Alright. I figure it’s about time I released my tentative itinerary for my adventure around the world. It’s all very up in the air, right now, but I want to get something out there and start getting feedback. I’ve already decided I’m not purchasing a RTW ticket but will instead travel overland where possible & get cheap one-way tickets as I move along.

Here’s the schedule, and some of the things I hope to do while in each region/country:

1. Tentative departure date is set for mid-to-late April-ish (pending when I give my notice at work). I’ll spend the first 3 weeks in Italy. Right now, I’ve got two options:
   • bring along a friend (Jennifer, are you listening?), or
   • volunteer or see about finding temporary work
     Honestly, it seems more likely that I’ll be just spending a crapload of money in Italy if I don’t find a way to offset some of the costs, so that is yet to be determined.
2. Next stop is Morocco where I’ll meet up with my friend Liz (or at least since last time we spoke).
3. Ten-ish days in Morocco and then off to Egypt where I’ll spend a minimum of 2 weeks. There’s a lot I want to see and do there, though I know it can get expensive.
4. From Egypt, I’ll travel through Sinai and overland to Israel to cross through the Taba/Eliat border crossing. This is something I’m really looking forward to.
5. Once in Israel, I’m hoping to find work on a kibbutz for about 2 months. I’m still working out the details, but if anyone has any advice on whether this should be arranged beforehand, please please please contact me.
6. This gets me to probably sometime in August. (Yes, I realize I’ll be in Israel during the hottest time of the year.) After Israel, I’ve been considering taking a ferry over to Cyprus. It can be slightly expensive, but my main goal is to get back over to Eastern Europe.
7. From Cyprus, I’ll fly cheaply to Greece where I hope to spend a short period of time (depending upon cost) and then travel via train to Hungary.
8. A weekend in Budapest should be pretty exciting and it’s been on my travel list for a while now. From Budapest, I’ll then head onwards to one of my big destinations:
9. Croatia. I’m not sure I can relate how interested I am to visit this country. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful photos and read a lot on the area, but I’m really just very excited to be able to spend some time here.
10. After 2 weeks on the beautiful beaches of Croatia, I’ll travel (probably by train) to Istanbul for a short stint there.
11. From Turkey, I’ll make my way over to Delhi, India. Right now, it seems I could fly there, but I wouldn’t be adverse to traveling overland through the Middle East (though this would take some serious time, and possibly caution).
12. Originally, I wanted to spend at least a month in India, but I’ve since decided I’d really love to spend a month in Nepal. So after a bit of time in and around Delhi (the Taj Mahal), I’ll make my way to Kathmandu.
13. There, I’ll do some trekking, relaxation & meditation, and probably a side trip over to Tibet on the Friendship Highway. Still need to read up on Nepalese culture, but I think I could really enjoy my time here.
14. Sometime in October, I’ll leave from Kathmandu and arrive in Thailand. A few weeks there (3 probably: one on the beaches, one in the forests and one reserved for the unknown) and then onwards in Southeast Asia.
15. Right now, I’m planning on visiting Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos, spending the majority of my time in Vietnam. I have some extended family who lives there, so hopefully I can meet up for a nice visit.
16. After that, my plan is to get to Sydney, Australia by early-December. There, I’m planning to get a 1-year travel/work visa and I’ll meet up with some of my connections to try and get a full-time, legitimate job in either Sydney or Melbourne.
17. Pending a well-paid job in Australia, I’d definitely plan on weekend (or longer, if I can swing it) trips to Singapore, Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines & more.
18. This gets me to sometime in the future. I don’t know what to do after that, but definitely a long-term trip to South America (and back to Central America) is in order.

Well, that’s it. Even after typing this all out, I can see a few flaws in my plan. And some obvious areas where I’ll be spending too much money, or rushing my time there. The main idea of my trip, however, has always been to get me a full-time job abroad. Ideally, that’ll happen next December in Australia. And, of course, if I get some freelance design work as I go along, I’ll have to slow down to accommodate.

The big places I want to see, however, remain: Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Croatia, India, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. However, I had to sacrifice the length of time in several of those countries in order to insure an arrival date in Australia just in time for the holidays (when I’m hoping some family & friends will be coming to visit). All in all, though, I’m generally happy with this itinerary as it stands. I’m definitely up for recommendations and suggestions, though, so comment away!