Another Month, Another Visa!

Two months ago, we landed in Bangkok for the first time, introducing not only a second continent but also the second half of our 7½-month, once-in-a-lifetime trip. Mixed with the excitement of new adventures was a small but persistent voice constantly reminding us that we were on the back half of our journey. Where had the time gone? Were we ready for the real world? Did we make the most out of our time? Would we have regrets? Were there still things to do/see/eat? The simple reality that we won’t be able to do this again in the foreseeable (if ever) future came crashing in… hard.

So, we did what most mature, logical adults would do. We bickered. We got annoyed. We fought over small stuff that didn't matter or have anything to do with the trip or going home. And then, when we were almost at our wits end with each other, we talked. We gained a bit of perspective and understanding from each other and we started working on ways to satisfy the idealist in me (let's travel forever) and the realist in Brendan (that’d be nice, but how).

In the end, we figured out a way to stretch our existing budget to give us some breathing room for the places we still wanted to visit (Cambodia, Southern Thailand and Indonesia) and add in a new destination. Win-win-win!

Moral of the story… WE EXTENDED OUT TRIP BY A MONTH & WE’RE GOING TO BURMA!

Waiting in line at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok to pick up our visas. We applied in-person two days earlier - the whole process was pretty smooth.

We're official! B definitely lit the fire under the whole Burma trip and I'm so glad he did. We're lucky to be able to see it now while it's still changing and finding its way.

Dollar, dollar bills, yo! Burma has no ATMs and only accepts pristine US dollar bills. We scoured Bangkok today in search of crisp greenbacks and a little protection for the road... Can't be a baller without the Power Ranger pencil box / money holder.

Note: It's funny how a little can go a long way... Since officially extending the trip, we have gone from fear of the real world to being genuinely excited about going home. We can't wait to see our families and friends and are looking forward to starting a new adventure stateside.