Round-the-World Debrief, One Year Later: “Home”

Boyfriend and I in Murree, Pakistan. The white-capped mountains in the background are the Himalayas.

From February through April of 2024, while my husband was deployed for a year-long assignment in Pakistan, I embarked on a journey that would shape me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. For 65 days, I circled the globe. Nine countries, 22 cities, countless memories.

At the time, I knew it was special—but I couldn’t yet know how deeply it would impact me. Now, looking back more than a year later, I realize that trip was less about seeing the world and more about learning who I am.

Here’s the scope of what that journey looked like:

• 65 days

• 9 countries

• 22 cities

• 13 different beds

• 340,203 steps taken

• 151.15 miles walked (not including 19 days in Islamabad)

The numbers are fun, but they don’t tell the real story. The real story is about courage, connection, discovery, perspective, and gratitude.

Each country I visited offered me not just experiences, but lessons—sometimes subtle, sometimes life-altering. Cambodia reminded me to stop letting insecurities steal my joy. Croatia taught me the freedom that comes when you break your own limits. Luxembourg showed me that entire worlds of discovery exist just outside what I think I know.

At the time, I shared snapshots of these experiences. But a year later, I see how much bigger they were—how each has continued to ripple into my daily life. That’s why I want to revisit this journey now, in writing, as a way of “unpacking” not just my suitcase, but myself.

Over the next several weeks, I’ll be sharing nine posts, each one centered on a country and the lesson it taught me. My hope is that these stories will not only bring you along on the adventure but also invite you to reflect on your own life—on the places, people, and moments that have shifted your perspective.

Because sometimes the most important souvenirs aren’t things you carry home in your bag—they’re the truths you carry forward in your heart.

Stay tuned: Part 2 begins in Cambodia.