Best Of – Lists From Our Stroh World Trip

Best new friends

• Brad: Dorje, Kevin, the Cohens (Jerusalem), Yazen’s family (Aman), the Reade kids (Sao Paolo)

• Brandy: Dorje, Kevin & Finn, Sarah & Arthur, Betzalel’s Family

• Brayden: Finn and Sarah

• Brooke: Sarah, or the girl who gave me the rose in trade of the flower necklace I made.

Best sunrise

• Brad: Byron Bay (when I woke up early and went out by myself) or Antarctica (where it never sets) or Bhutan on our hike when we woke up above the clouds at the monastery on our trek

• Brandy: Bodrum

• Brayden: Sydney

• Brooke: Ushuaia

Best sunset

• Brad: Ushuaia at 11pm or Sydney

• Brandy: Playing lacrosse with Godrey at the Kalahari Plains Camp

• Brayden: Antarctica, because it was beautiful with half light

• Brooke: During Christmas at Antarctica

Best places we’ve been

• Brad: Bhutan, Antarctica, Chile, Berlin

• Brandy: Bhutan (particularly trekking), Antarctica, Istanbul

• Brayden: Sydney, Byron Bay, Bhutan, Germany, Cape Town and Antarctica

• Brooke: Bhutan and Antarctica

Best meal

• Brad: St. Petersburg countryside lunch with a roomful of crazy Russians

• Brandy: Meals with Cliff at The Botanical Ark

• Brayden: Wiener Schnitzel + Pretzels (Berlin)

• Brooke: Augustiner in Germany

Best guides

• Brad: ALL (I learned so much and have huge love for them all)

• Brandy: Dorje, Godfrey, Nigel, Cem

• Brayden: Dorje, Shaun, Godfrey and Nigel

• Brooke: Dorge, Alex, and Harly

Best continent

• Brad: Africa

• Brandy: Antarctica (most beautiful)

• Brayden: Antarctica

• Brooke: Africa

Favorite mode of transportation

• Brad: Floating on an iceberg

• Brandy: Gorge Swing with Brookie, Macuco boat at Iguazu Falls

• Brayden: Zodiac in Antarctica

• Brooke: Camels, Elephants, Piggybacks with Eve and Kate, Horses, and Hiking

Best animal sighting

• Brad: Leopard

• Brandy: Walk with Sylvester the Cheetah

• Brayden: Orcas

• Brooke: When Godfrey saw the leopard way out in the bushes in the Kalahari and we got to follow him around

Best one-on-one time with another family member

• Brad: Date night with Brandy in Moscow at Pushkin

• Brandy: Date nights with Pappa (specifically our date in Moscow, Russia)

• Brayden: Dad and I doing the Zip line in Zimbabwe

• Brooke: When I was alone with Brayden at the sports bar at our hotel at the dead sea

Most beautiful language you heard

• Brad: English (coming home) or Botswana bush (clicking)

• Brandy: Bostswana clicks

• Brayden: Spanish

• Brooke: Spanish

Where were you most excited to go

• Brad: Jerusalem

• Brandy: Tibet & Bhutan

• Brayden: Antarctica

• Brooke: Antarctica

Where were you most excited to leave

• Brad: Israeli customs

• Brandy: China

• Brayden: Papua New Guinea

• Brooke: China

What will you miss most about traveling

• Brad: Living in each and every moment together

• Brandy: The excitement of learning more everyday about new things in the world and I will miss being with the family so intensively, every day, all day

• Brayden: Visiting new places

• Brooke: Meeting new people

What will you miss least about traveling

• Brad: Customs and border crossings and diarrhea

• Brandy: Customs

• Brayden: Customs and Immigrations lines

• Brooke: The plane and airports

Most important lesson you learned on this trip

• Brad: See Most important lesson you learned on this trip blog

• Brandy: To listen attentively and make good eye contact when listening

• Brayden: You shouldn’t always want stuff

• Brooke: Be happy with what you have

Best pizza, movie, popcorn night (also known as room service, movie night)

• Brad: Obviously, Siem Reap Madagascar night with our 3D glasses!

• Brandy: Funny enough, the layover in Bankok,Thailand and Shanti Mani

• Brayden: Beijing, Mocking Jay pt.1

• Brooke: The night we watched Harry Potter with Brayden at the hotel where we got about twenty boxes for our laundry

Place you most want to come visit again

• Brad: Chile

• Brandy: Istanbul, Bodrum, Cape Town

• Brayden: Cape Town

• Brooke: Tibet when it is free, or Bhutan

Favorite custom from another country that you would like to bring home to our family

• Brad: Live simply and appreciate the things you have (many villages in Cambodia and Botswana and South Africa)

• Brandy: Meditation from Japan, Tibet, Chile

• Brayden: Zodiac Cruising (Antarctica)

• Brooke: Buddhism

Another family you know that would do this and love it as much as we did

• Brad: Simms or Deeters

• Brandy: Kavanaugh’s, Mulloy’s, Pasquesi’s (again)

• Brayden: The Lowe Family (Aidan)

• Brooke: The Armsby’s