World Trip 102207 no pics

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Tim & Jen’s Fantastic Voyage

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“Travel teaches. It both empowers and chastens as it forces your hand, revealing the lessons of the miles. By hitting the long road through the wide world, you remove the blinders you don’t even know you’re wearing. There’s no substitution for being there; there never has been. The only way to bring the stories of the world into your life is to live them.” Thoughts on travel “Vagabonding is about using the prosperity and possibility of the information age to increase your personal options instead of personal possessions. Vagabonding is about looking for adventure in normal life and normal life within adventure. It is an attitude – a friendly interest in people, places and things that makes a person an explorer in the truest, most vivid sense of the word.” “I realized the road had taught us common lessons: how to discover greater self-esteem, take more risks, and buck convention while celebrating our individuality; how to slow down and live in the moment, and connect with the power of nature while finding our wild side; lessons about feeling sexy, stepping into our courage, and living an abundant life.” Richard Otteson Rolf Potts Jillian Robinson The Threader’s Rules: Travel during daylight hours Use surface transportation Take short hops Walk a lot Break routine often “Vagabonding is about gaining the courage to loosen your grip on the so-called certainties of this world. It’s about refusing to exile travel to some other, seeming more appropriate time of your life. It’s about taking control of your circumstances instead of passively waiting for them to decide your fate.” “We end up spending the best part of one’s life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of it.” – Thoreau “In nature, we can shed our outer layers. Feel unfettered, free, pure. When we touch this state, we feel good; our most essential, authentic selves. Connected to our baser being, our surroundings, we are receptive, attentive, attuned and, at times, ecstatic. We feel calm, pure of spirit, powerful, engaged, present – whole.”

Why are we going?: 

Why are we going? Take advantage of having no ties (kids, mortgage, debt, etc.) Gain insight & beauty by seeing the world Meet and learn about different people & cultures Live simply – understand core needs vs. learned desires Strengthen my relationship with Tim Learn about political & social situations around the world (NPR is good, but this will be better) Be kind and insightful – love thy neighbor… Re-set and reconsider the rat race Learn more about myself Breathe deeply, appreciate the moment and SLOW DOWN Let go of my fears Rebel… prove that I can live outside the system Challenge myself mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually Stretch my wings and do things I’ve never done before Walk, sail, bike, hike, swim… get in shape Share stories and inspire others to take risks Send silly postcards to my loved ones Make lifelong friends across the globe Embrace diversity, open my mind and love myself Experience different cultures Spend time sailing the ocean Make new friends Feel the different rhythms of life Break free from the binds of Babylon Learn more about myself and my wife Drink 50¢ beer in Bali Find a mellow pace on the seas & exist without time constraints Make love in every country Move slowly and enjoy the natural aspects of living Get a real Thai massage (PG-rated of course) Visit traveling friends at THEIR homes See my history… where I came from Be more open minded and accepting Fulfill a lifelong goal of travel Initiate a life process that incorporates regular travel abroad Shed light on the challenges at home Look to incorporate a more simple and relaxed life abroad vs. modern life with comforts here

How does one prepare?: 

How does one prepare? Get psyched up Take a deep breath Get the atlas out and start highlighting your favorite spots Tell them you are going. Buy-in is important, for they are going to have to file your taxes and mail you homemade chocolate chips cookies when you are gone Choose your general destination, route, time frame and departure date (harder than one might think) Decide on a budget, freak out and decide to go anyway – it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and you don’t want to wait until you are too old and grouchy to enjoy it Purchase first leg airline tickets and make vital reservations Put your business in order – pay off bills and appoint someone who loves you to help deal with finances and paperwork while you’re gone Talk to people about your plans – a lot of them can connect you with someone along your path Stay up all night giggling about all the fun and craziness you’re going to experience Stay up all night arguing about what NOT to bring Make sure your passports are up to date, get a couple dozen photos and check visa requirements Convert all your tunes and load up your micro SD cards Needles! Go get your immunizations and fill all necessary prescriptions Plan basic transportation from country to country and long-distance stretches within (foot, boat, and train are preferred) Purchase travel insurance Get in shape – backpacking trips in Big Basin and such Freak out about money again. Vow to never eat out and ban yourself from shopping sprees at Ross Pour over travel books, making sure to note the location of cheap local pubs & clothing optional beaches Go to REI AGAIN – simply the best place to get sporty sports bras and freeze-dried blueberry cheesecake Start selling your junk… and then sell the stuff you don’t really need… and then sell what won’t fit into your sister’s garage Put together a traveler’s first aid kit (including anti-diarrhea pills and LOTS of moleskin) Buy a smart phone & lightweight camera – we promise to take lots of photos and call home every other Sunday Visit your dentist, physician, eye doctor, and therapist to get a clean bill of health Arrange care packages, write up a living will/health directive, get an international drivers license & hostel membership, make sure you have everyone’s e-mail address, eat all your canned food and ration your peanut butter Talk about budget again – can we seriously afford this trip? Think about changing your mind Think about going and never coming back Let go of expectations and give each other a hug Remember that, no matter what happens, it will work out somehow Take a deep breath Get psyched up

What to pack?: 

What to pack?

but more importantly: 

but more importantly we bring with us… An open heart and a sense of adventure An open mind

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TIM Historical sites of Egypt Indonesia Beaches Tracking in New Zealand Angkor in Cambodia (Hindu Buddhist temples) Climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro in Tanzania Honorable Mention: Cruising the Mediterranean JEN Island hopping in Greece Hosteling adventures in New Zealand Open air markets in Asia Ibiza closing parties in Spain Scaling Railay beach cliffs in Thailand Honorable Mention: Catching a live reggae show… anywhere! Top Five

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Los Angeles This is our general travel route... we will veer from it often and intentionally. New Zealand Australia Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Cambodia Vietnam Laos Tanzania Mozambique South Africa Madagascar Egypt Isreal Turkey Greece Italy France Spain Portugal Morocco HOME?

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New Zealand Arrival : December ‘07 Duration: 2 months

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Australia Arrival : February ‘08 Duration: 2 months

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Indonesia Arrival : April ‘08 Duration: 2 months

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Southeast Asia Arrival : July 08’ Duration: 2 – 3 mos.

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Eastern & Northern Africa Arrival : September ‘08 Duration: 2 – 3 months

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Cruising the Mediterranean Arrival : December ‘08 Duration: 2 – 3 months

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and one more thing…

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Thank you, thank you, thank you to our families, friends and employers for all your love and support! This trip would not be possible without you…