15 September 2009

The Travel Plan

After ten great years in Davis, I'm finally leaving. Kristin and I have eliminated most of our worldly possessions. We are leaving the U.S. September 20, 2009 and will keep travelling as long as we can.

Right now, we're going to Central America from Sept-Nov, then 5 months in South America. Hopping over to NZ in March (tentatively), then going to east coast of Oz. Connect the dots from their to mainland Asia, head west in a very circuitous (think "Family Circus") fashion. Mid-East, Africa, EU and Eastern Europe and the 'Stans. We're wildly guessing at being in Europe in Summer of 2011.

First stop is Guatemala. We'll be staying with a friend's mom, who runs an NGO called Avivara. They run a very efficient program that works directly with local rural schools, empowering teachers, providing much needed supplies, giving out scholarships, and even delivering meals for the students. Please take a few minutes to check out their website and consider donating.

We're taking a small backpack each - about 3000 cu. in. or 50 liters in size. We'll also carry a generic school backpack to use on day trips and food shopping. We want to stay with as many friends as possible, so please let us know if you have a family member or friend in an upcoming country. We'll try couchsurfing and of course camp everywhere possible. We believe these exposures really make the trip better.

To travel this long, we really need to keep our costs down. Good thing we don't like to eat out, drink or party! We'll be enjoying the slower aspects of the journey, like walking around town, enjoying parks, cooking local foods, and taking loooong bus rides.

I hope to use this blog as a tool to reach other travelers, inspire would-be trekkers, and help our friends and family in understanding what we're doing, why we're doing it, and how. I love sharing stories and photos. My better half has put her own blog up.

Lastly, we hope that our paths cross sometime during these next two years. We'll do our effort to meet you.

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