Ten years ago in December our daughter Mary was visiting from Paris where she lives with her French husband and family. Over dinner one night the subject of our retirement came up. We weren’t sure of our plans, but I knew “We had at least one more adventure in us!” We certainly didn’t think it would be traveling full-time around the world without a home!

 It all started when Mary plucked a piece of paper off the refrigerator door. Under a cluster of magnets securing photos, shopping lists, and grandkid art, she’d found our wishlist of countries to visit someday. We’d always traveled, but some of these places weren’t on many tourist itineraries at the time. Places like Macedonia, Belarus, Lithuania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosova, and Syria.

 Mary brought the list to the table and asked, “Have you ever heard of Airbnb?” We had not. She flipped open my laptop and showed us the website; the rest, as they say, is history!

 Once we realized we could live in other people's homes around the world for about what we’d spend sitting in our rocking chairs in Seattle, we sold just about everything (including the house) to begin life as The Senior Nomads. Since July 2013, we’ve lived in 300+ Airbnbs in 90 countries.

Michael’s interest in the former Soviet Union grew as we traveled, and we wondered if we could visit all fifteen republics that made up the USSR. By 2021 we had visited 12 countries with just three to go: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

These final Central Asia countries remained elusive. In 2015 we visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, but in 2019 we got Russian visas to potentially ride the Tran Siberian Railway and visit these final “Stans." But then Covid hit. And like everyone else, we were grounded.

 Visiting these last few republics had become increasingly important because Michael’s interest in the region was ignited by current geopolitics. So in July 2021, he found a company on the Internet called Caravanistan, a company that connects travelers with Central Asian tour companies. Based on the responses from the three choices they offered, Michael chose a company named IrenePlus Travel based in Tashkent. As Chief Travel Planner, he started corresponding with the owner Mikhail Sterlikov. As I write this, I can say it was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made as Senior Nomads.

 Michael and Mikhail have had many online conversations since then. They put their heads together to find a way to travel to Uzbekistan and beyond while Covid was still lurking. But a few months later, they decided it was best to postpone our trip until the fall of 2022.

 In the meantime, these two gentlemen became more than pen pals. When we finally landed in Tashkent on September 21st to meet Mikhail in the flesh, it was more like two brothers separated at birth, meeting for the first time.

 Gifts were exchanged, of course, because this is a gift-giving part of the world. We were coming from Paris, so we brought the fanciest, most colorful macarons we could find. Mikhail gave us each a fabulous hand-embroidered cap.

 Mikhail's company, IrenePlus travel (named after his late mother), is a full-service travel agency specializing in this part of the world. There are now several companies that do Silk Road Tours, including MIR, a pioneer in this type of travel based in our hometown of Seattle. But Mikhail offers such personalized service that I am not sure his company can be compared to others.

 On our first evening, he treated us to dinner at a Shiska restaurant in Tashkent Meat is the center of most meals here; this was no exception. Platters of skewered lamb and chicken, various salads, and crispy fried dumplings appeared like magic. We even enjoyed some Uzbekistan wine. And, of course, we couldn't pay for a thing.

 The people here are genuinely hospitable and generous to a degree we Westerners cannot fathom. Picking up the tab is a faux pas, and trying to tip someone (even taxi drivers) is impossible. Not excepting plates piled with food, baskets of sweets, elaborate gifts, deep hugs, and even spontaneous invitations to dance would be offensive. It's best just to give in and bask in the love.

 When you can pay for something, the prices are so low that you double-check the math. A taxi across town for a dollar. A gel pedicure, a manicure for me, and a pedicure for Michael for $40. Hair cuts for $7. Meals for a song.

 We have come to accept the hospitality and save the money! We'll need every penny when we are home in Seattle for the holidays and reenter USA economic reality.

I also think we’ve had our photo taken with complete strangers more than a dozen times. Fortunately, we have ducked numerous toasts to our health with vodka, but we are so full of green tea that our immunity is guaranteed for some months.

Even with research, and help from our guides, we were not prepared for the mystery and majesty of these ancient kingdoms. My next blog posts will tell stories from our time in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and the three Uzbek cities we visited: Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara.

In fact, as I write this blog I am sitting in a beautiful park in Bukhara, Uzbekistan sipping yet more green tea. Several friendly street kittens are vying for space in my lap - and if you know me at all, you know I am in heaven. Or Nirvana.

 Thanks for following along,

 Debbie and Michael Campbell

The Senior Nomads

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