Week 3: Fortaleza, Brazil
Day 15: (January 17, 2016)

Headed to the beach early and took a bus half way down to croco beach restaurant. Spent the morning frolicking in the waves and working on our tans. By 11:30 we headed to lunch where I realized I was quite sunburnt. We ate the seafood buffet and hung out in the shade. Then we started walking back and stopped to build a sand castle. We finished walking back to the hotel and slathered me in aloe gel. We found a pizza shop down the street for dinner. No air conditioning in our room mixed with sunburn made for a rough nights sleep. 

   
   
Day 16: 

Still sunburnt and feeling miserable without air conditioning or wifi we found a mall and movie theater a few miles away. We rode the bus close and walked there, finding a burger shop nearby. We ate there and were so happy to have a nice burger. Then we returned to the mall, played some arcade games, watched two movies, did some shopping, used the wifi, and ate mall fast food. I started feeling pretty crummy by this time so we headed back to the hotel and went to bed. I got extremely sick and spent about half the night in a shower with no hot water. 

Day 17: 

Woke up burning with fever and unable to keep down food or water. We headed back the mall knowing we could find AC and wifi to distract me. It was freezing… But I got a smoothie and Sarahi got a haircut and McDonald’s and we were both feeling happier. We returned to the hotel with some subway sandwiches and relaxed till we were hungry again and got some pizza. We quickly fell asleep after eating. 

Day 18: 

We woke up early to take some pictures of the sunset and the local graffiti. Afterwards we were so happy to check out of this hotel and returned to the Casa Blanca hotel where knew there was air conditioning and wifi. Ate leftover pizza for lunch and relaxed all afternoon while doing some laundry and watched the Martian on my phone. Then we headed to a Brazilian steakhouse for some amazing meat. We returned to the hotel and Sarahi started getting sick. It was a rough night for her. 

   
    
    
    
    
    
 Day 19:

Sarahi woke up feeling sick. We took it easy in the morning and I enjoyed the wifi while she slept. We returned to a favorite churrascaria for lunch and took a short walk. Ate Popsicles. Returned to the room and watched a movie. I met a new friend from Argentina. Then we went to another favorite restaurant for chicken parmigiana for dinner and walked a bit on the pier. We returned to the room and Sarahi was asleep within minutes. 

   
   
Day 20:

We woke up at our wonderful air conditioned room of our hotel and had no idea what we were going to do after we checked out. Our goal was to get to Jericoacoara, but getting there was a challenge bigger than expected. 

The company didn’t let us buy over mobile – obvious problem – then after a few other struggles we decided to try and find the place to buy the tickets and we ended up finding the headquarters of the bus company. #fail  

As an act of desperation, we went to the airport and finally found the place to buy tickets and with sheer luck we got exactly the tickets we wanted. 

On our bus trip we hung out, made some new friends who spoke English, and saw some great countryside. 

We arrived in Jijoca and found that our connecting bus was a safari-looking open-sided bus. Bumping along the moonlit scene felt like being on an African Safari on Mars.

Once we got there, we had two goals: food and WiFi. 

We found the food but not the WiFi and it turns out that our B&B was back in Jijoca which was another bumpy hour ride back where we came from. 

Sadly, it was about 1:00am and there were no rides available. We walked around Jericoacoara and asked if there were any rooms but nothing was open! 

That night we slept under a tree somewhere behind someone’s horse barn (because as luck would have it, there were no pairs of trees for our hammocks).

   
   
Day 21:

We set an early alarm in an attempt to catch the sunrise, to not get caught sleeping on the ground, and to get an early bus back to our hotel for some food and sleep. 

We ran into some ladies who were drinking and carrying a sack of beer at 6am and invited us to sleep in their living room! 

But, we said no and continued on our journey back to Jijoca.
After another beautiful bumpy ride back and a little walk, we made it back to our hotel, ate breakfast, and took a quick nap before our host took us on a small excursion to Alchemist Beach Club where we made even more amazing friends! 

We had fresh tilapia with rice and beans and then took another long nap and then sat, played games with our new friends, listened to live music, ate shrimp pasta, and finally went to bed in a nice, air-conditioned room.

   
    
    
    
    
   
It’s been a great week! We’re loving the small town coastal scene! 

Week 2: Aruba, Suriname, Brazil

Day 8 (January 10, 2016): 

Woke early and walked to the beach for the sunrise. Ate some bread, cheese and watermelon for breakfast. Returned to our room and did some yoga. Walked back to the beach for awhile. Found a random food shack with some great Pastechi for lunch. Took a nap, walked around the beaches and downtown before eating all you can eat burgers for dinner. Watched finding nemo and went to bed. 

   
 Day 9: 
Packed sandwiches and went to the beach. Took some pictures and ate our sandwiches with some beers. Ate at west deck tapas bar for an early dinner. Took a taxi to eagle beach for the sunset. Stopped by a grocery store for snacks before our red eye. Headed to the airport. 

 

   


Day 10: 

Arrived in Suriname at 3 am. Slept. Woke up and had breakfast with some Dutch visitors. Went on a canoe trip with Jos, our super cool Belgian host. Then we went with the Dutch guests on a jungle expedition. This was Sarahi’s favorite day. After walking through the jungle and almost getting lost we found our way back and stopped at the swimming hole to cool down and had some lunch and drinks. Then we returned to Bana Beki B&B for a shower before flying out. We enjoyed Suriname much more than expected. 

 

    
   
Day 11:

After spending the night on planes and in airports we arrived in Brazil at 5 am. We dropped our packs at the casa Blanca hotel and headed to the beach to catch the sunrise. Then we wandered the streets of Fortaleza looking for breakfast. We found some coffee and bread and headed toward the shopping district. We found a six floor market that sells everything imaginable and didn’t make it past the second floor. We bought two awesome pairs of sandals for $25 (Sarahi is still learning the art of bargaining) a backpack for $10 and a pair of shorts for $2.50. We continued on and visited the cathedral, finding the shopping stretches on for blocks around the market. Then we continued to the art museum dragao do mar and loved the murals and some cool displays. Next we headed to the cultural center and attempted to read children’s books in Portuguese. We escaped the sun and grabbed some lunch. By noon we were quite excited to check into our hotel, shower, and take a nap. We went back down to the beach for a walk before eating some great meat, rice and beans at a nearby restaurant. We stopped by a convenience store and bought a liter bottle of cachaca (the Brazilian liquor similar to rum) for $2.25. We were very happy to go to sleep in a hotel rather than an airport. 

   
    
 
    
 Day 12: 

We woke up and ate an awesome hotel breakfast before heading to the beach. We played in the waves and did some exercises on the beach. Then we headed to a beachfront restaurant for some fried fish and crab claws. We returned back to the hotel and broke into the bottle of cachaca. The rest of the night was a blurry disaster but we walked around town and made some new friends at a local bar where we made the mistake of drinking even more. Somehow we made it back to our room and into bed.

   
 Day 13: 

Woke up feeling like we’d been hit by a train. A lot of sickness and moaning followed and we realized we’re not 21 anymore. We spent most of the day sleeping off our hangover and made it to lunch by the afternoon. It wasn’t until this point that we realized we hadn’t eaten in over 24 hours… So we returned to our room and watched some movies, ate some leftovers for dinner, went for a walk down Beira mar avenue, ate a gyros, and headed to bed, swearing to never drink again. 

  
Day 14: 

Hung out in the morning, packed our bags, and took a taxi to our next hotel. Checked in, put on swimsuits, and headed to arapoe beach restaurant where we ordered calamari and whole crabs. We walked several miles on the pristine Praia do futuro beach which stretches for 5 miles and is scattered with families and surfers. We returned to our hotel for a bit and headed back to the beach after dark and found it was completely deserted with no restaurants open. We walked two miles and found the one bar/club that was open and ordered some delicious crepes. We headed back down the desolate beach and went to bed. 

   
   

Week 1: Aruba
Day 1 (January 3, 2016):

Flew to Aruba. Stayed at Solar Villa.  Got a ride from the owner and his friend to Smokey Joe’s BBQ and ate some delicious ribs and jerk chicken by the hotel pool. Passed out by 9 pm.

   
   
Day 2: 

Walked to the beach and stopped at a grocery store for some pastries, juice, and rum for breakfast. Walked several miles on the beach until sunburned and exhausted. We ate a late lunch at salt & pepper, a tapas bar, and loved the fried mahi mahi so much we came back later in the week for three orders. Walked home and ate cold leftovers by the pool. And it was awesome. Then we made friends with a fellow hotel guest from France before retiring early again.
Day 3: 

Packed our bags and hiked to the bus stop before taking a bus and hiking another couple miles in the midday sun. Ate an awesome brunch at Linda’s pancake house. Spent the day hanging by the beach and made friends with a nice guy and his family who love to travel as well. We ate a late lunch at salt & pepper and had three orders of fried mahi mahi with the local beer, balashi. No rooms at the inn so we stayed with a very nice family on the far side of the island after a tour of the desert side beach. 

   
    
    
 Day 4: 

Hiked to the chapel and water tower in the morning before heading to de Cuba bed and breakfast. We ate some great seafood at a local restaurant before going to the beach. Sarahi built a Zelda sand castle and made new friends. We stopped at wacky wahoos for one of the best dinners of my life. Then we headed back to the B&B for some relaxation and shuteye. 

   
    
 Day 5: 

Walked to the beach, took a bus to another beach, and hiked several miles along the coast. We saw some awesome coral beaches and cool wildlife. Continued walking until we reached the end of the island. Found an ocean cave. Walked to the lighthouse. Tired and sunburnt we tried what I thought was a shortcut through the desert. It wasn’t. Covered in thorn scratches and cactus needles, we eventually backtracked and made our way back to the beach. Then we had to walk another couple of miles to the next bus stop. We couldn’t decide where to eat dinner and walked all the way back to the hotel finding most restaurants had not yet opened for dinner. We stumbled upon a Dutch bar only a block from our hotel and had some amazing fried foods and chicken schnitzel. It was so good we came back for more later that night before heading to bed. 

   
    
    
    
 Day 6: 

Relaxed in the morning and got a ride to our next B&B. Once we dropped our packs we hiked on into the Arikok National Park. We hiked through the barren landscape for several miles before reaching the natural pool and dos playa beach. We spent the afternoon here snorkeling with the fish, cliff jumping, and taking pictures of the breathtaking views. We hiked back and were starving so we continued on to a little pizza place another mile down the road. It could be that we were starving but it was the best pizza we’ve had in years. We headed back to the B&B, made some cocktails, and read by the pool until bed. 

   
    
    
    
 Day 7: 

Enjoyed an unbelievable breakfast with fellow guests from Europe. The B&B owner is a former chef and we felt so spoiled. We spent the morning relaxing and reading before heading to the south side of the island at noon. We walked quite a while after giving up on waiting for the bus. We found a beautiful beach and relaxed for awhile. We took a secret path through the mangroves and continued on. While waiting for a bus a couple of tourists from Virginia asked us for directions to Zeerover’s, which is exactly where we were trying to go! So we hopped in and made it there in a few minutes. After waiting in line for close to an hour, I picked out our fish and a bucket full of shrimp which had been caught and delivered to the restaurant dock that day. Soon it was fried up whole and we were digging in to some incredible seafood. We ended up sharing a table and a ride back with our friends from Virginia. We wandered around until finally finding out hotel and relaxed for awhile before exploring downtown Oranjestad. 

   
    
    
 It was a fabulous week!

We arrived in Brazil at 5 am on the 12th and headed to the beach to watch the sunrise. We were alarmed to find locked gates and empty streets everywhere we went, as well as a large pack of dogs roaming the streets. We were worried that perhaps we had made a mistake coming to Northeast Brazil. But within a couple hours the city woke up and we found spectacular beaches, museums, architecture, and people. We also explored the city’s cathedral and found the cheapest shopping market in the world. Sarahi was so excited for the deals she didn’t even try to negotiate the price. Over the next few days we found that you can buy an incredible meal for $10 a person, a beer for $1, water bottles for $.50, and a chilled green coconut for $.75. Our relatively nice hotel room was less than $40, including a great breakfast, and was only a couple blocks from the beach. We loved the food and the weather, and felt that we were making huge strides with our Portuguese language skills after just a few days.

 Then we moved to a new hotel on the other side of the city. For only $25 a night and 100 yards from the beach, and we were even more excited for Brazil. We soon found out that our room has no air conditioning, wifi so slow I can’t load a thing, a leaky window and shower door, breakfast covered in flies, and lumpy pillows. But we decided to make the most of it and set out early for the beach after a sleepless night. It was a beautiful cloudy morning but I was severely sunburned by 11:30. We found a shady restaurant with a seafood buffet and hung out for most of the afternoon to avoid the sun. We also realized just how difficult it is to learn a new language after watching “O Bom Dinasorro” and failing to understand the dialogue… The next day I had a serious case of food poisoning/ montezuma’s revenge/ fever. I’ve spent most of today trapped in my hotel room with no wifi, air conditioning, or tv but I’m hoping later I can post this and keep some food down. 
Do I dream of my own bed in my own air conditioned room? Yes. Do I think I might be crazy for attempting this at all? Yes. But do I wish I had never set out on this trip? Not for a second. Am I excited for what tomorrow may hold? Absolutely, yes. 

In summary, it’s the best of times and the worst of times but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Keep on following the adventure here! I promise I’ll post more often once I recover from the worst of times! 

I just stowed away a few packets of ketchup.

I think that Luke thought I was kidding when I said I wanted to take them with me. It’s not like I obsess over ketchup, but sometimes you just need it – especially in Brazil – where, apparently, there is no ketchup.

Here’s the thing. I consider myself a planner. I like knowing what’s going on with my life whether it’s lunch, my weekend, or what movie I’m going to watch tonight. It’s nice knowing that when I order french fries, that it comes with the all American condiment that is ketchup. It’s hard for me to keep my happy mood when my plans fail. Actually, it’s one way I can get irritable.

But that’s not what this trip is about is it? I had no plans for this trip other than making sure that I survive, get to know the cultures, and not having plans that may fail.

What I didn’t plan for was chaos- trash everywhere, graffiti everywhere, flies constantly attacking me, ants crawling in my bed, lack of air conditioning, and don’t even get me started on the driving.

It’s hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that I can’t see an order or reason to things. I don’t get why there is no fly paper, or why people don’t put their trash in trash cans, or why every wall is covered in random signatures (thought I do have to say that some of the art is spectacular).

I don’t understand why there are no lines in the road and why you turn right when you’re in the furthest left lane.

I don’t understand why I’m looking at a potentially beautiful pier, walkway, or bridge covered in trash and graffiti.

I don’t understand why I don’t get ketchup with my french fries.

So what am I doing here? I definitely asked to live in a completely different although chaotic world when I signed up for this trip.

What I’m starting to discover is that there is beauty in the middle of chaos and that order isn’t always beautiful.

Life isn’t black and white, it’s full of color. It’s a wonderful and beautiful thing and someday, maybe, just maybe, I’ll learn to each fries without ketchup.

I hope you’ll join us as we discover a continuously changing world. We have an insta @roamwith.me and I would urge you to check out our pages and pictures as we travel.

-S

It’s been 5 days and it’s finally starting to sink in that I’ll be adventuring for a year! It seems surreal, but my sore calves and my sunburn definitely convince me that this isn’t a dream.

These last few days have been amazing and full of its ups and downs already.
We’ve hung out on a beach, were relocated to a new place (totally worth it), met a few new amazing people, played with puppies, hiked…. a whole lot, and a whole lot more!

As some of you may know, my writing abilities are essentially non-existant. As you’re reading my first blog post, I think it’s fair to warn you that you won’t be reading a well manicured essay with a point at the end. You’ll be reading a reflection of my thought processes and pretty much any thoughts that I feel you should know.

Firstly, I will tell you that this trip is completely possible for almost anyone. If you plan, prepare, and jump, you can be just like us on this adventure of a lifetime.

Secondly, you’ll never be ready. Ever. You’ll never have everything ready; your bag won’t be perfectly packed; you won’t have all the supplies you need; and you won’t have all of the necessary information. That’s the beautiful part! These trips are supposed to get you out of your comfort zone. I can tell you I’ve already been through the fire a few times and it’s only been 5 days! My say, do it anyway even though people think you’re insane 😂:)

Lastly, puppies are awesome. They’re always cute wherever you are. Rule of life: always play with puppies if you have a chance. It’s totally worth it.

  
I’m keeping this one short, but you’ll surely hear from me soon as we move on to the next part of the island!

Don’t forget to check out our insta @roamwith.me
Luke takes amazing pictures!

Also, don’t forget to check out the destinations page for location specific information! Some of our pictures are posted in the photo gallery. We have a long ways to go, but I hope you’ll join us!