Luggage Dilemma

In May, for my birthday weekend, I went on a trip to Miami with my girlfriend, Joanna.  Feeling the first heady rush of impending adventure, we went to the outback supplies store, Bass Pro, to stock up.  I was determined to equip myself with sturdy travel gear that would withstand the rigours of 12 months through 'goodness-knows-where'.  I also wanted something I didn't have to send to checked baggage.

So, I bought what I thought would be a trusty travel companion …  a 55ltr Terra Youth North Face (top-loading...groan) backpack.  Now, months later, after a few test runs of packing and attempted retrieval, I've come to the realization that this backpack will simply not do ... definitely not the right choice for me L

I need easy access to stuff and a way to super-organize my meager possessions.  I'll be travelling with only one piece of luggage and I need it to be efficient and versatile.  I’m upset, as this means I have to fork out for another bag, but I’m pleased that I’m discovering this now rather than on the road.

A few nights of research later and I think I’ve found my new travel BFF ... taaaadaaa *drum rollllllll* ... meet the Eagle Creek Switchback Max 22 Convertible Pack

It is a thing of beauty. Compact, versatile and organized ....  a dual luggage dream that will make travelling a whole lot less stressful for me.  Just 'cos I'm travelling low-budget doesn't mean I can't have some efficiency and style, innit J

Now, I just need to get my hands on one!!

PS. If anyone out there needs a 55ltr Terra Youth North Face, give me a holler ... I've got one going for a song J

If Wishes Were Horses ...

No such thing as a spare moment anymore.  There's always 'just one other thing' to be taken care of. 
Organizing and packing up of things around the apartment (big job that I only seem to be making little dents in), sorting out paint job, carpet clean, vaccinations, health check, planning Top 5 lists, fine-tuning budget, sorting out the mortgage, selling the car, fixing my weave (not really, lol)  

or
Work I should be delivering and/or wrapping up. 

or
People I should be spending time with.  

or
Fun stuff I should be teeing up to complete in Cayman before I leave (Advanced Open Water Diver cert, TEFL Course, Parasailing with Jamie, vist to Silver Rain to spend ALL my vouchers J, visit to Little Cayman etc).

I am like the proverbial swan (or is it ‘duck’), calm on the surface but paddling furiously underneath.  It sometimes gets a bit overwhelming, the thought of all these numerous little things.

I wish I had a fairy God-Mother, who could wave her wand and make them all done … then I could just toddle off on my merry way … and Idris Elba would live next door ... at every port. 
Yup, that would make me verrrry happy J 

What to do when I get there?

Well, in typical commitment-phobe style J, I’ve kept a lot of the trip fairly open by opting for overland travel for much of the journey.  Local planes, trains and automobiles ... I'll experience the lot of them.  This way, I’ll meander through (and move on from) each country as the mood takes me, so I pretty much get to set my own schedule, which suits me just fine.

I’m still trying to decide on all the things I want to do in each location from the plethora of options.  I’m just going to settle for a core Top 5 things to do in each place and let all the others fall in line as and when.  I know that some things will get added on to that Top 5, and others may drop off the list as I travel through each place, meet other travelers, interact with locals and budget realities kick in lol.  

I’m linked into the Couch Surfing community so the ability to meet locals and integrate into each location will be fast-tracked (I hope), and I’ll get to see/feel/know the true vibe of each place faster and more intimately via my local friends/guides.

My TEFL course should be in the bag by the time I set out, so if the opportunity arises to teach some kids English, or trade English lessons for Spanish, then I’ll be well equipped J.  I’m also getting back into scuba diving … want to get my Advanced Open Water Cert before I leave Cayman, so that I can really enjoy the wonders of the underwater world in the Pacific and Asia. 

Anyhow, on a general level, some of the things I’m hoping to do/experience/see include: meet lots of fascinating people (no doubt some will become good friends), visit historical monuments, hiking ancient and well-worn trails, diving some beautiful sites, treks up or down some not-so-well-known paths, relaxing yoga, invigorating yoga, a jungle tour or two, waterfalls, volcanoes, street-markets, beach-walking, star-gazing, maybe some scary things like bungee-jumping and sky-diving (if I don’t chicken out lol), and definitely lots of eating, drinking, partying, laughing and dancing. 

The specifics of how these all work out will flow through later J

The Summary Itinerary

Call it a career break, a sabbatical, a mid-life crisis ... (take your pick lol) ... however you wish to label it, the bottom line is that I'm hitting the road.  I want to shake things up a bit, step outside my comfort zone, savor new experiences and meet many new friends.

So, as the Aborigines would say, I'm going on a walkabout.  I'll head out to London late Sept for a couple of weeks. I want to renew my passport (going to need more pages for all those new border control stamps J), process a couple of visas and generally hang out and catch up with a few of you.

Then the RTW jaunt kicks off proper on the 10th of October.  The route has been planned, the ticket acquired and the adventure will unfold like so (-> = flight, // = overland travel, ~ = by sea):

10th Oct '11        London -> Peru // Ecuador // Colombia? // Bolivia? // Brazil // Argentina // Chile
14th Feb ’12       Santiago (Chile) ->Tahiti ~ Bora Bora
26th Feb ’12       Tahiti -> New Zealand (Auckland) // Wellington // Christchurch
30th Apr ’12        New Zealand (Christchurch ) -> Australia (Sydney)
14th May ’12      Australia -> Singapore // Indonesia // Cambodia // Laos // Vietnam // China (Hong Kong // Ghuanzhou // Shanghai )
17th Sept ’12      Shanghai -> London
End of Sept/Early October           London -> Grand Cayman

Happy Days :)

Getting the hang of things!

Ok, I figure I best start getting used to writing this blog before I hit the road.

My adventure will unfold on these pages ... I'll share the highlights with you, the images that awe me (hope my camera hand stays steady) and introduce you to all the special people I meet.  And sometimes, I might just ramble or ask for input from you all J

I’m new to this and I’m still playing around with formats and layout, so don’t be surprised if this blog looks different from one day to the next.  You’ll know when I’ve found the one that’s a keeper J