Alaska

Alaska was beyond beautiful from a boat...but it only sparked my interest for a great Alaskan roadtrip! What do ya think Denis and Emma?

Check out our last minute trip to southern Alaska. Tracy Arm Fjord, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria, Canada :)

Sweet Home California

Hello there! It seems like just yesterday that we stepped off the plane from Amsterdam to California...but it wasn't, it's been over a month since we officially made the move to California. During our long trip across the pond we couldn't believe that our 6 month adventure was officially over. But we had to concentrate on a whole other chapter of our lives that is starting: life in California.

So what have we been up to for the past month?

Winding down from our trip...

Spending lots of time with family and friends...

Trips to the beach...

A trip to Alaska!!!! (more on that later)

Going back and forth to San Francisco...

Job-hunting...job-hunting...job-hunting...lots of job-hunting

...and guess what, after a few weeks of interviews, Christian landed an awesome job right in the heart of San Francisco :). #proudwiferighthere :)!!

In the next couple of weeks we will pack up yet again, rent some Airbnbs for the summer, I will continue my job hunt and eventually we will apartment hunt too. We are looking forward to some mini trips around California, a few more So Cal beach trips, ofcourse watching the Dutch team dominate in the World Cup and tons of new adventures waiting for us up in San Francisco.

 For now take a look at our first few days back in the good ol' USA, in Northern California.

And stay tuned...I'm working on a big recap post of our 6 month trip!! 

{Cruising Shasta Lake}

{Burney Falls}

Absolutely amazing...Petra, Jordan

The ancient city of Petra was everything we expected it to be--pure magic. In fact, we cannot wait to get back to the Middle East one day.

It was so magical that my emotions went wild. Once we finally set our eyes on the Treasury peeking out at the end of the Sikh, tears gushed down my face.

Yes it was crowded so if you can peel yourself our of bed at 5AM to beat the crowds and daytrippers it is well worth it. However, sleeping in a bit and exploring Petra in the late afternoon also means cooler temperatures and less tourists.

Travel Tips

*Take the strenuous hike up to the viewpoint over the Treasury. The tricky part is that the map on the grounds doesn't point this out!! (Best to ask a local). We met a Bedouin guy who had a small camp overlooking a cliff towards the Treasury. It was so cool to have this exclusive view! It's a tough uphill climb but definitely worth it.

*We stayed at Saba'a Hotel and it was great! For 25 JOD per night we got our own room, a roof terrace, free breakfast and for a few JOD's they will pack a big lunch for you to take into Petra.

*Entrance fees are pretty expensive and Petra is HUGE. We did the full on 3 day pass and it's worth your while because 1 Day = 50 JOD, 2 Days = 55 JOD and 3 Days = 60 JOD.

Jordan!! The Dead Sea & Petra By Night

After our fun, wet days in Bangkok for Songkran, soon we were off to the airport to catch our flight to JORDAN! We had plans to visit Jordan 2 years ago but had to cancel 4 days before our trip due to a family emergency. Ever since then we knew that we had to re-plan our trip and Jordan was almost automatically tacked on to the end of our SE Asian backpacking trip.

And before we knew it, we had landed in the Middle East and were way too excited to see a place we had always always wanted to see: PETRA. 

Because we were strapped for time in Jordan, we arranged a taxi to pick us up from the airport at 6AM and deliver us to Wadi Musa, the main town near the ancient city of Petra. 

But first...floating in the Dead Sea :) with a view of Israel just across the water.

After a little dip (and floating in the Dead Sea was the most bizarre feeling ever!) we made it to Wadi Musa in time to rest, walk around the town and get our first glimpse of Petra by candlelight at Petra By Night.

It was a perfect first day in Jordan and the days that followed were even more incredible. Will be back with more info on Petra soon...but here's a little confession: Jordan became one of our favorite countries we've ever visited.