Jamie Sinz

wanderer extraordinaire

Three Cheers to an AMAZING 2008

December 31, 2008

As 2009 begins, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at 2008…and what a year it has been!!

In January…

I lived in the best 1 bedroom apartment in Portland

I lived in the best 1 bedroom apartment in Portland

My favorite jeans couldn't take it any more

and my favorite jeans decided they couldn't take it any more

In February…

I walked to work every day

I walked to work every day,

Nik and I spent a weekend on the Oregon coast

Nik and I spent a weekend on the Oregon coast,

and laid down in the beach grass

and he laid down in the beach grass.

In March…

The first building I ever worked on was dedicated

The first building I ever worked on was dedicated,

Spring started in Portland

Spring started in Portland,

and my Dad had heart surgery, so I mowed the lawn.

and my Dad had heart surgery, so I mowed the lawn.

In April…

I met my neice for the first time ever

We went to Denver to meet my niece for the first time ever,

Nik and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary

and Nik and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary.

In May…

We stayed at a lovely B&B in...

We stayed at a lovely B&B

Nik's favorite American city, San Francisco.

in Nik's favorite American city, San Francisco,

Then I said goodbye to so many good friends.

then we said goodbye to so many good Portland friends,

and packed our life into one of these little rooms before saying goodbye to Portland, not knowing if wed ever return.

and packed our life into one of these little rooms before saying goodbye to Portland, not knowing if we'd ever return.

In June…

I took a solo roadtrip to Atlanta

I took a solo road-trip from Tennessee to Atlanta,

Attended the family reunion with our little Sinz extension

Attended the family reunion with our little Sinz extension,

And hopped on a big plane the very next day to go to...

And hopped on a big plane the very next day to go to...

Thailand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thailand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In July…

We climbed a big hill in Krabi to see a big Buddha,

We climbed a big hill in Krabi to see a big Buddha,

We watched soccer at sunset on Rai Leh Beach,

We watched soccer at sunset on Rai Leh Beach,

We rode a longtail boat to Koh Phi Phi,

We rode a longtail boat to Koh Phi Phi,

We found an apartment in Chiang Mai,

We found an apartment in Chiang Mai,

and we took our first long distance motorbike trip for my 27th birthday.

and I turned 27 so we took our first long distance motorbike trip to celebrate.

In August…

We discovered the best boiled chicken restaurant in town,

We discovered the best boiled chicken restaurant in town,

We visited the Reservoir for the first time,

We visited the Reservoir for the first time,

we got lost on our way to Pai,

we got lost on our way to Pai,

and we wandered around town on foot....A LOT!!

and we wandered around town....A LOT!!

In September…

We spent some days at the top of Huay Kaew Waterfall,

We spent some days overlooking Chiang Mai,

We took a trip to Doi Inthanon,

we took a trip to Doi Inthanon,

and then we went to India.

and then we went to India.

We started out in Delhi,

We slept at hawk level near Jama Masjid during Ramadan in Delhi,

and then we went to India,

we walked to Shey to see a monastery in the Himalayas,

and saw the Indus River,

we rode a local bus along the Indus River,

we fought off touts in Varanasi,

and we fought off touts

while we admired the bathing ghats in Varanasi.

while we admired the bathing ghats in Varanasi.

In October…

We joined the masses at the Taj Mahal,

We joined the masses at the Taj Mahal,

took an Indian cooking class,

we took an Indian cooking class

we walked through the streets of Jodhpur,

and walked through the blue streets in Jodhpur,

we slept under the stars in Osiyan,

we slept under the stars in Osiyan,

We dined on the rooftops

we dined on rooftops,

witnessed the celebrations

witnessed celebrations,

and paddled through the lake of Udaipur.

and paddled through Lake Pichola in Udaipur,

we looked at books,

we looked at books,

watched the sunset at Chowpatty Beach,

watched the sunset at Chowpatty Beach,

joined the morning commute,

joined the morning commute,

and drank sugarcane juice in Mumbai,

and drank sugarcane juice in Mumbai,

and then went to Goa and Bangalore and got sick.

Nik caught a cold in Goa,

I got food poisoning in Bengaluru,

I got food poisoning in Bengaluru,

and then we saw the King of Thailand in Bangkok.

and then we saw the King of Thailand in Bangkok.

In November…

we made it back to Chiang Mai just in time for Loi Krathong,

we made it back to Chiang Mai just in time for Loi Krathong,

and then left Thailand for good (at least until next year).

and then left Thailand for good (at least until next year).

But we didn't go home. Instead we went to Beijing to meet some friends,

But we didn't go home. Instead we went to Beijing to meet some friends,

ride some bikes,

ride some bikes,

and hike along the Great Wall,

and hike some km's on the Great Wall.

In December…

we acted like we had money to spend

we acted like we had money to spend

and climbed to the top of the Lulu bridge in Shanghai,

and climbed to the top of the Lulu bridge in Shanghai,

we went to a bonfire with Chinese college students,

we went to a bonfire with Chinese college students,

ate lunch at a long-haired-lady's home,

ate lunch at a long-haired-lady's home,

and hiked along the rice terraces in Longji,

and hiked along the rice terraces in Longji,

we biked through the countryside

we biked through the countryside

and ate citrus fruit in Yangshuo,

and ate citrus fruit in Yangshuo,

and then we were amazed by Hong Kong.

we were amazed by Hong Kong,

and then we came back to America.

and then we came back to America.

2008 truly was an amazing year, and I am thankful for the opportunities I had.  Most of all, I loved doing all of this with my one true love.  This year was like a year-long honeymoon, only there was no wedding.

pai_45sm

HIP HIP, HOORAY!!!  HIP HIP, HOORAY!!!  HIP HIP, HOORAY!!!

12 comments ↓

  • daniel
    January 3, 2009 at 1:21 am

    what?! nyc didn’t make the cut? but i heard you guys had a fantastic brunch with the two raddest people in the whole of the city there! kidding.

    really, i just wanted to congratulate you on your most awesome 2008! i think yours was much better than most people’s, and i so enjoyed vicariously experiencing it on your and nik’s blogs. your adventures were truly an inspiration. thank you so much for sharing!

  • Jamie
    January 3, 2009 at 5:52 am

    New York was 2007!!! And we did have brunch with two of the raddest people, and hopefully we’ll have brunch with them again soon. In fact I think another New York trip should be planned for 2009, what do you think?

  • Nik
    January 3, 2009 at 6:10 am

    Fight! Fight!

    In an unrelated note:
    Daniel, Catan. Rematch. 2009.

  • alex
    January 4, 2009 at 11:38 pm

    awesome. just plain awesome. it was amazing being able to track you both through your journey. thanks for taking the time to document it all.

  • daniel
    January 5, 2009 at 11:50 am

    wow. somebody hurry up and slam a pie in my face. clearly, i deserve it. for you are correct, it was totally 2007. shocking. time does fly.

    i don’t know how you’re going to have time to work a trip to nyc into 2009, assuming the shanghai thing happens i mean. but if you can, we would of course thoroughly enjoy seeing you again of course.

    if nothing else, i definitely need to a good catan ass kicking.

  • Nomadic Matt
    January 6, 2009 at 1:49 pm

    That was the best year in review I’ve seen. Amazing way to do it and an amazing year you have had!

  • Prêt à Voyager
    January 7, 2009 at 3:45 am

    what a year! what a beautiful retelling! best wishes in2009!

    anne

  • Lisa Boggs
    January 10, 2009 at 10:01 pm

    jamie sinz!!!! thanks so much for the blog comment! i’m such a jerk for not getting back to you sooner…so apologies all around. my husband and I just sat down to take a good long look at your travels, and boy are we jealous! mike and I want to travel so badly! and your photographs are a-maz-ing! what are your plans for 2009? going anywhere?

    well, if by chance you swing by the dc area at all (which, you just might, since dulles is the ever popular airport for going abroad), then please let me know! I would love to see you and maybe even take your portraits. :D shoot me an email anytime. so good to see you again!

  • Isaac
    January 14, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    Very well done!

  • Corey
    February 6, 2009 at 10:28 am

    This makes me want to go back to Thailand!!! :-)

  • Megan
    February 21, 2009 at 3:20 pm

    What an amazing year! Love the photos and the way you’ve brought them together.

  • Christian
    March 24, 2009 at 10:51 am

    I don’t know you guys! but Wow! that was awesome! Brenda(my girlfriend) has been mentioning y’all website for a while so i took a peek… She was inspired by the way you lovebirds traveled the world and lush on life! =) and now………. it’s time to ride the big bird to start our own time travel! Best wishes on the bubbles of meanings you both gathered together, and hope one day it’s big enough for y’all to live in it! =) Enjoy…

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