Around the World in...160 days!

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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions... They say traveling teaches you about the world but it also shows you who you really are. I have realized one of the things I hope to gain from this trip is to become stronger in my decision making process. It takes me along time after checking with social media, my friends, my family before making any deicision even the smallest ones.

When thinking about this trip, I knew I had 5-6 months to travel as I wanted to be back by summer for personal reasons. Should I volunteer and stay in one city for a few weeks traveling on weekends? Should I pick one country and stay there 6 months? Should i close my eyes look at a map and point? In the end I followed the advice of one blogger to write down your dream destinations and cut them down by half. I don't know if I was able to stick to half but I did eliminate a few places based on weather, budget etc.

Then was the choice, do I just book as I go allowing flexibility but maybe not getting to see all the destinations? Then the thought how much time do I want to spend booking my travels instead of enjoying them? But on the other hand did I want to constantly be checking my agenda of what city I needed to fly to next instead of enjoying the journey instead of the destination? Did I want to rish through destinations I may never return to just so I could check them off on my checklist?

I realized I needed help. So I called airtrek.com for feedback. They specialize in multi destination tours. Some of you may have heard of round the world tickets which are done by the airlines and either offer a specific set of miles or a certain number of destinations. I do not have any miles and had too many destinations so that was out. So I called airtrek to receive a free consulatation. They were very friendly and helpful and had traveled on their own alot so could honestly tell me how much time I needed both in and in between each place. I may not book it all in advance next time but not being an expert traveler I have a peace of mind that my flights are booked. I made sure that once I'm in most countries what I will be doing is overland so I can play around with how much time in each city but at least I will keep moving. I know I fall in love with countries easily and may never want to leave after my first stop this keeps me being exposed to each city as I go.

This was a large amount of money in one shot but at least I don't have to worry about spending all my money and never getting home and I'm sure I was partially paying for the advice of an expert. Overall though for 6 months of travel it's not that bad. Of course I still need to add in train and busses etc but most of my transport is set up. Now my only worry is eating, drinking, or dancing too much and missing my flights.

The planning continues..course the best laid plans will often go awry but it's a start.

This entry is dedicated to my lovel personal travel planners Rachel and Scott. Thank You for sharing your personal stories, advice, and convincing me I can do it. Also, to Ms. Danielle whom reminds me that if in her young 20's she can move half across the world from South Africa to Miami and create a life for herself I can become a citizen of the world.

Stay tuned!

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Comments

[Bertha Galindo-CruceT]

go sue!
So happy for you! Have fun and be safe!

[Morgan]

Another great post. If you want to become a great writer do take the time to go through it a day later and check your spelling and punctuation before publishing. I also try hard as a writer not to use redundant phrases. Waiting a day or two before publishing gives you a chance look at your writing through fresh eyes and see mistakes or things you want to change. If you ever get published in the real world you cannot rely on an editor for these things, I have had editors add typos to my writing and then publish it like that. It's important when you get to that level that you always request a final proof before they publish your piece. Anyway, keep up the good work!!