People keep asking us where we are going. Some of those people even want to try to meet us on the road. We like those people.
So here is the plan. Subject to lots and lots of change. Cause we are booking one way tickets as we go, rather than working within the limitations of a round-the-world ticket. You'll notice the first three months are WAY more thought out than the rest.
Dec 29th: Arrive in Lima, Peru
- Freak out that we are REALLY doing it
- Eat, drink, be merry, and laugh at our friends who are working
- Just kidding guys, we love you
Jan. 6th: Arrive in Cusco, Peru
- Chew coca leaves and acclimate to the altitude
Jan. 12th: Depart for 4 day Machu Picchu trek
- Curse Reece for making us do the 4-Day Macchu Picchu Trek
- Marvel at the splendor of Macchu Picchu
- Make sure Reece thanks me for making us do the 4-Day Macchu Picchu Trek
Jan. 17th - February 1st:
- Take a train to Puno
- Visit Lake Titicaca
- Maybe check out the Salt Flats in Bolivia
- Make our way to Brazil somehow
(Aren't I spontaneous and care-free?! SEE, I can let go of SOME crazy-anal-producer-planner control!!)
Feb. 1st - Feb. 17th: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Work on our tans
- Drink caipirinhas
- CARNIVAL!!!
Feb. 17th: Arrive in Santiago
- Travel throughout Chile, at least as far south as Puerto Montt, possibly into Patagonia
- Border lake crossing into Argentina
- Drink large amounts of Bodega Renacer when we visit their winery in Mendoza
- Catch a bus to Buenos Aires
March 22nd - March 28: Hang with Mom in Buenos Aires!!
- Feel ultra plush in our fancy apartment
- Do laundry (perhaps for the first time)
- Consume obscene amounts of red meat + red wine
March 28th: Arrive in Capetown, South Africa
- Willingly climb into a tiny cage, get dropped into the ocean, and come face to face with THIS
- Apologize to the nice man for soiling a perfectly nice wetsuit
This is pretty much the furthest we have really thought through. We're confident we'll meet other travelers along the way who will point us in a good direction. We know we want to make our way across the southeastern region of Africa and into Kenya. POSSIBLE stops include: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania. Obviously not all of these places (even though they all do look pretty cool on our "world tour" shirts).
Late May-ish: Fly to Cairo, Egypt
- Meet my Dad's side of the fam and look at some big pyramids and stuff
- Would also like to visit the so-called White Desert
- Cruise down the Nile (literally or figuratively)
- Get our chill on in Dahab
June - July (ish): India
August - September (ish): Southeast Asia
October - November (ish): Australia
December (ish): New Zealand
Last stop will of course be at some extravagantly overpriced paradise island, where we will spoil ourselves silly in the lap of luxury and blow any budget we might possibly have left.
Start planning those 2010 vacations folks!!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
work in progress
Hellish week at work. Nothing out of the ordinary. The usual 11th hour comments, impossible deadlines, hours upon hours of hurry up and wait.
Last night, as I loosened the straps on my heels, looked over the dinner order menu and settled in for another late one, a sudden realization made it all the more bearable.
I have 20 more days of work. TWENTY.
20 more times do I have to wake up in the morning and immediately check for email on my blackberry. 20 more lunch breaks. 20 more days spent with a laptop in my lap. 20 more non-committal evenings (you can’t make advance plans in this industry, it’s too unpredictable).
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of my job. I think I am incredibly lucky to do what I do for a living. But I think I am even luckier to just do the living part for a while ☺
Last night, as I loosened the straps on my heels, looked over the dinner order menu and settled in for another late one, a sudden realization made it all the more bearable.
I have 20 more days of work. TWENTY.
20 more times do I have to wake up in the morning and immediately check for email on my blackberry. 20 more lunch breaks. 20 more days spent with a laptop in my lap. 20 more non-committal evenings (you can’t make advance plans in this industry, it’s too unpredictable).
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of my job. I think I am incredibly lucky to do what I do for a living. But I think I am even luckier to just do the living part for a while ☺
Saturday, November 7, 2009
51 days and counting...
I am starting to have serious anxiety about going away. Not so much the being gone part, I’ve come to terms with that. But the leaving part. I run through each moment in my mind with such detail, it’s like a vivid memory I haven’t experienced yet…
The drive to the airport. The hugs. The tears. The tightening of our backpack straps while we question if we’ve forgotten anything. The whoosh of the automatic doors as we step into the terminal…
I think about the rush of emotions as we approach our gate. I think about how long it will be until I see my family’s faces again. I mean come on, how could you say goodbye to this face?
The nervousness and guilt and fear keep me up at night. I have moments – very fleeting moments, but moments nonetheless – where I think this is a wild idea we dreamt up that has gone way too far. No jobs? No home? Spending roughly a down payment on a house (a nice house!!) to wander the earth?
Yet, despite all of this, I know deep down we are undoubtedly doing the right thing. That this will be, by a long shot, the most significant thing either of us has experienced in our lives. That we will never regret this decision, and will never be the same because of it. I can’t wait to know the people that we will become.
And to those who support us, who express their pride and envy and extend their congratulations - Thank you. Thank you for helping me gain the perspective and the confidence to make this journey. Thank you for confirming the things that I sometimes won’t even allow myself to believe. You’ve got some great postcards comin your way ☺
The drive to the airport. The hugs. The tears. The tightening of our backpack straps while we question if we’ve forgotten anything. The whoosh of the automatic doors as we step into the terminal…
I think about the rush of emotions as we approach our gate. I think about how long it will be until I see my family’s faces again. I mean come on, how could you say goodbye to this face?
The nervousness and guilt and fear keep me up at night. I have moments – very fleeting moments, but moments nonetheless – where I think this is a wild idea we dreamt up that has gone way too far. No jobs? No home? Spending roughly a down payment on a house (a nice house!!) to wander the earth?
Yet, despite all of this, I know deep down we are undoubtedly doing the right thing. That this will be, by a long shot, the most significant thing either of us has experienced in our lives. That we will never regret this decision, and will never be the same because of it. I can’t wait to know the people that we will become.
And to those who support us, who express their pride and envy and extend their congratulations - Thank you. Thank you for helping me gain the perspective and the confidence to make this journey. Thank you for confirming the things that I sometimes won’t even allow myself to believe. You’ve got some great postcards comin your way ☺
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