Day 367 – Home Sweet Home (Chicago, IL) – THE END

Today we spent our final few precious hours of our “world tour” relishing Miami’s beach and the beautiful ocean. In the afternoon we hopped on the flyer bus which took us to the airport. Our three hour flight to O’Hare Chicago was pretty turbulent but we endured it (poor Ryan, he absolutely hates to fly). Upon landing in Chicago, we were greeted by my beautiful sister Justyna who picked us up and drove us to my parent’s house where my mom treated us to some delicious Polish food. It was the perfect ending to our INCREDIBLE journey.

2011 has been an AMAZING year! I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog and for following along. I hope you all enjoyed our adventure… THE END 🙂

Home Sweet Home Chicago!!!!

Day 366 – South Beach Miami, United States of America

We spent our last full day in Miami enjoying the beach, the beautiful ocean, and our condo’s pool. It’s hard to believe that our amazing journey ends tomorrow. Although we are not looking forward to Chicago’s winter weather, we are excited about finally coming “home” after being away for so long.

Day 365 – South Beach Miami, United States of America

Today was another perfect day in South Beach. We spent most of the day at the beach and then did some more lounging around by the pool. Ryan was super excited to find out that the hot tub at our condo was finally fixed and functional (it has been spewing cold water over the past few days). I had a hard time getting him out of the water towards the end of the day.

Day 364 – South Beach Miami, United States of America

We continued to enjoy Miami’s gorgeous weather and beautiful beach today. Ryan is slowly becoming a paddle ball champion. I’ve been working him out every day to ensure he stays in shape. In the evening we went out for dinner and enjoyed a long walk in Miami’s Art Deco district.

Day 363 – South Beach Miami, United States of America

We spent most of today at the beach. The weather FINALLY warmed up to Miami’s typical temps for January so we got plenty of hot sunshine. Although the ocean water is quite cool at this time of the year, we did enjoy a lovely swim in the late afternoon at our condo’s heated pool (it was like swimming in a giant bathtub). After being in such nice weather, it will be extremely difficult to return to Chicago’s frigid climate next week. I don’t even want to think about it right now.

Day 362 – South Beach Miami, United States of America

Each day we greet the ocean to appreciate its beauty. Today was no different. Although the weather was A LOT warmer this afternoon, we felt it was still a bit too cool to strip into our swimsuits to take a dip. Instead we admired the ocean from a distance and continued to enjoy Miami’s other attractions. Ryan and I are currently researching cell phone providers and figuring out other personal logistical items for our return home next week (our “to do” list continues to grow).

Day 361 – South Beach Miami, United States of America

A cold front came over Miami today and although it was sunny, it was way too chilly to enjoy the beach. In lieu of bumming around on the beach, we decided to spend the day enjoying Miami’s other attractions (great shopping and delicious cuisine). We did a ton of walking as we explored the South Beach area and ducked in and out of local businesses. I even found a Supercuts where I finally got a much needed haircut. Let’s hope the “Arctic blast” passes quickly and tomorrow afternoon is much much warmer.

Day 360 – Miami, United States of America

We are back on US soil! After traveling internationally for a whole year, today we arrived in Miami. Our two hour flight from Santo Domingo was smooth and uneventful. When we arrived in Miami we took the airport flyer bus to South Beach where we checked into our condo. We will be spending the last 7 days of our trip in one of my favorite US cities enjoying the ocean.

Day 359 – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

This afternoon we sadly said goodbye to paradise and hopped on a bus heading back to Santo Domingo. Our bus ride took about four hours. As we passed by various small towns and villages along the way, we saw many locals gathered in celebration of the New Year. They were drinking, dancing, socializing, and just having a good time. We arrived in rainy Santo Domingo just in time for dinner. Tomorrow we fly to AMERICA (Miami to be specific)! Our journey is slowly coming to an end.

Day 358 – Bavaro, Dominican Republic (Punta Cana) – Happy New Year!

We spent our last full day in Punta Cana enjoying the beach and the beautiful ocean. The weather gods continued to bless us with pure sunshine and a soft cool breeze. Tonight Ryan and I will be ringing in the New Year at our condo with a nice home cooked meal. This has been an AMAZING year full of adventure, new perspective, and incredible experiences. May 2012 be even better. Happy New Year everyone!!!