It's been 9 months in the planning (and over planning), but the day has finally arrived to embark on my adventure around the globe. Over the last few months, especially as I've grown used to the comfort food, care and company provided by my family for the last 6 weeks, it seemd this day might continue to a distant mark on the calendar. But, in the next few hours I'll set sail to the exotic port of.....Chicago. Well, you have to start somewhere.
The first leg of the journey will take me to the canyons, deserts and urban enclaves of the Southwestern U.S. I've wanted to do a loop around the Southwest since I left that area over 20 years ago as a youngster who once thought Orange County was on the other side of the the world from "The Valley". Now, it'll be a quick initial stop, just 2 weeks, before I do head to the other side of the world.
On tap is a visit to Los Angeles (where I spent the bulk of my childhood) to visit my friend Shannon and perhaps visit my old family abode (somehow I still know how to get there). Then a quick stop in Vegas to see the Hoover Dam before heading up to Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks to explore canyon country for a few days. Next stop is a visit to the mountain biking mecca (of which I'll not be participating) of Moab, Utah, where I'll explore Arches & Canyonlands National Parks. A drive through (hopefully) picturesque Monument Valley will lead me to the granddaddy of all canyons....The Grand Canyon. I'll wrap up this leg of the trip with a visit to my friend Tanya in Phoenix before heading back to Chicago, regrouping (i.e. likely dumping all the heavy stuff out of my bag) and heading off to the next stop.
Costa Rica & Peru comprise the second leg of the tour. That's followed by a lengthy stint in "Oceania" - meaning Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. Next up will be a couple months in Southeast Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia). I'll spend some time in the Greek Isles (maybe a side trip to Turkey or Egypt) before heading to Europe on the last leg of the trip. (Anyone reading this can view the full itinerary under "Next Stop" in the right menu bar without having to go back to this entry each time).
Along the way, I plan to update this journal with regularity (which could mean every day in some instances and every month in others) to keep a personal record of these travels for posterity as well as to share the experiences with friends & family. Perhaps most importantly, I'll upload my pictures here which is often the most interesting part (C Brown, I promise to be in at least a few of them!).
Enjoy.
