It's been about two years since I last posted, maybe longer, and I can tell you that, though things might have happened since then, it's all been in anticipation of this summer. Ever since returning from a field school on Catalina Island during the summer of 2010, I've been obsessed with the notion of traveling around the world. One of the girls taking part in the field school experience was dating a young man who was several months into a round the world itinerary, courtesy of www.oneworld.com. The moment I started playing with the booking tool, I was hooked. I had to do this.
My life has been centered mostly in and around the town in which I grew up and while there is nothing wrong with that (Thanks to the influence of my newest fictional idol, Leslie Knope.), I read entirely too many books and daydream for too many hours to be wholly satisfied. The idea of being able to fly around the world for pennies on the dollar haunted me, gnawed at me, there was no way I could not do this. I mean, out of school, no kids, no house or other debts, no career or career path to speak of, I am the perfect candidate for this excursion!
The last year has been a monotonous routine of making money. I am so incredibly lucky my parents were kind enough to let me live at home for extra cheap in order to help me out with this trip (And incredibly lucky to have parents that support such endeavours!) and incredibly lucky to receive a tip about a job opening that would be the ultimate source of trip funding. Sure the job oscillated between mind-numbingly idiotic and soul-crushingly despairing, but it direct deposited twice a month and that was all I needed.
So this is where I am. I have two 'round-the-world tickets (my dear boyfriend is accompanying me) and the roughest of plans. I depart July 9th and this is where I'm going:
Spain (primarily Barcelona): 07/10-07/17
Switzerland: 07/17-07/24*
Germany: 07/24-07/31*
Nepal: 08/01-08/08
China (primarily Shanghai): 08/09-08/16
Japan: 08/16-08/26**
Add two days of rest in Honolulu and I will be home just in time for my family's Birthday Extravaganza Month, and how sweet it is.
My dilemma now is this (aside from how many kickass outfits I can cram in a carry on): what should we then do? I have resources (1000 Things to See Before You Die, the interwebs, etc.), but so far most of the recommendations fall either into an "Eat, Pray, Love" rich folks on safari category or "WOOO! WE GONNA GO PARTY!!" asinine drunkenness. I ain't rich, and I can get hammered just fine here, thanks. Give me historical sites, breathtaking interactions with nature, a few good nights out on the town, and a dash of adventure.
So heed my call, nay, my challenge: what should we absolutely make sure to do?
*I expect to be doing a lot of travel by train during the majority of the continental Europe portion, and am not entirely certain if we will stay within the boundaries of these countries during this time. A co-worker recommends Gothenburg, Sweden.
**Potentially will include a jaunt to Seoul, South Korea to visit boyfriend's former roommates and classmates
