Linds and Ryan Travel

A wedding, a cross-country train trip and one of the largest cities in the world--oh my! After our dancing and revelry in the yurt, the true preparations began. We had two days until the wedding and lots to learn about a traditional Chinese ceremony. We'll share some pointers with you: General guidelines : Similar to weddings in the US, these are big events with intricate etiquette and customs. Colors : The bride and groom wear red, guests avoid red. Similar to the color white in western weddings. Black and white are reserved for funerals, so also a color to be avoided.  Gifts : Our family, mainly PJ and Wendy:) has learned the hard way about the gift etiquette. Clocks are the biggest "no no," they signify that you will have something to do with the recipient's death. Sharp objects, like knives, signify severing a friendship. And generally things in groups of four are thought to be bad luck. The word four in Mandarin, (四 Sì) sounds like  the word ...

July 11th was a whirlwind of a day. In the days leading up to our 28 hours of travel to the other side of the world, we resigned our jobs, packed up and moved our apartment, said our “bon voyages” to family and friends then jumped on a plane to begin this adventure. By the time we arrived in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China at 12am local time, we were exhausted. Luckily Annie’s cousins picked us up right at the airport. When we groggily arrived to Annie’s childhood home we were greeted by three more smiling faces; Annie’s Mom and Grandparents. Communication was a challenge, but we managed our thank yous and gift giving (Wisconsin ginseng!). They warmly welcomed us with almond milk, V18, and some delicious, beet-red, dragon fruit. Sleep came almost instantly, we were finally comfortable. The next day was rough, helllllooo jetlag! Even though it pains us to say we weren’t the “go-getters” we normally are (cough: sleeping about 18 hours), we kindly asked our hosts if we could spend t...

Hello everyone, It’s been almost a month since we left our apartment and began this adventure. We aren't dead! Touring China and enjoying boating and relaxation in Italy made us forget how quickly the days have gone by. July went by in a blink. We've had very limited access to WiFi in China and in Bardolino, Italy.