7 Day Alert. Please make your way to the nearest PANIC station

 

As a true procrastinator, I should probably wait until the last day before going into panic mode, but considering this is a 3 month project, I think a week before leaving is a good 'weight-adjusted' time to start my panicking.

 

It's not what I know that's causing concern, but what I don't know. Like what should I be doing right now that I'm not doing to prepare...

 

My crazy half believes life's problems can be solved with bags, boxes or bowls. In this case I think I need more bags. I will take plastic bags, large ziploc bags, sandwich bags, totes,  and canvas bags. Phew! Unknown problems solved.

 

I wonder what my rational half will come up with... stay tuned...

Look Mum, I'm a Back Packer!

Ok so I just took delivery of my backpack- it's an exciting day! It's a Kelty Coyote 4750 and it's on loan to me from my friend Tiffany. I really hope I can return it to her at the end of the trip without too many war wounds. This beast is about to swallow up 3 months worth of everything I will need. Is it possible?

 

Here it is in a sad, deflated state, just begging to be filled up.

 

Tiff, consider this an 'inventory pic' :)

 

 

Quinine- the mos-key-to my heart

 So, I had shots for a bunch of horrid diseases.  
I was surprised to learn I don't need Malaria tablets. Apparently most parts of Asia that I am visiting are Malaria free. The nurse actually pulled up this site for each destination I was visiting to confirm it was OK to go without. Here's the page for Cambodia for example

I foolishly asked the nurse, "So why don't the people who live in Malaria areas take tablets for Malaria then? Don't they get Malaria?"


"THEY DO, and THEY DIE" she said!

LHR-BOM. DEL-SIN-KUL PNH-BKK-HKG-NRT-HNL-LAX. YVR-LHR

With just under 2 weeks before my trip starts, perhaps it's a good time to get this blog rolling... and what better way than to recap what exactly is going on here... so let me break it down:

I am about to go on a 3 month trip around the world. Well sort of- the trip, in cheesecake terms, it has an Asian base, with a tropical Hawaiian Pineapple filling, a fluffy West Coast Whipped Cream topping and a lovely Canadian cherry on top.

Plain English may be more meaningful:


I am planning the trip in 4 zones. [India] [SE Asia] [Hawaii] [West Coast].

Starting with a whopping 5 weeks India, then 4 weeks in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and on to Hong Kong. Then after a one-day stop in Tokyo, back to the west- one week in Hawaii and then a trip up the west coast from LA to Vancouver, stopping in San Fransisco and Seattle. I will leave London on Feb 6.

Why am I doing this? Nothing prolific here- just for the joy of travel! Maybe I'll learn a thing or two about other cultures, take a few pictures, spend a few pounds ($), lose a few pounds (lbs), gain a few friends, learn to mimic a few more foreign accents, and generally live outside my comfort zone!

Bottom line is I love to travel, and right now I have the means and the time. So I go!

You are now entering the Blogosphere, please belt up!

BLOGS! BLOGS! BLOGS! Everyone's got one! Travellers, politicians, people with nothing good or funny to say, homeless people, cats and all sorts!

I'm not sure I entirely 'get it'-- I've never regularly read other people's blogs, I'm not entirely sure why people bother... putting one's thoughts out for all to see- it's a new concept for me! Is this just a form of journalism or a whole new therapy?!

Well I'm about to find out- I look forward to comments, feedback and of course sharing my adventures!