So. You have decided that you are going to risk it all and take the trip around the globe that has played with desire on your mind where every excuse, year by year, has pushed it farther and farther to the back. Leaving your job, friends, family, pets, volunteer activities, extracurricular activities, comforts and responsibilities of everyday life and just go. Hurray! Best decision you’ve ever made.
It all sounds exciting, adventurous, romantic even. But. Where? Where in the world do you want to go? There are 195 countries to decide from, with about 4500 cities over 150000 people and approximately 2.5 million geographic regions with less than 150000 people including small cities, towns and villages. Oh, and there are roughly 7.7 billion people in the world. Any ideas?
How much time are you giving yourself to go trotting the planet? A month? A few months? Half a year? A full year or more? Indefinitely? Are you a tourist who enjoys snapping selfies of the highlights or an in-depth authentic explorer who is culturally curious and thrives on getting local? Or are you somewhere in between? Whatever your travel style, it will determine how many places and how long you stay in those places. This aspect of your RTW planning is very personal and should only be decided by you. It is your dream. Create it to be so.
My specific planning is still going strong after about three years of thinking! I decided to take a deferred salary in my teaching career where I am able to work three years at 75% of my salary with having my fourth year off paid at the remaining portion of 75%. My adventure will start July 2019 until August 2020 which leaves me with 13 months to play with. A long time to be off work but certainly not enough time to do and go everywhere I’d like. So, where do I want to go?
I began by deciding what I wanted to experience: what cultures I wanted to learn about, which festivals I wanted to be a part of, where I would feel comfortable going as a solo female traveller, what activities or journeys I wanted to take, which countries would allow for a visa without too much difficulty (China imposed new visa requirements so, despite it being in my top 5 countries, I will not be visiting this time), and how I could fit everything I wanted to do in a logistically organized and cost effective flow. It wasn’t easy to narrow down as I want to go everywhere and do everything. The compromise: there willbe a next time for more adventuring.
With just under five months to go, I shortlisted the globe. So far my travels will take me to Spain, Russia, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, and to Western Canada before returning home. I will trek the Camino de Santiago, participate in Running of the Bulls, throw tomatos at La Tomatina festival, climb Mt. Elbrus, trek the Annapurna Circuit and Base Camp Everest, skydive in Dubai, volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, climb Mt. Fuji, hike the Komano Kodo, and do some serious hiking through New Zealand.
My list is not definitive. My goals with be met. Definitely. But, the aim is to leave as much wiggle room as possible with space to experience the unexpected because well, that is where the magic happens.