42. The End Q & A

Hello and welcome to the final blog post for our amazing round the world trip and what way to end it but with a question and answer session. We came up with some questions and wrote up our answers completely separate and only saw each others once we had both finished.

Nat's answers are RED and Rach's are PURPLE!

So here we go...

What was your most memorable moment?

NAT: OF COURSE it has to be getting ENGAGED but in terms of travelling I would say the moment that sticks out for me is our road trip in America. 

When we went to pick up the car we were so scared about driving on the other side of the road! Once we were given the keys to a three week old car (it smelt lovely! - hence I LOVE the smell of new cars!) we were so nervous and Rach was brave enough to start us off.

The feeling of just dumping our bags in the trunk and freedom of the open road was amazing. Rach did so well getting us out of Vegas and in the direction of Area 51. My NatNav was in use as the actually satnav was having problems on certain occasions.

There was only one point in the desert, I pulled out of a junction and was on the other side of the road!! Luckily it was there and no one was around us plus it was only for a few seconds!!

It was so quiet and the roads were amazingly straight!! Being able to pull over and sit, lay down and do our typical jumping pictures was amazing. At one point we could see a car coming in the distance but it took another 2 minutes before it actually passed us so we were definitely safe from getting ran over!! I can't imagine doing that back here in England!

We covered a lot of distance driving to Area 51, Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and St George. It was good we had the Satnav in the end as Natnav was getting tired after a full day of driving! We watched the sunset whilst driving to the Grand Canyon, seeing it go down in between the canyons was lovely!

The freedom of driving in America, in typical desert surroundings, just Rach and I was so movie like! It was a moment I'll never forget!! Thelma and Louise but a different ending! :) 

RACH: I find it so hard to pinpoint one specific moment of the whole trip but one of the many has to be fire skipping in Koh Phi Phi or skydiving. Also another moment that sticks out is actually when we landed back in Manchester at the end of the trip and as soon as we touched the ground we looked at each other (I'll never forget it) and had the biggest smile on our faces and said 'we have officially travelled around the world' and did our little high-five equivalent (snail). But to be honest there are so many, meeting mum and dad in Sydney boarding gate, holding a koala, feeding and petting kangaroos, walking around the base of Ayers Rock, seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, witnessing my sister get engaged, seeing our 94 year old family friend after years and years, doing a 16.2 mile hike through the Narrows in Zion Utah, just EVERYTHING. The whole trip was the most memorable moment...

What was your scariest moment?

NAT: I would have to say....our first day! 

After our flights from Manchester - Dubai - Bangkok we finally arrived! With us receiving an upgrade to business class we were happy when we arrived. We were given priority passes and were the first ones to the luggage carousel. The luggage carousel had a sign saying 'last bags' which confused us and by the time we realised it was true and it was our flight, there was a massive queue at information desk!

Of course there was no order and no queue system in place. It took us about 3 hours to get sorted. We were told our luggage was still in Dubai! Fab!! We had to complete a form and give details of what our bag looks like and details of what's in it. When we were asked that our minds just went blank! Not helpful!! Once we were finally finished we headed off to find our hostel. Time was ticking and it was now about 11.30pm. We got the train to the main train station in Bangkok and then caught the metro to Hua Lamphong.

Once here and once we'd stopped taking pictures of all things new. We crossed a bridge over the road and looked in amazement at their driving skills. They were full on rule-breakers! We thought we'd never be able to cross the road without this bridge.

We were finally at our destination - now to get out of the station. There were 4 exits to choose from, we chose exit 1 which we thought would be close to our hostel. Wrong!! Once we exited the subway we were there surrounded by homeless people sleeping on the floor and tuk tuk drivers looking for business. Never have we been so thankful NOT to have our main backpacks. Rach didn't really know where we were going due to road works and all we could see is people and darkness.

I said to Rach to keep calm and walk confidently like we knew exactly where we are going. The homeless people weren't threatening or anything but when you've just arrived and placed in new surroundings at midnight and don't know where you’re going....it's a tad daunting!! We walked over the canal bridge to a hotel to ask for directions. If we didn't find it at least we could stay there if we really had to! The hotel reception didn't know so we moved on and spoke to a security guard (tourist information in our eyes!). He wasn't too sure either so we asked a couple who were close by. The language barrier was a problem but they finally had an idea of where it was!

Off we went, having to walk on the road at one point. If you have been to Bangkok you know just how crazy the traffic is! Luckily we didn't get ran over and we couldn't believe our eyes!!! It was right there in front of us! As soon as we opened the door the relief we felt was unbelievable!!

We had one question though --- Is this how it will be?! Thankfully not, we had a few more sticky situations but these always make the best stories!!

RACH: Erm we did have a bit of a sticky situation on our very first night...we had landed in Bangkok late night, and basically left the wrong metro exit putting us in the middle of a crowd of homeless people, tuk tuk drivers and then struggling to locate our hostel. What a welcome!

Also there was a man in Downtown LA, we were waiting at a bus stop and a homeless man blatantly on meth said 'I had to get off the bus, because I saw you' (looking at me). He asked our names to the answers of Claire and Sherrine. He then wrote Claire on his Timberland boot , that was in his hand...of course. He invited me to the 'mission' and gave me his number written on a paper cup. As the bus finally arrived we jumped on and he continued to disrupt the whole bus after the driver refused him. He was shouting 'Give this to Claire, Claire have this, Claire, Claire!!'. It was so scary and honestly thought it was going to turn nasty :S Thankfully though all was fine.

Why did you want to go travelling?

NAT: Ever since I was younger I always wanted to see the world. I knew there was more than just my hometown and I wanted to explore it! The timing was just perfect for me. Rather than think 'oh well I'll do it when I'm retired' the problem is who knows how you will be at that age if you even make it!!

Anyone questioning doing it - just do it. You never know what's going to happen in life. Live for now and enjoy life! It may only happen once!

RACH: Our dad had been a bit of a world traveller himself years ago due to working abroad in a whole heap of different places...mostly middle east and Africa due to being a mechanic, he worked on a dam build in Zambia so it’s kind of in the blood really. It wasn't one defined moment of 'we are going travelling!' But over time we talked about it more and more and eventually thought lets do it! I think the fact we had hardly seen any of the world, furthest been Turkey for me and the timing was just too good to miss. I guess we just thought, I fancy travelling...lets do it.

How was it travelling with your sister?

NAT: Crap! 

Nah only joking! It was brilliant that we both had the same ideas of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do.

The difference with going with family rather than a friend is you know each other so well. If we had a bicker, it would never come to where we would fall out or if we did, it wouldn't be for very long! Mum and Dad wouldn't be happy if we had separated and we knew it wouldn't come to that!

I couldn't lose Rachael anyway she knew where the hell we were going!! She'd planned a lot of it so knew our next destination, I just tagged along!!! Ha ha!! I was the 'in the moment' situation person - cockroach defender and situations assessor (Byron Bay - 'I think we better go Rach!!!').

We did fantastically well - sisters taking on the world!!

RACH: Everyone we met said the same exact question...how can you travel with your sister?! We are such a close family and I think travelling with a blood relative especially your sister, if you get on you really can't go wrong. In all honestly I loved it. Most of all I think that if we were in a situation that we weren't sure of, we could look at one another and just know what the other thought. It was telepathic! Also for our parents I think it was good due to them knowing we would look after each other. Yes we had little arguments, but only to find out the best option to take and it always worked out :)

What have you learnt about the world?

NAT: That it's a big arse place full of different cultures and fantastic adventure opportunities!! 

Travelling around the world, you realise how different countries can be from one another and that everywhere has it's beauty!!

It really is easy to explore if you put your mind to it and take that leap! 

RACH: That it is soooo big and yet soooo small. If you want to go to New Zealand, yes its on the other side of the world but once you are on a plane you can be there before you know it. Also the different ways that people live. For example, Fiji is so relaxed (depending where you are) and yet America especially New York is so hectic and not so much 'stressful' but there's more to think about. Also New Zealand, a lot of the country is revolved around farming and other countries completely different. And yet one thing was the exact same all around the world...the people. Every country had the most lovely, hospitable people you'll ever meet.

What have you learnt about yourself?

NAT: I've learnt that I'm quite a good driver. When it comes down to it I can drive a massive campervan and drive on the other side of the road! Plus an automatic scared me before but hell it's easy!! 

I've learnt that I can speak to any kind of person. Everyone is the same deep down. We have been in situations where people skills have really been needed and we handled them really well!

No matter what the persons background, culture or history. We assessed the situation, spoke nicely and most importantly didn't treat them any different to anyone else. I love meeting people and trying to help them and this really helped me see what a fabulous skill it is. Meeting people on the street, people randomly speaking to you, making new friends in tours. A smile is all you need to let them feel at ease!

I've learnt that no body is better than anybody. We are all the same and shouldn't treat anyone different. Smile and say hello...who knows where it can take you! 

I've learnt most importantly that I love to travel. It was such fun doing something different everyday! Seeing different things and experiencing adventure everyday. What a life!! 

RACH: That I like corn on the cob...and peaches...and sushi...and also that 'I can do anything I want', not in a rebellious aspect but in the way that 'I fancy heading to this place and doing this...okay lets do it'. Also that I can be quite a daredevil!! I wasn't phased at all at skydiving, and other things that I thought I'd be scared of, I wasn't surprisingly.

Money VS Travel

NAT: Well it totally depends on who you are and what you want in life. 

Money makes the world go round and makes you able to travel but as long as you get to travel at some stage of your life that's important! 

Money funds your family life, a roof over your head, food on the table etc so it is important. But....

Travelling is such a eye opener and a personal development programme that it really is important to do if you want to of course. 

RACH: Honestly if you plan, go to the right places and live in the right way you can travel for as long as you want. Yes you can't do it with a few hundred pound but also it doesn't take crazy money either. We had budgeted the money we'd saved and we actually ended up just under our budget. It wasn't cheap but it worth every last penny!!

What was it like to come home after 6 months?

NAT: It was wonderful seeing our friends and family but a shocker too. 

We missed our family so it was lovely seeing them!! One of my best friends had given birth the day AFTER we started our trip (rude!!) so it was fabulous to meet her! I'd been sent lots of pictures and videos though so I didn't feel like I was missing out :)

It was lovely to sleep in our own bed that night - 6 months without my bed. It was strange though to have a door between Rach. Every night for 6 months we had slept in the same room and now we were separated. We had a door and some privacy - it was strange! Ha ha

I had a few weeks still off work so I could acclimatise back to normal life. Meet people, unpack, do what I wanted, sort out my fridge magnets and souvenirs.

Going back to work was hard. Seeing my colleagues was nice and catching up. In the beginning I could remember I'd gone away due to people asking me about it and showing some of my pictures. After a while though you soon get into the same routine as it was before and you'd start to think 'did it happen?!'.

RACH: The last few days of the trip I had a mixture of feelings, sadness at us finishing the trip, annoyed at how fast it'd gone, thankful for the time we'd had to travel, but most of all so excited! I couldn't wait to see Mum and Dad at the arrival hall and also Grandma who I hadn't seen in 6 months, and I used to see her most days so this was ridiculously long! And of course my best friends Sian and Kirsty!! :)

When we got home, it was great how everything was 'refreshed', like wow we've got chickens, wow the York Minster is actually really beautiful, where we live is actually really lovely. Everything was like new! Not to mention the cupboard full of clothes I had to choose from after being used to having a restricted clothes selection.

How was it to see mum and dad in New Zealand?

NAT: It was wonderful! Such a special family holiday! I've never been so happy to meet anyone at the airport, I had tears of happiness! Someone else to talk to apart from Rach!! Ha ha only joking!! 

It was great timing too due to it being half way through our trip. It was such an adventure, one we will never forget!

RACH: It was amazing! We met them in Sydney Airport boarding gate, and it was just great!! We couldn't see them at first, we were seriously thinking 'oh no are they here?' But then we saw them and had a brilliant reunion :) honestly it was the most hilarious, memorable, unbelievable holiday we've had as a family...just unforgettable! When we said bye to them on the final day it was actually even more sad than our initial goodbye in February due to us being so excited. Not saying we weren't excited to go to Fiji, but just the fact we'd had such a brilliant month made it a sweet sadness.

How was it driving across America?

NAT: We felt such freedom!! Don't get me wrong we were very nervous! Once we got into it and luckily we had a sat nav plus a map for back up we were fine!! I had a hairy moment in the desert where for about 20 seconds I was driving on the wrong side of the road. That's the best place to do it though!!

We were fine though, we helped each other and it was really enjoyable! Being behind the wheel and knowing we could go wherever we wanted was fab. Freedom of the open road :) 

RACH: It was insane! Kind of weird at first with the opposite...ness but just amazing once you're settled. Honestly the scenery, the roads, the cool songs we sung stupidly loud and just the amazing memories made...it was just fab! Loved it!

Favourite place in terms of food?

NAT: Asia! 

Thailand was SOOO cheap so we ate out every single night! We enjoyed some fantastically flavoured dishes, some were spicy - when they say spicy they mean SPICY!!

The only thing I had trouble with was using chop sticks. Rach didn't have any problem but I did! At some stage Rach had to place the noodles on my spoon - that was funny!! It was like a conveyor belt, she was too quick at one point - I didn't have enough time to eat it before she was piling up my spoon!

RACH: Ermmmm I'd say Malaysia...or New Zealand been close behind. I chose Malaysia due to the 'basement market' I call it. Hehe its basically a mass of different stalls underground but with a brilliant system. They all use the same cutlery and the same plates, this is so that the people collecting them can go around everywhere and it just works so much better. And such amazingggg food!! Also New Zealand due to one simple reason.........TOP DECK DAIRY MILK...WHY AREN'T YOU PRODUCED IN THE UK!!! Australia also had this flavour however what made me pick NZ is the amazinggggg pie we had in Waitangi...best pie ever except for Grandmas apple pie of course!!

Favourite place in terms of wildlife?

NAT: Australia!! 

I was so excited about one certain animal which calls Australia home and that was the koala! Since I was young I've had a koala teddy and I was SOOO looking forward to holding a real one! It was such a dream come true :)

Australia was full of wildlife.....
Kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, cassowaries, dingos, bush turkeys plus all the sea life!

Seeing all the different kinds of fishes whilst snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsundays - being careful of stingrays!! Of course we saw animals in the zoos but to see them in the wild was amazing!! We saw wild koalas, kangaroos, fed wild wallabies, dingos and cassowaries!! To say we were in Australia, land of the scary spiders we only saw a few! We were expecting them under our toilet seat and everywhere!! 

RACH: Definitely Australia without question, the vast amount, and just the lifelong dreams that were made. Like feeding a kangaroo which are free to roam (Lone Pine and Aus Zoo), holding a koala bear (Lone Pine) and seeing cassowary in the flesh (the world's most dangerous bird). However all these were in a prepared environment, so nothing beats seeing these in the complete WILD! And we were extraordinary lucky to see all these! Nat saw three kangaroos on one of our greyhound bus journeys, we saw wild koalas at the Forts on Magnetic Island and also we saw a male cassowary with two young (extremely rare to see) whilst driving to Cape Tribulation, north of Cairns. Absolutely amazing!

Favourite place in terms of weather?

NAT: Thailand. 

Most of the time we were in our swimwear chilling out on the beach. A whole month of that, who could complain!! The weather was never too hot due to always been close to water so we could cool down! 

RACH: Ohh I have a contrast of answers. Probably America and New Zealand. It was beautiful weather in America, everywhere we went especially St George, Utah. But also New Zealand for the range, like we were having lovely days in the North Island however having snow and yet absolutely stunning weather. Dew on the grass first thing in the morning, the clouds being very low and hovering at our level, the frozen spiderwebs and just everything been so picturesque.

Favourite place in terms of scenery?

NAT: New Zealand!! 

I found it just beautiful and it had such natural beauty!

Whilst driving the campervan it seemed that every single corner we turned the view got better and better!!

I remember one moment which I will remember forever. We came across this massive lake (Lake Hawea) and Rach and I stood on the side taking pictures then we realised we could hear absolutely nothing! Well apart from a distant baaaa from a sheep!! It was such a moment of stillness, just us and this beautiful view. It was as if time stood still. 

RACH: New Zealand and America. New Zealand's rolling hills, beautiful sunsets, mountains, volcanoes, beautiful. But America for the mind blowing natural phenomenons...Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion, Bryce, Cedar Breaks..countless!

Favourite place in terms of people?

NAT: It has to be Fiji! The locals were just so friendly! Nothing was too much trouble and they always had a smile on their face. 

When we walked down the street people just said to you 'Bula' which means 'Hello'. They are so friendly and you find yourself talking to anyone! We were on the bus driving out of town and everyone was waving to us, we had a glimpse of what the Queen feels like! We were told by our Tour Guide that they are just so grateful we were there and decided to visit Fiji, they want us to feel welcome and come again. 

RACH: If I had to pick, it's got to be Fiji. Fijians are the nicest, happiest, approachable, and friendliest people you'll ever get the pleasure to meet. Everyone says Bula (hello etc.) in the street, complete strangers who elsewhere you would never talk to randomly but they have no hesitation and are so happy. That is why most of the Fijians stay there, because they literally are so happy there (local Fijian said this).

Favourite attraction?

NAT: Wow this is a hard one!! I'd say the theme park in LA, Six Flags! 

It was such fun! The range of rides was great but it was a shame there were a few queues which put us off. Queuing for 2.5 hours didn't really appeal to us! We got there before it opened and people were queuing and counting down the gates opening. We weren't allowed in just yet though due to Rach making a picnic to eat but food from outside wasn't allowed inside security told us. Instead of throwing it away she started eating it even though she wasn't hungry, it was a principle thing. We can't throw perfectly good food away - we were on a budget!!

Once in though one thing was clear, theme parks in America are extreme compared to back home. We went on rides where we stood up, spun round multiple times then did loop the loop head first - the pressure was painful! Rach felt a bit sick at one point - probably due to the rushed picnic!! She took it easy while I went on a different ride. She was back to normal after that though and we enjoyed ourselves again.

It was a day full of fun and spins!!

American theme park - ticked off!! 

RACH: Ohh we saw so many. Hundreds of things so impossible to pick!

Favourite journey?

NAT: I don't know about favourite but certainly different!! 

It has to be the sleeper train journey from Bangkok to Chumphon. We bought tickets for the upper class bit due to not knowing what conditions the economy class would be. The price was cheap enough anyway for us!

We started out sat in our own little chair and then half way a steward came to make our beds. I got excited thinking I was on the bottom bunk and Rach on top (bad experience with top bunk!). But I was wrong Rach and I were on top and two Thai ladies were on the bottom bunk. We threw our bags on to our bed. Next challenge was getting up! The steps were at a funny angle plus laughing didn't help. Rach started laughing then I did!! It was all going wrong but I finally got up!

We couldn't really sleep there was too much giggling!! The journey was about 9 hours, the bed was comfy which was good news. The toilet was different though, that's all I'll say! The only thing we were worried about was missing our stop. We didn't have a clue when it was but we had started talking to a few people who were getting off at the same place so we told them to wake us up if we weren't already.

I thought we were nearly there though so woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. The great thing was (which we didn't know) was the guard in the beginning noted down where we were travelling too and near the destination came round and woke up who was getting off!! I must say it was an experience! One we won't forget in a hurry, not because we didn't like it just because of it been such a new way of travelling. Near the end we were glad to get off! 

RACH: Probably our sleeper train down from Bangkok to Chumphon (on the way to Koh Tao). The last bit maybe not, the air kind of smelt, the toilet was just...wretchworthy. BUT the first three quarters was just hilarious. We laughed so much, from the moment we stepped on, whilst our beds were sorted, and having got up the most terrible and dangerous ladder. We were proper backpackers, travelling with the locals on a sleeper train. Such an experience!

Favourite mode of transport?

NAT: Well we had enough journeys on them. I must say aeroplane. 

When we were younger we used to get so excited about flying that we were counting down the days but we had so many flights that in the end we were flying in 2 hours and we weren't even excited!

Flying was so relaxing. It was great to recline and plug into the entertainment and watch a film. I've never seen so many! I love the view from up there too, looking out the window and seeing below. Watching time fly by waiting for dinner to come and snooze when you want too.

I also loved travelling by coach due to it always being different. Different views, different passengers...it's all fun and games!

It was great to sit back and relax enjoying the views outside knowing you're in safe hands and the driver knows where they're going.....hopefully! 

RACH: Pick up taxi definitely. It is just so relaxed, who needs seatbelts! We caught a pick up taxi from a southern part of Koh Tao back up to our hostel on the west. And it was sooo fun!! So cheap, so relaxed and it was such an adrenaline rush. Loved it! There's that daredevil side again!

Greatest value for money?

NAT: The exchange rate from pound to thai baht was great so it made food and drink really cheap! Thailand was the place we ate out all the time and didn't mind!! 

All in all though no one can put a price on life experiences and adventures. So all of it was worth all the hard work and saving!

RACH: Thailand, everything from food (£1 or less for a full on meal), huge bottles of water for pennies, attractions were mostly free (temples etc.) and just in general really. Also the food stalls on the street were the best, you literally ordered a papaya salad and you'd witness the woman peel the papaya, ask how spicy you wanted it...just so personal!

Best hostel?

NAT: We stayed in quite a few so this is a hard question! After muct thought though I'd say Pak Up hostel in Krabi was up there near the top. It was clean, lovely and the dorms were really cosy. It was a central location which was fab. 

We stayed there on two separate occasions and both times we made some good friends! There was a rooftop bar where we socialised - I even had my pyjama top on on one occasion due to it been so last minute!!

RACH: Best HOSTEL would have to be Pak Up Hostel in Krabi, Thailand. It was fantastic! I would stay there again without hesitation honestly. It was an 10 bed dorm in a relatively small room however the way it was designed, the way it was decorated made it so homely, and most of all spacious! It had giant locker style storage under the bed which you could put your padlock onto which were great and also everywhere was so clean! It also had a rooftop bar which was fun to chat with new friends that we'd made. The reception staff were soo lovely and friendly and also it was an absolutely steal. Next time...we're staying there longer!

Worst hostel?

NAT: I'd have to say somewhere we stayed in Thailand. It was our first dorm and as soon as we walked in we noticed how dark it was. It was the middle of the day and of course it was sunny but it was a large long room with only two windows at either side. Our beds were in the middle of the room and it was dark! As well as that...no one was talking! There were quite a few people in there and no one even said hello! It was our first experience of sleeping in a dorm and it wasn't looking good! We thought is this how it will be all the time in dorms!!

It didn't help when it came to night time too - we had our first snorer!! He was really bad too which didn't help!! We made a few friends though which was nice so it wasn't all bad! The other dorm was a party dorm so thank goodness we weren't in there! 

RACH: Ohh right then. We did have a fair share of not too good nights sleeps. I would probably have to say Koh Tao Central Hostel, the location fantastic, the staff nice but it was a 20 bed dorm and it wasn't half uncomfortable. There was no proper storage, only small ones so you had to leave your backpack unattended. And to be honest, it was just so un-private, no place to get changed other than the toilets (mixed dorm) and also the fact that no one said hello to you when you went in. Noone talked, other than Ruth who we'd made good friends with. Our neighbour bunker.

Best hotel? 

NAT: Well after a good past 5 months staying in hostels the stay in hotels was a welcomed change! 

The stay at the Luxor in Las Vegas was fab! Upon check in we were upgraded to a tower double queen suite. When we opened the door our mouths dropped open!! Two queen beds, one EACH! A choice of having a bath OR a shower! Plus a telephone next to the toilet - we didn't use it but it's nice to have that option! Ha ha ha!!!

New York Homewood Suites was a close second! For the location and the service. It was a fab hotel. It had only been open for a month which was a lovely feeling. We might have being the first ones sleeping in our bed - who knows! Free breakfast and a complimentary dinner was a massive bonus too, especially with the budget going on shopping treats! Well when in New York darrrling!! :) 

RACH: Luxor Luxor Luxor Luxor!!! Luxor in Vegas was right up there. Also the Hilton Homewood Suites in New York City was amazing! Firstly Luxor. The room, compared with what we were used to, was ridiculous! In America it turns out to be cheaper to stay in a hotel rather than a hostel due to it being per room rather than per person! So we checked in, Nat got us a cheeky upgrade from a pyramid room to a tower room..with free WiFi yeyy. We then got to the room...oh my god! Two double queens, a bath AND a shower, a massive wardrobe with a big tv in, a brilliant view, and them beds were SOOO comfortable. Nat found out they were hotel issue and $1200 each!

Also Hilton Homewood Suites was fantastic mostly due to the staff. They weren't there trying for tips, Washington hotel was terrible for that! They had only been open for a month prior to us arriving but honestly we couldn't have enjoyed that hotel more. Daniel on reception was the most loveliest staff member, our personal person I guess, he gave Nat and Chris a bottle of champagne, and just was soo sweet and friendly. He felt more like a friend than a receptionist. Also the others were equally as lovely, and all so approachable. The room was lovely, it even had a dishwasher, whattt???

Best fireshow?

NAT: Woody's!! Of course it has to be here due to it's where we did the fire activities! 

They were really good mixing things up and doing different things we hadn't seen before. They did a fire blast and the spark spiral where the fire hits the water and causes a sparks going all over! It was fab! 

RACH: Woody's on Koh Phi Phi...amazing and the guys were so hot! Get it...fires hot too. Bad joke! It definitely helped that they wore no top the whole time! It's also where we did our fire skipping, unforgettable!

Were you homesick?

NAT: Not in the beginning like expected but when we arrived in Fiji after spending a month with mum and dad I was so upset! I just couldn't stop crying which was terrible given that we were in Fiji!! 

That's the only time that I felt homesick due to not really having time to think about home too much due to always being busy!!

RACH: In general, we were soo busy doing things and sorting out plans we didn't give ourselves the chance to miss home. The moments that reminded us was the Skype calls and emails. We would finish a call and them after I'd be really sad and missing family and friends terribly. Also emails were the same, when we saw mum had emailed we couldn't  wait to see what the message said and to email back. It was times like these that it really hit us.

Would you do it again?

NAT: IN A HEARTBEAT! 

It was such an experience! Just getting up and doing something different every single day. What a life!!

RACH: 1000000000000% yes!!

Any insect invasions?

NAT: When we stayed in Thailand we found a cockroach in our room. Rachael was rubbish!! I had to sort it out while she was stood on the balcony in her nightwear wrapped in a sheet!! 

I grabbed my duct tape and a magazine and tried to coax it out, by heck they move fast!! It was the start of a few nights like that. We made so much noise that the neighbours wondered what was happening seen as it was 2am! They were two strapping lads but not even they offered to help, they left me to it!! 

Another time which I won't forget in a hurry was in Fiji!! 

I left my backpack against the wall whilst we went to have some lunch. When we returned I noticed a black line going down from the ceiling to my bag and I wondered if it was a crack. I looked closer and noticed the line was moving!!! Oh my god it was a load of ants going to and from my bag!!! 

Ewwww!! 

I'd hoped they were just on the outside but of course not!! I had to empty the whole lot of my bag! They had sniffed out the leftover noodles we had brought from New Zealand!! I washed my clothes and got them straight outside to dry and de-ant!! All my products and things were inspected and placed on the table once ant free. Whilst I was doing this Rach went down to reception and got them to give us some insect killer. Once she was back she sprayed the room and then my bag, it was smoking like a cauldron!! It wasn't really how we wanted to spend our day!! 

We were ant free for a few days but then they came back and crawled over Rachael's clothes!! We thought 
'Here we go again......'

RACH: Yes! Of course! We had a nightly cockroach that would be seen whilst on Phi Phi. We were there 8 nights and it was the 5th night when we saw one crawling around...to our horror I jumped on top of the bed, rolled around due to the bed having wheels and say to Nat 'get it, get it, get it'. She did very well and always caught it. Every single night after this we saw one...Nat always sorted it and I always wet myself! Fun and games!

Fiji was always f-ant-astic for insect invasions! Nat had placed her backpack by the wall, upon returning we saw a line of ants running up and down from the backpack. It was horrible. Bleurgh...

Favourite souvenirs?

NAT: Well we stayed somewhere in Thailand and paid 20 baht key deposit. Rach and I had our own keys but we only used one due to always been together. 

Someone came into the dorm and said 'I have found a key is anyone missing a key?'. I looked and couldn't find mine so said 'I think it's mine!' Once we handed them back and got our money back that was the end of it until Ayers Rock! I was sorting though my backpack and opened a zipped part I don't often use....I couldn't believe it!! I found a key in there from Thailand! It wasn't mine that was found I had just put it somewhere I don't often use "for safe keeping!". So sending out a sorry to whoever lost their deposit!!

Terrible! 

RACH: Probably have to say the licence plate I bought at Niagara Falls. I love it so much! I bought it due to it being the same design as George (car name!) the car we drove on our Vegas to St George road trip! I love it!

Hollywood film clip is also my other favourite souvenir due to me just feeling that I had to buy it. Amongst my other favourites would have to be my coke bottle in which I shot from Michigan, my maple syrup from Canada and a whole host of other unique items. Such a collector!

Favourite casino?

NAT: Now we did go in a few but of course I had to say the Luxor due to that was where I won!!! 

The favourite games I played were the Sex and the City slots and the Hangover movie slots. They were fun to play. I still, to this day don't really know what makes you win regarding the symbols but I wasn't complaining when it told me I won the odd cents or dollar. I got a shock when it kept on going though and didn't stop. Rach and I were looking at the figure going on and on and it finally stopped at $100!!

I was very, very happy!! 

RACH: Oh I would have to say either Luxor in Las Vegas or Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, USA side. Luxor due to the decoration, the huge Egyptian figures situated everywhere, the success we had there and also the exhibitions that we did ('Titanic' and 'Bodies').

Also Seneca Niagara due to the amazing front entrance and the layout inside, one huge, easily navigated room rather than the Bellagio for example which was really off putting due to you KNOWING you'd get lost! It also had the road trip machine which I won 38 dollars on with the great $20 freeplay you were given...which is the best offer of all of the casinos we went to. Safe to say we have ALOT of members cards from all the different casinos!

What backpack essentials would you recommend for anyone going travelling?

NAT: Ear plugs and an eye mask!! If you're in dorms you never know who you will be sharing with!!  Don't forget your adaptors, pens, paper and ear phones!

We didn't have one but a few people had an extension cable which was a really good idea! Especially when people are hogging the plugs! At least that way there is more than two sockets. Just remember not to put too many in!!

RACH: Main things would be duct tape, torch, antibacterial, penknife and sunglasses!!

Reasons for these are first of all...duct tape. Any problems with insects hiding in gaps can be solved with duct tape, repairing a broken waterproof bag cover, just everything!!!

Next, torch. Any areas with no street lights. Byron Bay this would have been handy! Its such a simple thing, but can literally make a monumental difference to any situation.

Antibacterial....we had so much of it! Feeling a little dirty, just eaten and got sticky hands, fell over and put your hand in mud, just everything can be solved with hand wash. Plus it makes you feel so much cleaner and also stop you picking up illnesses through dirty hands. Essentially essential :)

Penknife, friends of mine were very kind to give me a leatherman penknife which honestly saved the day. Many many situations were massively helped by the penknife and just the handiness too. Definitely a must-have item for your backpacks!

Finally, sunglasses! You can't enjoy the scenery if you're blinded by the sun can you?! I went through 3 pairs of sunglasses. First ones broke in Cairns, a day before going to Ayers Rock so very much needed. Second pair one eye glass fell out due to dropping them and last pair stand on my travelling souvenir shelf proudly :) Of course it depends where you are going but they always come in handy!

So there we have it...the end of this epic adventure.

We'd like to thank every single person who has read any word of our blog, those that have stuck around, commented, or just read the odd one. We have had a ball and hopefully you've felt like you've been on the adventure too.

Thank you...and here's to the next adventure!!

Natalie and Rachael xx