TOP 5 QUESTIONS: (for 3rd Month)

THIRD MONTH - May 19 - June 19

1. What do you carry around your middle all the time? A friend of mine let me borrow her nice fanny pack (Tiz from the Aquatic Center ...thanks Tiz!). In it I have my passport, ID, and other important documents. Once in awhile Rich gives me money :) I also keep my three pairs of glasses (I'm down to one :( a pen and a pencil, a small notebook to record memories, notes, and bus numbers, etc. I have a small comb, kleenex, lip gloss (the only make-up that I brought) and there are pockets to collect things like flowers or rocks. I also have attached a case that I carry my water in and on my right side is my camera.
2. Is the weather really as cold as it looks like in the pictures? Yes....it was very nippy at the Baltic Sea (northern Germany) and in Holland. Everywhere else has been fantastic! We used jackets quite a lot in April and May. We both brought rain jackets which also worked as a layer for the warm last layer..
3. How much money have you allotted for each day of your travels? Including travel, food, lodging, souvenirs, and sites, we put $30 for each of us as our budget for each day. That's a bit tricky to abide by, especially in more expensive countries such as Italy and Greece, but we will be catching up in the Balkan countries.
4. When do you have time to write on your blog with everything you do every day? This is a common question and tricky to answer. First of all, I am currently 6 weeks behind, but I spend every bus, train, and plane ride going through pictures; sorting and labeling them; writing a daily journal so I don't forget what we did that day. Some rides are VERY bumpy and it's crazy, but I'm obsessed to remember this wonderful adventure. I also live on very little sleep. In the evenings after we have talked to our hosts, we work on the computer figuring out the next leg of our trip, searching new couch surfers, etc. Rich must do some computer work for bills and deal with any problems back home. I must deal with any communication with family, trying to remember birthdays, giving advice to children, skyping grandchildren, etc. It's around midnight when I begin to put together my next post. Sometimes I work til about 2:30 a.m. Occasionally I go to bed early and get up about 5 a.m. It's crazy, but it works!
5. What is your favorite place for the 3^rd month? Shari & Rich have a new favorite spot...Ohrid, Macedonia. The whole Balkan trip this month has been the most amazing experience! The people, the scenery, the inexpensive prices, and NO TOURISTS! (well, much fewer anyway) Ohrid is a very old city next to a huge beautiful lake and and an ancient fortress overlooking the old town. The weather was perfect, the people fantastic, and we stayed with a dream host. More about this experience when I post Day 80. We both agree, also, that we loved the night we ate in Filip's restaurant and were entertained by Macedonian musicians and Polish singing and dancing. We both agree that some other memorable experiences were the week we spent on the sailboat with Zelimir and crew (Days 61-67) and the Romanian wedding of Brock & Christina (Day 89) We have several other great experiences so it's really hard to choose this time.