So, I'm less than three weeks away from the start of my "Round-the World" voyage, and I can’t help but ask myself, “What have I done?” For a trip that’s been two years in the making, it’s hard to believe that it’s all really happening. While I am excited to embark on my unprecedented endeavor, the worry-wart wedge of my brain has been working overtime…“What did the Secretary of Defense just say about Iran? ... Is that a lump?”
While it remains to be seen if Leon Panetta’s Persian presentiments are more than just the typical talk, the” lump” I discovered turned out to be an inguinal hernia, for which I had last-minute surgery to repair, and from which I am recovering right now.
But, as an Italian guy who was stabbed by his friend once said, “The die is cast.” And, whether I like it or not, my plane tickets are non-refundable.
Despite the fact that it is presently difficult to plant my feet on the ground, and my head is in the clouds from popping painkillers, the doctors say that I ought to be fully recovered by date of departure. In hindsight, the whole ordeal has probably been a blessing, and while it’s no picnic to be sliced open at any time, I’d certainly rather undergo the procedure over here than go under the knife overseas.
Speaking of blessings, I think it was Maria von Trapp who said that “When God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.” Even though I suppose Oscar Hammerstein was paraphrasing an Alexander Graham Bell quote that makes no mention of windows when he added this cliché to his musical, the particular wording of it has resonated with me. When the telephone inventor said it, he meant that when one shot at success ends, another will present itself. But, specific use of the word “window” in the dialogue from
The Sound of Music takes that a step further, and reminds me that our chances in life are very often finite, as implied by the terms “window of opportunity” or “window of time”.
I can’t help but feel blessed that I am able to take advantage of my “window”. In light of my recent hernia, I’m reminded of good health as a prerequisite for my journey, and that it is just as important as having a valid passport and the financial means to get around, if not more so.
A lot of people have asked me a lot of questions about how I put this whole thing together, and although I am often nonchalant in my conversations about it, it would be a disservice to anyone considering a similar goal to downplay the discipline and drive necessary to accomplish such a task. Throughout my travel blog, it is my intention to be as thorough as possible when explaining how I have managed to plan and execute my trip, all the while paying lip service to the providence that has enabled me to embark in the first place.
My first step in planning was to renew my passport, which was more a symbolic thing than a great expense. Even if I had never intended to leave the USA again for any reason, I think it’s a good idea for everyone to have an up-to-date passport if possible, since it is the most
bona fide identification any American citizen can have, and facilitates any domestic or international situation that requires a valid photo ID. Personally, it also motivated me to begin saving and planning, the first step toward fulfilling my childhood dream of circumnavigating the globe.
The one great advantage an aspiring world traveler has nowadays is online access. When I was a kid, if someone wanted to plan a trip like this, the only resources to be found might be a few travel guides from the library printed by only a handful of publishers. Organizing airfare on your own would be a daunting task, better left in the capable hands of a local travel agent. But with the advent of the internet, the whole game was changed. Now, not only do you have access to an endless amount of information about travelling to an endless array of destinations, you also have the ability to find the best deals on how to get to where you’re going, and where to stay once you arrive.
For an average guy with an average income like me, the best way to visit the most places is done through the purchase of a “Round-the-World” (RTW) air ticket. There are many companies who offer many different kinds of deals. Some are based on the number of stops you make within a specified region, some are based on the number of continents you go to, and some are based on the number of miles you travel. Many (but not all) require travel in only one direction (i.e. East-to-West, no backtracking) and a minimum of two weeks to a maximum of one year before you must return home.
My first year of planning was basically devoted to deciding what type of RTW ticket I should purchase and saving the money to buy it. I found it fun and exciting to log onto RTW websites and use their trip planners to get different quotes for different routes. I learned a few essential truths regarding RTW tickets. Obviously, the more stops you make in more places, then the more your ticket will cost. But something I didn’t realize was that travel is much more expensive in the Southern Hemisphere, and prices generally increase the more times you cross the Equator. This is not only because Southern Hemisphere destinations are less frequented than Northern Hemisphere destinations, but also because of economic, social and political factors. For example, while there are plenty of flights between Argentina and Spain, and many between South Africa and the UK, there are virtually no flights between South Africa and Argentina, even though the distance between the two is far shorter than the distance between themselves and their historic colonizers. Also, it goes without saying that major transportation hubs are always cheaper to fly to/from than smaller and lesser-known cities.
Once I had a general idea of where I wanted to go and how much it would cost, it was time to focus on budgeting. I put together a spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel and began researching online to try and figure out what my daily costs might be based upon my respective destinations. I added cost estimates for special activities, like hiking to
Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail (about $500), and also for unplanned expenses like scams and theft, even though I also planned to purchase a travel insurance policy. I took less vacation time at work so that I’d have some saved up before I left (and therefore get a little bit of post-departure pay) and began taking as much extra work as possible, whether it be overtime opportunities at my regular job, or selling organic vegetables at the market for my farmer friends.
After that, I kept in contact with my travel agent, and spent the first half of the following year finding a backpack and deciding what I should take with me. Determining what to take and not to take can be pretty tricky. When seeking out advice online, most travelers suggest that you lay everything you think you’ll need out on your bed, cut that junk in half, and then cut it in half again…the idea being that you’ll need far less stuff than you think you’ll need, and the lighter your pack is, then the happier you’ll be. Initially, I’d planned on taking my massive 95-liter frame pack I use for backcountry camping, but have now managed to get everything into a carry-on size bag, although carry-on restrictions regarding liquids will still require me to check my contact lens solution, which I’ll have to have a decent amount of, because even though it can be easily found in places like Europe, it’s tougher to get a hold of in places like Ethiopia.
Still, it’s hard telling what I will actually need while I’m away, since I haven’t left yet. But, once I had purchased the necessary travel items, it was time to “pull the trigger” on my tickets.
I purchased my series of RTW tickets in October 2011, about five months prior to my departure date. Now, I’m the type of guy who likes to have things planned out as early as possible, but in some cases, it’s better to wait. Although most airlines will book a full year out, the best ticket prices usually come about within six months or less before you want to leave. Also, if you need to apply for any advance visas (as I did for China and India) then you have no choice but to wait, because tourist visas are not valid for very long, and are only valid from
date of issue, not from when you plan to arrive.
Of course, besides the travel planning itself, there are all of the loose ends you have to tie up at home. I’ve worked it out so that I do not have to pay any monthly bills while I’m away, and will rely on family and friends to hold on to my possessions while I’m away. And then of course, there’s work…it can be a frightening thing to walk away from your job in today’s economic climate.
Right now, however, the post-surgery pain medication is beginning to kick in, and I realize that I’ve been rambling on and on. So, I reckon I ought to wrap it up and save my dissertation for another time. (I haven’t even mentioned the dozen vaccinations I had to get) But in closing, I want anyone who might be reading this to know that although it may require a lot of time and energy, it is easier now more than ever to plan out a RTW trip. And, while I cannot say what will happen while I’m away, I have been pleasantly surprised by the positive attitude most people have had when I tell them about the plan to take advantage of my “window”.
