The travel year in numbers and a few impressions to conclude

We arrived back home safely. The return flight with WOW Air with a short layover in Reykjavík was very good, and after a total of about 11 hours, we landed in Frankfurt again. We were welcomed there by Meike and Susanne, and since they also said goodbye to us in January, the circle is complete. Strangely, it doesn't feel strange at all to be back home. It feels like we were never away. Now we just have to bring the camper from Hamburg back home and unpack.

Here is a brief summary of the key facts:

17,655 kilometers by plane ✈️

22,081 kilometers by ship 🛳

3,000 kilometers by rental car and bus in South America 🚗 🚎

34,000 kilometers by rental car and camper in North America 🚗 🚐

1,200 kilometers by bus and train in North America 🚌 🚞

So we covered a total of 78,000 kilometers.

We visited the following:

8 countries in South America (including stops on the cruise) 🇧🇷 🇨🇱 🇦🇷 🇫🇰 🇵🇪 🇪🇨 🇵🇦 🇰🇾

30 US states 🇺🇸

8 provinces in Canada 🇨🇦

and briefly set foot on Icelandic ground 🇮🇸 🤣

We saw an incredible amount, I eventually stopped counting the national parks and monuments. There were definitely over 50 just in North America, and Jutta's US National Parks Passport is pretty full, despite the additional pages 🤣🤣🤣.

It's difficult to highlight the highlights of the trip. Almost everything we saw was special. Of course, not everything can be as spectacular as some of the national parks, but every region has its own natural beauty, and fortunately tastes differ. And sometimes experiences or conversations or even the peace at the campsite were the decisive things. Many things have slipped far into the back of our minds due to the large number of amazing places we've been to. Luckily, we have this blog, which also helps us remember individual sections.

The cruise in South America is definitely worth mentioning, and I will always remember the (re)encounter with "my" guide Nicolas in Buenos Aires. The Torres del Paine National Park in Chile and the Perito Moreno Glacier were already among the most beautiful places on earth for me, as were the national parks in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. That hasn't changed after the trip. Our upgraded lodge in Grand Teton, the relaxed stay at Devils Tower, the incredible expanse in the states of the Midwest, the cabins on the Sunshine Coast and in Nestor Falls by the lake, the museum in Chicago are the things that come to mind spontaneously. Of course, also the many animals that we were able to observe in their natural habitat. And not to forget the nice people from Haglin and Linden Automobile in Boulder and Golden, who helped us a lot with the camper. Lastly, as sports fans, we also have to mention the many sports events that we either experienced live in the stadium or in various pubs.

If there can be a conclusion at all, then this: We haven't regretted a single minute and are happy and very grateful that we were able to experience all of this together.