So, where are we going?

For those who have been curious, here is a quick glance at our route as planned thus far. For some reason I couldn't add our stop in the Galapagos (off the coast of Ecuador) so that is missing. Plus our route from Rome to Istanbul is going to be a day by day adventure, so no stops are mapped out in that region.  But this will give you a general idea of our destinations! 

We should be visiting a total of five continents...and the number of countries is yet to be determined...

Gratitude, Support and Inspiration

I've dreamt of our upcoming adventure since I studied abroad in college and got the international "travel bug" (which, by the way, is absolutely a real thing - travel truly does get under your skin). It's incredible to be getting so close to our date of departure because it means so many things to me. It's a dream come true, years of saving, hundreds of conversations, hours of research, many moments of sacrifice, and a million daydreams, questions and answers.

I was always worried about what other people would think. I'd gotten snide remarks and uninformed comments for trips I'd taken before, so going on a trip like this would certainly entice even more of these comments, wouldn't it?

Sure, I've gotten a few. A few people have asked me why I would want to do this. A couple people have commented that "it must be nice to be rich" or something similar without really asking for or listening to any details of how we've gotten to this point. 

But overall, I've received so much support, excitement, and yes, a bit of envy from family, friends and coworkers. Most people think what we are doing is amazing, inspiring, and awesome, and so many have commented that "now is the time to do it."

Yes, we couldn't agree more.

I am so flattered and proud that a trip born in my mind evolved into an actual event that will not only become our reality in just over a month, but also has the power to inspire people that I know and love to do something similar, or to at least get out there and plan their dream. A few of our friends may meet us along the way, maybe some will begin to research and save for something that they've been dreaming of, and still others may simply reevaluate their budgets and priorities and see that the things they truly desire are attainable with a little bit of sacrifice and hard work.

I hope I am not coming across as boastful, fake, or naive. I admit that I am an optimist. I grew up believing that anything was possible if I wanted it badly enough and was willing to put in hard work. 

It hasn't been easy and there have been times when I was fearful our trip would never be a reality, but I continued to believe and learn and communicate and move toward my goal. And now...I am leaving in 37 days.

Imagine that. Oh, that's right, I did.

Ready to jump the fence and explore the world again!
(photo taken in the Grampians National Park, Victoria, Australia)

I am so excited to begin this journey, and am equally excited to share it with the people who want to follow along with us through this blog. Stay tuned...

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a happy, warm and relaxing Christmas and is able to enjoy time with the people they love the most.

As we prepare for our time away beginning in February, we are looking forward to this special time with our friends and family, some of whom we only see at this time of year.

We are thankful for the love and support we have in our lives, and that we can share our excitement with everyone for the year ahead.

Merry Christmas.

We're Really Going!

Our flights are booked! It's official! We leave on February 2!

43 days!!!!

This is our biggest milestone. We had to celebrate!

Cheers to the saving, sacrifice and planning thus far; the planning and excitement of the coming 43 days; the next month full of time with family and friends; AND the four months of adventure, fun, learning, growing and friendships ahead!

To Connect or Disconnect?

In the beginning of 2004 I spent five months studying abroad in Australia. I left my laptop and cellphone at home. I only went online at the library. Facebook? What's that? Twitter? Hey, don't call me that! I only spoke to family or friends when I was in my bedroom and heard the phone ring,which wasn't very often (come on, I was in AUSTRALIA!). At that point in time I was nowhere near as connected as I am now - with my iPhone that's always nearby and accessible internet at all times. After a day or two in Australia I got over the initial weirdness of not having a cellphone on me 24/7 and actually kind of loved not being accessible ALL THE TIME! I was more present with the people I was actually physically around. (You know - you would be at a party or a bar and everyone was talking to each other, not looking at their phones or texting the person across the room). It was a more difficult adjustment to be so connected again when I returned home.

I'm not saying I don't love being connected because I do. I love social media and that I can share pictures or thoughts on Facebook and have feedback seconds later. I love that I can post a question on Twitter and get an answer in less than a minute. I love that if I'm lost I can simply tap my iPhone screen a few times and find out exactly where I am. I love that if I don't know if I can eat a food because it might contain gluten I can Google it and know right away if I am "safe."

I want to keep up my blog while I am gone and connect with other travelers via Twitter. However, I don't want to lose the authenticity of traveling to a new place and getting truly lost. It's in those moments where I feel the most alive and connected to the world around me.

Would we have a richer experience if we left the gadgets behind?

I'm hoping that we will be able to find the right balance, utilizing social media and connectivity periodically in order to update our family and friends on our adventure as they are all requesting, and researching places we are or will be going to be more knowledgeable. However, I don't want to carry our phone with us constantly to Google where we should eat for dinner or stay for a night or to find our way to a local landmark. I want to ask the shop owner or the elderly man who stops to ask us what we are taking a picture of because these are the experiences I remember. These are the memories that make a trip an adventure that will stay with us forever. These are the connections that make me feel alive. And what's better than that?

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

Joe Lewis

Living Life on the Great Ocean Road, Australia

Making Many Lists, Checking Them Twice

As our date of departure quickly approaches, there are so many things we need to do. It's extremely important and helpful to make lists and write things down whenever I think of them or read about them because with all the busyness of work, regular life and the holidays, it is easy for things to slip through the cracks.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's been an eventful week.  Here's what's been done trip-wise, and trip-related:

• Been diagnosed with Celiac Disease
• Booked our Galapagos live aboard diving trip and made payment
• Secured dive insurance
• Made an appointment for our immunizations
• Made a doctor's appointment for a checkup and to acquire Malaria pills (needed in South America and possibly other places we may be)
• Connected with other Celiacs on Twitter - even traveling Celiacs!
• Shared our plan, tentative destinations, and excitement with more family, friends and coworkers
• Began writing up a list of all of the things I do at work that the replacement will need to do
• Finalized the intern we will be hosting starting in January
• Crept closer to figuring out what flights we are going to book ahead of time so that we can make our flight booking appointment with Airtreks.com in the next week or so! (Can't WAIT to have our departure on the books!!)
• Finalized (for now) the things we need to purchase for the trip
• Visited other travel blogs to get packing tips, last-minute planning advice, and ever-growing inspiration and excitement from people who are living our dream right now!

On top of all that, we have to fit in decorating, shopping and wrapping for the holidays; weekends full of visits with family and parties with friends; researching and learning about my new Gluten Free lifestyle; and simply the back and forth and up and down of everyday life!

It's tough planning such an extensive trip at this time of year and with the big life changes I am going through. However, we're lucky because we're not planning TOO much; we're leaving a lot up to whim and decisions in the moment. Not to mention, I sort of thrive under pressure and deadlines and being busy. So, we're making progress, visiting with loved ones, and trying to enjoy every moment of this time of year all while that fabulous date of departure creeps, make that races, towards us. We both know it will be here before we know it and somehow it will all get done, because it has to!

How to Decide Where to Go on Your RTW Adventure

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My Tips for Deciding Where to Go:

• Research, research, research
• List your "top ten" (or 15!) destinations (not even taking into account this trip and logistics yet, just in general) You may already see that most of your locations are close to each other and would make for a good trip or you might see that they are scattered all over the globe and you'll need to take more things into account.
• Decide why you are doing this trip. Is it to go to every continent? Get to know a specific region really well? Visit the wonders of the world? To literally go around the world? Once you have a true purpose and know what you want to get out of this adventure you can better formulate a vision and break it down into smaller goals.
• Look at your time frame and budget and start researching costs: flights, accommodations, food. Long haul flights across continents will add up fast. Certain regions of the world are just cheaper in general and your money will go farther. If visiting one of your "top" destinations is important to you because you want to do a certain activity or see a certain event, take those costs into account as well.
• Consider timing. If you are traveling from January to March and want to enjoy tropical weather, don't plan a Trans-Siberian trip from Russia to China!
• Talk to people. Again, more research. The more you learn, the easier it will be to figure out what you are OK with sacrificing, which brings me to my final point.
•  Focus on your main goals and be OK with sacrificing some places to save for later. Let's face it...at some point you're going to have to say, I just can't do that on this trip. It doesn't mean you'll never go to that specific destination or that your trip won't be everything you've dreamed of and more.

Happy travels!

Where to Go on Your RTW Trip: The Snowball Effect

For me, the hardest part of planning a RTW trip was not making the final decision to go, sacrificing along the way in order to save money, or even telling my managers about my impending departure and hoping they would want me back.

No, for me, the most difficult part has been deciding where to go. I want to go everywhere. Literally. I don't think you could name a place in the world that I would not visit. No, I do not want to go to Iraq NOW, but I would in the future if things become safe.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How did we finally come up with our tentative route?

Priorities and Compromises: I am not alone on this trip, so that can be both helpful and add to the difficulty of making decisions. We are two different people with different ideas and, at times, different priorities. Nonetheless, after we both wrote up our "top ten" lists (that quite interestingly turned into "top 14" lists for each of us) we were able to match many of our priorities and come to compromises on some destinations. Also, having another person to plan with helps because sometimes one or the other of us will get stuck and we can work together with unique perspectives to evaluate things and come to decisions. 

Our "top 14" lists are the reasons why, despite the cost, we are starting our adventure in the Galapagos. It is not your typical RTW destination due to costs and could easily be a two to three week trip all by itself. However, it was the number one destination on my list, and in the top three of my husband's list. Why should we put off till tomorrow what we can do now when it is clearly a priority for both of us?

Connections and Cuts: From there, since we will be in Ecuador, we decided to also go to Peru. Another place on each of our "top 14"s is Machu Picchu, so it would be silly to be in the bordering country and not go! (Of course, this logic is what can easily derail me because Bolivia is also so close... And if we're in South America we might as well go to Brazil and Argentina since I HAVE to see Iguazu Falls!) So you see, the list of "must sees" can quickly snowball. We could easily spend our entire four months in South America. Easily. But, that wouldn't satisfy my husband because he is not as interested in this region as some others, and it wouldn't satisfy me because I want to visit at least two continents on my RTW adventure, regardless of the length of time we have.

Which leads us to Europe. Croatia is extremely high on my list (Probably second after Galapagos). A couple Balkan countries are intriguing to my husband. So, we knew that Eastern Europe would be a destination for us and we could easily travel around these countries relatively affordably, and without a plan devised months before. Of course, if we are going to Croatia, we need to go to Italy because, despite it being more expensive, it's somewhere we both had on our "top 14" lists and it's a bigger hub to fly to. Again, the snowball effect!

Info Gathering and "Why Not"s? Speaking of flights, I recently began working with airtreks.com on our flight plans. I discovered that to fly from Lima, Peru to Rome, Italy requires a stopover in Madrid, Spain. I've always been very intrigued by Spain! If we have to fly through there and we can stay for some time for no additional fee - no brainer!  I am extremely interested in Gaudi architecture - which is in Barcelona - not so far from Madrid. Did you know that you can take a ferry from Barcelona to Morocco?! How cool is that?! We can see the Sahara, experience the colorful country of Morocco AND on top of it all - we'll be in Africa!  A whole new continent!

What's not to love?

So, as you can see, if you're like us, it's extremely easy to get overwhelmed with destinations and choices because it's very easy to say "why not?"

The only real answers to that question for us: time and money. 


In my next post I'll share my tips for coming up with a tentative itinerary.

Diving: A Secret World

We plan to start our adventure off of the coast of Ecuador, in the amazing Galapagos Islands which inspired Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. I love animals and learning about them and this incredible archipelago is home to the most unique creatures on the planet. I cannot wait to see them firsthand. Not all of energy is focused on the land animals such as the giant 150-year-old tortoises or even the airborne blue footed boobies. No, my greatest intrigue is what lies beneath the beautiful ocean and trail of islands. Therefore, we are spending several days on a live aboard diving yacht where we will complete up to four dives a day!

The hubby and I are advanced scuba divers and dive whenever we can, which unfortunately, living in Buffalo is not that often. We are vacation divers. But that doesn't make us love it any less.

There's something about diving that makes me feel so special; like I'm being let in on a secret that, unfortunately, many people will never experience. When I first enter the water I tend to feel like I'm intruding on the sea creatures' home and their world and maybe it's not quite right. But then, once I find my buoyancy and get comfortable, kicking my feet ever so slightly to propel myself along, arms at my sides, eyes excitedly scanning the sea around me, I no longer feel like an intruder. I simply feel like part of a secret, amazing world. There's very little sound down there, it's mostly bubbles unless the dive instructor is trying to get someone's attention by tapping on his metal air tank. I'm weightless and floating, propelling myself simply with my feet, or being moved along by the current. The sights are incredible; schools of fish that part when I swim toward them, breaking open the "wall" that they create and letting me pass through, colorful coral that has been around for thousands of years; and if I'm lucky, one of the big, exciting sights such as a turtle, shark or ray! These are the things that I hope to see on every dive!

If you dive...you get it. If you don't, I'd highly recommend you try it. If you're afraid and "stick to snorkeling," I applaud you for at least getting your face in the water, but I'd definitely urge you to try diving at least twice. The first time is guaranteed to be uncomfortable and possibly even difficult, but if you have a decent instructor they will make it a worthwhile and enlightening experience. By the second time you won't be completely overwhelmed by the new sensations and you  should have more time to simply relax and take in more of your surroundings.

Don't you want to be let in on the secret?

Photo taken by Wings Diving Adventures out of Airlie Beach, Australia from our dive trip in August 2011

Niagara Falls Part 2 - Niagara-on-the-Lake Wine Trail

A few minutes later we are on our way to the Niagara-on-the-Lake wine trail. Several miles away from the tacky tourist shops and wax museums that are Clifton Hill, the countryside and fall leaves take over the view out my window.

We visit several wineries today including Inniskillin, Peller, Jackson Triggs, Stratus, Trius at Hillebrand, Between the Lines, and Pondview. At Inniskillin we meet a nice woman from Poland who serves us our tastings and recommends we visit Pondview and Between the Lines. At Jackson Triggs we converse with the server from England before she takes her lunch break. And at Trius at Hillebrand we chat with the young Frenchman who moved to Canada to be with his girlfriend. Again I marvel at how easy it is to find people from around the world while doing "touristy" things so close to home, and yet how these small interactions increase the feeling of "getting away" no matter how short or superficial. 

View off the back patio at Jackson Triggs Winery

In addition to wine tastings, we get a special treat as we pass by a brewery and decide to stop. We walk in, unknowingly, to the first day of tastings at the Oast House Brewery. It is a red barn-looking building, with an empty interior except for the tasting bar and a small table with t-shirts available for purchase. We try a flight of their four available brews - I enjoy a pink grapefruit infused brew which was created in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

After our wine and beer tastings, it is close to 3:00pm and we head to Chocolate F/X where we have a voucher for a tour (the last tour is at 3:00pm and we decide to skip it). We enter a busy sales room with heaps of treats lining the walls such as dark and milk chocolate covered blueberries, cherries, and ginger, gummy candies, and even licorice. There is a sample bar which we visit several times before picking up a few things for purchase. While standing in a line that barely moved for several minutes the buzz of our wine tastings wears off and we decide that we can do without these overpriced, though delicious treats.

Now we're ready for our final destination - the Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, NY. After a short wait at customs we arrive back in the US of A and enter the casino. Having never spent much time there before, neither of us had ever "registered", so not only do we each get the $25 of free game play that we expected from our Travelzoo voucher, we each get an additional $10 free! With $35 on each of our cards our confidence in the free money leads us around the slot machines until a couple special ones call us in opposite directions. I quickly lose $5 and then win about $2 and go to find the hubby, who has just cashed out $27! Not too shabby. I sit down at a machine around the corner...a Playboy machine, really? I ignore the big-breasted cartoon women alongside Hugh Hefner that bedazzle the machine and insert my card.  A stroke of luck is mine and I win $20 on one spin!  A few minutes later we reconvene to cash in all of our winnings for a total of $88.01! Success!

And with that, we're on our way home...reinvigorated and rejuvenated from less than 24 hours "away"!

Niagara Falls - Part 1 - Falls, Food and Touristy Feelings

Just 30 minutes away from my home in Buffalo, NY, is Niagara Falls, ON; a great place to obtain that "traveler" feeling that I crave! Maybe it's because I have to pull out my passport and cross the border into another country. Maybe it's the plethora of tourists swarming off of buses, gawking at the Falls, or tripping into the streets with maps in hand. Niagara Falls is very familiar to me as I've been there many times. However, everywhere I go in the area I seem to be surrounded by people from around the globe, whether tourists or workers, giving the place a unique energy that is hard to find during my day-to-day life.  There's a spirit that surrounds this place (similar to many highly touristy destinations) that can be either draining or exhilarating, but on this visit it was exactly what I was craving.

Fall Color @ the Horseshoe Falls

The hubby and I left work a little early Friday and were in Canada by 5:30pm. We arrived at the Oakes Hotel Overlooking the Falls and checked into our seventh floor room with a pretty spectacular view of the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. We toasted to "life and travel" in the cheap plastic glasses we found in the bathroom, filling them with wine brought from home; visited the 14th floor of the hotel to gaze at the Falls from the "Observation Area"; and headed to dinner at Remington's of Niagara which was included in the Travelzoo deal we booked.  

View of Horseshoe Falls, mist and Niagara River from our room

The restaurant was casual enough for tourists in their jeans and puffy winter jackets who had been wandering along the cheesy neon light-filled Clifton Hill area all day, yet we felt comfortable dressed up for the evening as well. I enjoyed a flavorful strip loin steak with bland school-cafeteria-scoop-shaped mashed potatoes. Hubby had chicken penne rustica, which was creamy and hearty. Our waitress was friendly and enthusiastic, she was also the singer of the evening (apparently singing is a part of the job interview) and left serving us at one point to serenade the restaurant with some Celine Dion (her favorite, she later confided).

After dinner we drove the mile back to our hotel and walked next door to the Fallsview Casino to observe the gamblers, listen to the slot machines' bells and sirens, and meander around the shops, stopping for a fudge tasting. After a long week at work we didn't stay out too late or feel the need to "hit up the clubs", and instead got a good night's sleep to prepare for our activity-filled Saturday!

With a relaxed start to the morning we checked out of our hotel around 10am. On the way out we shared the elevator with a delightful couple from Christchurch, New Zealand. The baby boomer-aged couple was in the middle of two months abroad, having traveled to Hawaii, LA, Las Vegas, Toronto and now Niagara Falls. They shared a few stories of their adventures and I recounted my travels in the South Island of NZ, including Christchurch.  We discussed the lingering effects of last year's devastating earthquake in the city and I was very sorry to hear that things are still not back to normal; they are still rebuilding. In this five to ten-minute interaction that feeling of travel I love so much was reignited. How wonderful that a few friendly words and a simple question of "where are you from?" could lead to a conversation that leaves both parties fulfilled, energized and connected in a simple, yet unique way. People are amazing, and why is it that only on vacation do I take the time to ask a stranger in an elevator with an accent about themselves instead of just wishing them a pleasant day, or worse, staring silently at the elevator doors in front of me? The resulting conversation brings so much joy and a jolt of energy that only human connections can. I'd like to do this more in my day-to-day life.

After our encounter with the friendly Kiwis we prepared our bellies for the day of wine imbibing ahead by filling up on simple, but delicious breakfast of omelets, hash browns and coffee at Applebee's, which was also covered by our Travelzoo deal. To help our food digest we braved the cold wind blowing off of the Niagara River and took a stroll behind our hotel and the casino to take in the power and majesty that are Niagara Falls. My apologies on the quality and small amount of photos - we forgot our camera at home so these are from my phone, plus it was super cold so we didn't go down next to the Falls - we weren't dressed for getting covered in the ice-cold mist and kept our distance!

The American Falls and Rainbow Bridge to the US

The Horseshoe Falls and Niagara River

The Horseshoe Falls and Niagara River

Next time:  Wineries, breweries and chocolate, oh my! (Plus WINNING! at the Seneca Niagara Casino!)

Niagara is for Regrouping

We are racing closer to our estimated departure date (early February), and yet we are still struggling to finalize our route! It's been difficult because:

1. We want to go everywhere and do everything!
2. We want to make the most of our time.
3. We have a budget that we need follow.
4. We want spontaneity and adventure.

Some of these things directly conflict...so it's all a balancing act.  Plus, I am tending to do a lot of the planning, yet I am horrible at making decisions until I feel completely informed!  Luckily, I work well under pressure!

We are both ready to have something officially booked (as in, at least our plane ticket to our first destination.)  Unfortunately a lot has been happening in our personal and professional lives, leaving us with limited time to talk through our choices, make decisions, and plan.  

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

In order to step back and regain some perspective, the hubby and I took advantage of one of those discount travel deals and are driving across the border to Niagara Falls tonight. It's just over 30 minutes away from our home, but still allows us to get away, and in addition we get to see one of the most beautiful wonders of the natural world and be reminded of the power of nature and the simple things in life. It's easy to take Niagara Falls for granted when it's been under an hour away from my residence for most of my life, but no matter how many times I stand in front of those waterfalls I am left in awe.

We are both looking forward to this small "adventure along the way" where we will get to reconnect with each other, nature, and our love of travel and discovery. We will visit the falls, enjoy some delicious food, taste wine at some beautiful wineries, sample chocolates at a chocolate factory, and (hopefully!) win some money to put towards our BIG trip with our $50 voucher for slot play at the casino!

And hopefully we will be able to make some more decisions and move forward as we anticipate and construct the large adventure that is quickly approaching! I think sometimes it's easier to focus on long-term goals when the day-to-day routines and concerns are hidden from view.

Here's to spur of the moment getaways, creating your own adventure, spending time with your best friend, and experiencing the beauty of nature!!

The Plan - Jobs, House, Trip

I mentioned last time that I was waiting to hear what was going to happen with my job when the hubby and I leave for our Round the World Adventure.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Last week Friday I got my answer.

While I am out, they are going to hire a new employee to take my place.  This person will be hired as a temporary employee with the possibility of full-time hire.  Basically, if the newly hired person turns out to be more amazing than me or is set in their role by the time I return, I will have to find a new job.  However, there is the possibility that I will be able to return to my job, depending on the outcome.

The hubby and I have been analyzing a lot of things, reviewing our options, our budget, and different scenarios.

This is where we stand today:

• We will be gone for approximately four months
• Upside:  This allows us enough wiggle room in our budget to keep our house without renting it out, preventing the headache and work of packing up all of our stuff, finding a renter, and paying all the fees of property management. If we can find someone we know who needs a place to stay for a few months, we would happily rent it out to them, but we don't want to have to worry about moving all of our stuff out.
• This also, in theory, might increase the chance of me returning to my job.  The less time the new person has to get comfortable and get into the job, the better the chance that my employers will welcome me back.
• Downside:  This will cause us to have to eliminate some of our destinations in order to get the free-flowing aspect out of our trip.  Which leads me to the next point.
• We are going to focus our attention on some key destinations in South America, and spend the majority of our time exploring Southern and Eastern Europe.
• A key component of this trip is that we have the ability to "not plan" every day, every destination or every experience.  We want to experience more of our world organically, allowing our whims and interactions with other people to guide us along our journey.  By reducing our footprint a bit, we help to ensure that this will be possible.
• The first month or so, in South America, will be a little more planned down to the date and location, simply because of what we want to see and the amount of time we want to see it in.  But once we arrive in (tentatively) Italy, things can start to flow naturally.
• We will leave in February.
• Due to some constraints of our destinations in South America, specifically Machu Picchu, we have pushed back our departure date by a couple weeks.  We really want to hike the Inca trail, but January is, on average, a very rainy month and not the most pleasant time to do it.  The trail is closed in February, but reopens in March.  If we start elsewhere in South America and make our way to that area in the beginning of March, we are *hoping* it will work out that we can hike the trail (weather dependent).  Plus, it's not high season, so we have a much better chance of getting into a hike with the "play it by ear" attitude that we are adopting if the weather isn't cooperating.  (We will still visit Machu Picchu either way, but if it's gross weather we would just take the train...the easy way).

So, that's where things stand now.  It's exciting because we are starting to finalize some  plans and make real decisions.  I am currently working with airtreks.com to figure out our flights, and we hope to book at least our flight out soon!  THEN it will be officially official! ;-)

The Waiting Game

Currently I am in limbo, waiting for some kind of answer from my superiors regarding last week's request and proposal.  The hubby and I decided to propose a leave of four months for us to embark on our round-the-world adventure.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We felt that this was a good compromise, cutting our leave request by 1/3. It would reduce our time abroad, of course, but we're trying to find that balance of dreams - our travel dreams vs. career dreams.  So, four months is what I proposed and what I am waiting to hear back on.

Each day since this proposal, at least one of my managers has approached me and assured me that they "are working on it" and "talking about it" and it's "not a no" yet.  Yesterday I was feeling very optimistic about everything feeling like I might receive a response and it might be in my favor.  That did not happen.

As much as I'm trying not to stress because it isn't in my hands right now, it's difficult, because it is causing me anxiety no matter how hard I try to pretend it's not.  I am impatient to begin with...and this is a pretty big thing to be waiting on.  However, I keep trying to remind myself that the longer it takes, probably the better the outcome will be because it means they are working on it and trying to come up with a solution.  They aren't just saying "no."

Either way, we have a lot of work to do and heaps of decisions to make.  For now, I'm just trying to remain optimistic and put my trust in my belief that whatever is best for us will be.

Tick. Tock.

Cat's Out of the Bag

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tuesday I had the conversation that I have been planning for, rehearsing, dreading, and anticipating:  I spoke with my managers about our trip plans and what they mean for my position at the organization.

A lot has happened over the past couple months, personally and at work, causing me to feel a little less comfortable with just saying "goodbye," and wanting to do everything I can to secure my job as a place to come back to after the adventure is complete.  Things have been moving forward for me, I'm accomplishing a lot, and the organization's leadership has changed, culminating in a different type of culture at the top - the one I've been pushing for and wanting since I began working here.  I'm happy at work, happier than I've been, and I see myself moving into the future with this company.  Because of all of that, I decided I needed to tell my bosses as soon as possible about our plans in hopes that we can work something out so that I can "have my cake and eat it too."

The conversations were difficult. The first one went surprisingly well.  The second did not go as well, but I believe that shock and surprise were the culprits of a less-than-favorable, yet not completely surprising reaction.  24 hours later it is already clear that things are on a better path.

At this point, I have been tasked with basically talking with the hub and deciding exactly what we are asking for.  Then, the company will convene and decide if it's something they can give me or not.  It's scary not to be in control, but then again, I know that the true power is in our hands because we know what we want and I am willing to walk away from my job if it means sacrifing my dream.

It's unfortunate and I hope it doesn't have to come to that, but that's not up to me anymore.  I'm feeling relief, although my part is not yet over.  I have a feeling the next few weeks are going to be very intense.

Stay tuned, and wish me luck!

Sharing a Treat: Ball of Light Photography

Due to my love of Australia, interest in photography, and presence on Facebook, I came across some really amazing art this evening that I felt I needed to share.

I stumbled upon an Australian photographer, Denis Smith, who creates what he calls "Ball of Light" photography.  Not only are the pictures amazing and not edited in Photoshop, many of them are of some of the amazing places I myself have visited in Australia.

I'm not sure what I can share without permissions, so you're going to need to just click the link and check it out yourself.  

http://www.denissmith.com.au/

Make sure to read Story --> Ball of Light? so you can understand how it is done.  His blog is pretty neat as well, so if you have a couple minutes, check it out!  (I am also in love with the images in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, as that was part of our honeymoon adventure! (Happy three years tomorrow, hub!)

Incredible.  Unique.  Beautiful.

I'm impressed.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And now I want to try!

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

How do you travel?  Do you prefer to have it all planned out for you by going on a tour?  Or do you work with a travel agent to plan where you will go and when?  Maybe you do a lot of your own research ahead of time so you are well-informed.  Or are you at the other extreme, where you just go and see what happens?

One summer vacation while in college, the hubby and I (we were just dating at the time) were able to make one of my dreams come true - a much smaller version of the longer-term around the world dream that we are currently working towards.  I wanted to get in the car and "just go."

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We took five days, packed our car with some clothes, a tent, and food, and took off.  Our only destination was "the ocean."  For us, that meant we were headed east since we were leaving from Buffalo, NY and only had five days. 

The only other rules we had were that we were not going to plan anything ahead of time, we were not allowed to drive on highways (except maybe on the way home if time was tight), and we would go wherever our whims would take us.  We would follow roads that sounded intriguing, visit a random hole-in-the-wall restaurant and discover an amazing meal, flip a coin if we came to a fork in the road and couldn't decide which way to turn, and overall just enjoy the journey and the freedom of it.

It was an amazing trip.

We spent a night at a campground in northeast NY,  drove over gorgeous green Vermont and New Hampshire mountains. We spent a night at a campground and had a pizza delivered to us by a four-wheeler. One night it rained on our tent and we couldn't dry it out, so that was the end of our camping for the trip.  We made it to the ocean in Maine and discovered an adorable (but extremely busy!) beach town, Old Orchard Beach.  We ran into trouble finding a place to stay on a very limited budget.  It was a summer weekend in a popular beach town with limited hotels.  Eventually, we found a crappy motel, paid way too much for it, and made the most of it. We reveled in our accomplishment of reaching the ocean and playing in the crisp, gorgeous water. We paid too much for a hotel in nowhere, Massachesetts. We had our ups and downs, our frustrations and annoyances, and a lot of excitement and fun.

Some of the highlights:

• Turning the car around to get a delicious burger at a random burger joint on the side of the road
• Playing tennis at a stumbled upon tennis court
• Driving down a road just because I liked the name of it
• Eating pizza in a tent that was delivered to us by an old guy on a four-wheeler
• Driving over and among beautiful green mountains
• Arriving at the ocean and playing in the water, despite its chilly temperature and large waves
• Overcoming frustrations by working as a team and stepping up for each other
• Being in a car with my best friend, with the radio playing our favorite songs and the windows rolled down
• The feeling of freedom and adventure
• Knowing that we had everything we needed to reach our goal and have an adventure

This was just a small snippet of a trip in comparison to our upcoming six (plus?) month adventure, but somehow I know now, just like I knew then, that we'd be ok, we can do it, we'll make it work. 

I can't wait for that feeling of freedom, spontaneity, and adventure...in an amount that I've never felt before!

Do you ever travel like this?  With limited or no plans, letting yourself "just go" and see where the journey takes you?

Garage Sale-ing

A couple weeks ago we held the big "garage sale" that we had been planning all summer.  The same garage sale I secretly was afraid wouldn't happen due to weather or unexpected engagements.  The same garage sale that we collected stuff for in boxes in the basement since spring, but I was afraid wouldn't amount to enough things to make it worthwhile.  The same garage sale that we continued to bring out stuff to sell while it was in progress.  The same garage sale that continues to this day, as we have some of the remaining items on Craigslist.

I am happy to report that we made a very satisfying amount of money, cleaned out a lot of "junk" that other people could use, and even had some fun!

We made almost $450 at our garage sale over two days.  We made over $60 more on Craigslist in the day that followed.  And we're not done!

Pretty awesome.  That money covers our backpacks and then some, although we already bought those, so it's much more fun to think about what $500 might get us on our RTW adventure:

• Visas for both of us for Russia
• A month in a private room in a hostel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Both of us to fly from Mumbai, India to Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Cost of one of us to hike the Inca Trail in Peru with a guide and porter
• 50 steak dinners for two in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Full day of scuba diving in the Galapagos for two(with rentals and National Park fees)

Now, these are just SOME of the amazing things that this money could get us!

It's great to know that our time and effort paid off, people can use the stuff that we considered "junk" and "clutter," and we have a little boost to our trip fund.  Not too shabby.

I figure it's only right that I share some of my Garage Sale Tips:

• Signage is key!  We didn't advertise, but we live off of a few highly trafficked roads and used that to our advantage.  We had bright yellow plastic signs that stuck in the ground.  The text was bold and readable, contained our address, and arrows pointing in the direction of our house.  There were also subsequent signs that potential buyers would see along the way to direct them to our house in case they were unfamiliar with the area.  An early-bird garage saler even complimented us on our "A+" signage!
• Organization is appreciated!  We had a futon, small table, chairs, pillows and throw blankets for sale.  We arranged them into a room-like setting, decorating carefully.  I also made a board for displaying my jewelry, so the necklaces could hang freely and everything was visible.  We sorted items on tables into groups so that housewares were all in one area, books in another, and so on.  As people bought things, we would rearrange to maintain neatness and fill in empty spots.
• Labeling is important!  Put prices on everything!
• Some people are bargainers, others are not.  Don't assume people will always haggle the price down.  Many don't.
• Don't jump the gun!  Don't lower prices prematurely, you could greatly reduce your earnings.  My husband was an anxious bargainer in the first hours of our garage sale, lowering the price on certain items before the person had even made a decision on the labeled price.  We may have lost some valuable dollars.  Later in the day, a pair of women had a small child and as they walked up the sidewalk they immediately began ogling a plush "Nemo."  The price tag was high, even in our eyes.  Hubby wanted to tell them they could have it for half price (without them even approaching, asking, or remarking on the price).  I told him to just wait...they walked around the entire sale with it.  One asked the other what the price was.  She read it, they did not show any signs of shock or outrage at the price and proceeded to come over and pay the asking price.  Score!  On the other hand - towards the end of our sale we knew we would simply be donating most of the stuff that was left.  I walked around and told people that everything was half price.  It may have encouraged a bit of increased spending, it may have simply reduced what we earned, who knows.
• Have fun! We found the people who attended our sale to be friendly (for the most part), entertaining, and just plain fun to talk to.  It was great to hear what amazing uses people had for some of our "clutter", and it made me feel really good about getting rid of everything, on top of the money we made and additional space we gained in our home!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rejuvenation

Hurray!  In just a few minutes we get to embark on another "small adventure along the way" as we head up to my in-laws cabin in the Adirondacks.  One of my best girlfriends is flying in (in just under an hour!), we're picking her up from the airport and driving away.

It's going to be a great weekend with the hubby's parents, my great friend, and each other.  I plan to hike, paddle, drink, read, maybe swim, run, eat, write, and relax.

It is sure to be a much-needed time of rejuvenation.

I wonder what our lives will be like when we're on our long-term adventure.  What will we need to "rejuvenate" when we're on the road constantly? 

Rejuvenation for us tends to mean getting out of our routine, clearing our minds of all the things we "have" to do, spending time with the people we love or alone with each other, and oftentimes we both find great rejuvenation from spending time outdoors, in nature. 

I'm guessing there will be a few splurges on decent hotel rooms where we just hang out, relax, and enjoy each other's company.  Maybe we'll find a hidden place to camp in the middle of nature away from it all.  Maybe it will be enough to sit on a beach gazing at the calming ocean for an hour. Maybe getting away from the day-to-day of work, chores, errands, and home stressors will be enough and the whole trip will be one big period of rejuvenation.

What rejuvenates you?

Life Changes

I have to apologize for being MIA for a little while.  We had our big garage sale last week (post coming soon!) and about a week and a half ago I found out some news that has already begun to change my life and kept me pretty occupied during my free time.

I tested positive (through a blood test) for Celiac Disease.  There's a lot to it, but the basic outcome is that I can no longer eat gluten.  This means that I can't eat anything containing wheat, barley or rye, but it's much more complicated than that because gluten is in A LOT of things.  I'm not just eliminating bread, baked goods, and pizza, I also have to look for special soy sauce, eat oatmeal from a "certified" gluten free manufacturer, and check the labels of everything I eat.  Gluten can be hiding everywhere and I'm only just beginning to figure it all out.

In addition, I could easily "cheat" and suffer the short term consequences of not feeling well the next day, but there are much scarier long-term effects that eating gluten can have on a Celiac's body.  Basically, Celiac Disease (CD) is an auto-immune disease in which the small intestine attacks itself when gluten is digested.  So, not following a gluten-free diet when you have CD can lead to other auto-immune diseases, nutritional deficiencies, cancer and other problems.

If the short-term affects weren't enough to make me want to change my lifestyle the day I found out about CD, thinking about the potential long-term damage definitely keeps me motivated to learn as much as possible and start changing the way I eat for good.

It's only been a little over a week, but I've already run a gamut of emotions.  On one hand I feel empowered that I can control my health and this "disease" by simply eating a certain way, on the other hand it's overwhelming and frustrating to have so much to learn and so many labels to read before I put anything in my mouth. 

It's made me a little nervous to think about how I will deal with it when we embark on our journey around the world - especially when I think about real Italian pasta...

But, I'll cross that bridge when I get there, and for now it's just a constant "adventure" as I like to call it.  I do love to learn, so I enjoy reading up on it all - but that doesn't keep me from feeling sorry for myself some days, or sad that I'll never eat a real piece of pizza again.  Overall, I'm trying to stay positive and focus on all the things that I love that I can still eat...popcorn, strawberries, many kinds of ice cream, yogurt, broccoli, most chocolate, etc.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do you or anyone you know have CD or follow a gluten-free diet?  I'd love for you to share any resources, tips, or ideas, whether they relate to travel or simply day-to-day life.

Cloud of Words




Using some of the commonly published words in my blog, I created this awesome word cloud! 
I love it and it's free!!!
Check out www.wordle.net to create your own!

 

Every Little Bit

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As I've mentioned before, the hubby and I are getting quite diligent about saving money in all the ways we can - even little things.  We have also started clearing out and figuring out how to make a little money from the stuff we don't need or want to hang on to.  Here are a few things I'm doing to make a little extra cash (every little bit helps!!).

1. Next weekend we are hosting a garage/yard sale.  Current status:  Pending.  Hopefully we get rid of a lot of stuff and make some cash.  Whatever isn't sold will be donated.
2. With the help of my Mom who's an experienced eBay seller, I'm listing some of my better clothes, shoes, jewelry and more on this site to hopefully get decent chunks of change while cleaning out my closet!  Current status:  Just this week buyers snatched up two pairs of shoes, making me over $60!
3. I've listed a bunch of books on Amazon.com.  Current status:  I just posted the listings on Thursday night, but I've already sold one book!  I'll only make a few dollars from this, but if I can sell more, it will add up! (AND...it's more money that I would have made if I donated it!)
4. I'm contemplating selling some of my artwork (A year ago I began taking painting classes and I just love it!  I don't have a ton of pieces, but there are some that I'm not completely attached to.  It would be great to not only make a little money, but to know that someone likes my work enough to pay money for it!)  Current status:  Figuring out what I would sell and how.  Etsy?  Word of mouth? 
5. I tried selling a bunch of clothes at a consignment shop - not successful.  Apparently everything I took in was over a year and a half old, so it doesn't matter if it's in great shape.  Current status:  Pretty disillusioned with the whole consignment shop thing.  I might try others, especially for some of my work clothes, but at this point it seems more lucrative to pull out the good stuff for posting on eBay.
6. We are keeping our ears open for people who are looking for some larger items (futon, bookshelf, small kitchen table and chairs) so that we can sell them.  If we don't get anywhere with that, we will list them on Craigslist.  Current status:  Holding pattern.  I sent a few pics and prices to a friend, but she is waiting to make a decision.  If she doesn't want anything, we'll move forward with Craigslist.

It's a great feeling to clean out, and an even better feeling to get a little cash reward for not too much effort!

Purging tip:  Over the last few years I've gotten better about getting rid of stuff, but sometimes it's still tough for me because I am indecisive.  It's been a lot easier for me to make decisions about purging items when I think about packing everything up for storage in a few months!  The more we get rid of now, the less we have to pack, move, and store (and unload some time down the road!)  If you are trying to clean out, try to figure out something that inspires you to really move stuff out.  Maybe you are moving to a new house?  Or having a baby and need more room?  Or maybe you just feel cluttered and don't want to end up on an episode of Hoarders!?  Try to think about how you will feel down the road, when you have tackled this project and can see the back of that closet or open those drawers easily. There is always a good reason for cleaning out and keeping life a little more simple.  You just have to figure out the reason that means something to you and will keep you motivated to clear out!  One other tip I've heard that I think is a great one:  If you haven't worn it/used it/looked at it in over a year, it's probably safe to say you aren't going to miss it!  Get rid of it!