Planning a 300-person Irish Catholic wedding is a huge task. Preparing for a 7-month trip around the world, leaving the life you know behind (moving out of single apartments, planning a new life in a new country together, getting married…all that jazz) and more than this, actually BEING the people who are the focus of that huge wedding…well, you do the math.
The Lightholders will spend three months exploring Europe before jumping over to South East Asia for a few weeks, then on to Australia and New Zealand. They will spend a week in Fiji and then two weeks in California, saying goodbye to family and friends before leaving for Ireland to live happily ever after.
Follow their trip via the links below or learn more about their plans here, or more about them on their bio page.
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15: Epilogue
In this final entry, Sean & Kim reflect on some of their favourite moments and places from their trip as well as their reception as Americans abroad.
Catch Up On The Journey
14: Christchurch, Cannibalism and Kava
Or…Fine Young Cannibals: Not just an 80’s pop band! Sean and Kim enjoyed Fijian hospitality and kava ceremonies as part of their final stop of their RTW Honeymoon.
13: New Zealand: The Search for the Wild Aubie!
Deserts and glaciers. Waterfalls and volcanoes. Mix in a few million sheep, vast grassland plains, some exuberant native island culture and you’ve got a good start on New Zealand.
12: Sickness, Singapore and the Land of Oz
A 24-hour bout of the runs couldn’t spoil Sean and Kim’s time in paradise. They are currently in Sydney, enjoying the familiarity of a western country.
11: The Sounds of SE Asia
If you’re ever feeling jaded and out of touch with humanity, get into a paper-rock-scissors game with a Vietnamese street kid.
10: Motos, Temples and Some Guy at the Airport
The Lightholders spent three days soaking up the atmosphere of Khao San Road before heading to Cambodia and some of the world’s most spectacular temples at Angkor Wat.
9: Cold War Memories and Grecian Ruminations
One of the highlights of Greece was catching the sunset at Oia, supposed to be one of the best places in the world to watch Apollo parallel-park his chariot at the end of the day.
8: Walt Whitman’s Grandson and Hungarian Refugees
No matter how boring a place might be, if the armed border guards eject you from your train compartment to extract a refugee from a small hole in your compartment ceiling, it kind of adds a bit of spice to the trip.
7: Tapas, Protests and the end of the World (cup) as we know it
Sean and Kim soon adapted to the Spanish siesta lifestyle as they tried to find relief from the heat during their travels around Spain.
6: The Hills are Alive With the Sounds of Salzburg!
Monastic breweries in Salzburg, liter beers in Munich, Disney castles, historic Bamberg, Switzerland, Amsterdam and finally to Paris.
5: Czeching out the Countryside
The Lightholders wax nostalgic on their time in the Czech Republic, passing through Cesky Krumlov, Kutna Hora, and Terezin.
4: Prague: Absynth-Minded Capitalism
One really terrific thing about Prague is its love for music and art. Oh, and the beer isn’t to shabby either.
3: Echoes of the 900 day Seige
To Sean and Kim, it seemed like the entire city of St. Petersburg had been set up as a huge playground, just for them to enjoy.
2: From Streams of Whiskey to Rivers of Vodka
The Lightholders say a lingering goodye to Ireland before flying into St. Petersburg, a city resonating with a stifled glory.
1: Ghosts, Guinness and Oliver Cromwell
Ireland was just what the doctor ordered: ruined castles, sweeping green hills with stone fences, quaint cobblestone streets with intimate pubs, sheep blocking traffic, Kim terrorizing helpless baby lambs, and Sean terrorizing Irish drivers.