to this and even seeking it, but with the motivation to build and enhance life, not escape from it. 

Now, if any of you have seen Tom lately, you know he is already embracing the opportunity to make changes. He is now a full-blown bearded mountain-man, and we haven't even left yet. See the image at the top of this post to compare his face with and without a beard. Vote on which version of Tom you like best. 

You have till Sunday and then Tom will follow the majority.

Vote now!
9 Comments
Becky Burke
7/25/2013 08:03:00 am

Hmmmm......so that's a beard! Huh? I just thought he needed to wash his face! Ha Ha! I think he should do whatever his wife likes best!

Reply
Ginee Boatwright
7/25/2013 11:06:00 am

I assume his beard hasn't started yet :)

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Kathie Schell
7/25/2013 02:01:28 pm

I think he looks great both ways!!! Love Mom :) XXOO

Reply
Kristin Etue
7/25/2013 03:16:29 pm

This is so cute Jaime! Take it from me- I like a bearded man!! :)

Reply
dad
7/26/2013 01:48:58 am

I think Jamo should grow a beard also!

Reply
Ginee Boatwright
7/26/2013 02:19:23 am

I accidentally unsubscribed! Put me back on!! Thanks :)
Mygam

Reply
Taylor Sheldrick
7/26/2013 03:04:00 am

Keep It!! Well, let it form into a beard at least before anyone decides to hack it off. See if you can reach the legendary status of Allan from the hangover! haha

Reply
Dustin Andres link
8/14/2013 04:04:10 am

I love the beard! I was only sad about shaving mine off and then finding out you had grown one. Here' what you need to do, shave your beard tonight and start growing it for the length of your trip. I will shave tonight as well and will start growing mine. When you guys are back let's have a photo shoot!

Reply
Kim Ulaszek
8/15/2013 12:39:45 pm

Yep, bearded is the way to go. Not everyone can pass it off, but you Tom, yes in my book :)

Reply



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    I'm Jaime. My husband is Tom. Suburbanites, backpackers, and expats...we've been them all!

    But no matter where we are or what we are doing, we are always looking to travel and see the world, and taste it too. Did I mention we love to eat and drink?


    In 2013, we quit our jobs to travel for over a year, which is how this blog originally began. Currenlty, we live and work in Australia, enjoying the expat life.

    Our latest adventure includes importing and selling fun, quirky souvenirs that will, hopefully, help you remember (or inspire!) a trip of your own!

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