What Prompted This???
DECISION FOR THE SECOND TRIP:
June 24, 2007
It is a pretty legit question... Why am I choosing to travel again for a long duration after just getting back from
traveling for about 13 months.
It really started when I was at my sister's house in Atlanta and she and her husband were discussing the
different repairs that had to be done to their house. And also taking the car in to get this-and-that checked. It
just kind of dawned on me: 'Why am I so anxious to jump into this???'
And since all of my stuff is still in storage, it made my decision somewhat simple. There are still many places
that I want to visit that I didn't get to last time. So I am taking advantage of still having no commitments (with
the exception of my cell phone) and am taking off for about six more months!!!
DECISION FOR THE FIRST TRIP:
September 25, 2005
Judging from many people’s reactions, this is definitely not the type of ‘trip’ that is meant for all. Many of my
friends who don’t really travel think I’m just plain crazy. Even many of my friends with a severe passion for
traveling have admitted that they would not be able to be gone for this length of time. This isn’t something I
wouldn't have always felt brave enough to do. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that there are still certain days where I
get freaked out about the idea of being gone for roughly one year…by myself…void of any familiarity.
There are so many reasons, though, why this is a great idea:
1. I'm going to be living my dream of seeing many different places in the world. I could never do this with
just two weeks of vacation a year.
2. It’s the perfect time in my life. For example, I’m not married, I don’t own a home, I don’t have a pet, etc.
Quite simply, I don’t have any commitments that would prevent me from pursuing this. Plus, I'm physically
able to be able to do this right now versus being less mobile later in life.
3. While many people want to be challenged with their work/career, I would rather be challenged in a
different way. I want to use my common sense, intelligence and social skills to make it through a year of
roaming around the world. The rewards, however, are very similar. Increased self-confidence, self-fulfillment
and a sense of pride. While I won’t experience any financial gain that would come from attaining a goal in the
workplace, my reward is going to be far greater than that (at least in my opinion it will be). I’m going to have a
year’s worth of experiences.
4. I have saved up money. I know how I want to do this trip. I have experience traveling on all budget-
levels. I know I don’t want to ‘rough it’ the bulk of the time. However, I do know that there will be times that I
will have no choice but to stay in a hostel. I also know that I don’t want to be pampered the majority of the time
(nor does the money that I have saved allow for that). But I do know that there are certain splurges I want to
make. Only time will tell what ‘bumps in the road’ await me. I’m at least confident that I can deal with anything
that comes my way.
5. I have a sister who is willing to handle things for me at home while I’m gone. Well…’home’ being the
United States (considering she lives in Atlanta and I live in San Francisco). This definitely helps knowing I’m
not going to be a burden on any friends or family friends. While Michelle may be a bit burdened, she also
knows that there will be gifts-from-other-parts-of-the-world that will show up on her doorstep as
compensation.
A picture of me taken in front of the Serengeti.