Now You Know as Much as I Do

We often ask ourselves, “How did I get here?”

When writing a travel blog, I suppose the better question is “How did I get there?”

So let’s go back about a year.

I’d been getting increasingly frustrated by my job, my employer, and my industry as a whole. The number of radio reporters who work out in the field is falling as stations cut back on news programming and rely on TV stations and cable news networks. I understand the financial realities faced by radio executives and the decisions that were made, but that doesn’t mean I have to like them.

The changing business meant I spent more time working from home, no longer chasing hurricanes, sitting in courtrooms, or covering those crazy “Only in Florida” stories. So where’s the fun in that?

I honestly can’t remember how I heard about Couchsurfing.com. It’s the online community that’s like airbnb.com, but there’s no money involved. Instead, you offer your extra bed, couch, or even floor to someone who is looking to save money while they travel. Yes, it’s about getting a free place to stay, but it’s a lot more. There are stories shared, breads broken, and glasses clinked. After the goodbyes, friendships are made with promises that we’ll all meet again.

I have to say, I was surprised (and maybe even a bit disappointed) when friends asked if I was afraid of being attacked or robbed while hosting a surfer. I may be naive and untouched by the worst kinds of crimes, but fear was the LAST thing to enter my mind. Maybe it’s my imposing stature, but I never feared any of the surfers who landed at my front door. Simply put, they were people asking for help and I was in a position to help them. What else is there?

So as the months went on, 20-something after 20-something came through the door. We went to theme parks and saw rocket launches between stops at my favorite watering holes. I flooded their brains with statistics and trivia about Central Florida and it didn’t take long before I became jealous of these free spirits who put their faith in total strangers.

Now it’s my turn. Just about everything has been sold, the house, the car, and I quit work too. There are some things in a storage unit, but I’m already wishing I got rid of more stuff. (Those units are expensive!).

So here’s what’s happened so far and here’s the plan.

It’s written in pencil with a well-worn eraser.

Independence Day seemed as good a day as any to start the adventure. For almost a week, I enjoyed everything that a perfect summer has to offer in Rhode Island. Fireworks on the ocean and the philharmonic on the beach were perfect compliments to pizza strips and clear chowder. Quality time spent with family made it even more special.

After a Boston to Los Angeles flight, I was reunited with one of my closest friends and we quickly fell back into a routine of eating, drinking and sharing stories. On this trip, she didn’t even have to sleep in the closet while I snored in her bed. It was also great to meet-up with an old college radio colleague for coffee near Venice Beach. Except for the gray beard, the SOB still looks like he’s 22.

Now, to quote our greatest fictional president, “What’s next?”

Jetting to Vancouver tonight, where I’ll spend a little more than a day. I’ve heard great things and was able to score a cheap ticket from Vancouver to Shanghai. The flight goes Vancouver to Seattle to Shanghai, but it was more expensive to book direct out of Seattle. Airline pricing is one of the eternal mysteries.

I’ll spend about a week in Shanghai with friends and then I’ll hop on an organized tour out of Beijing on the 25th. It includes a stop in Tibet and ends in Hong Kong.

That puts me to August 15th.

For now, it looks like I’ll go HK to Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto).
Japan to Thailand
Thailand to Australia (where I hope to spend a month).
Australia to Singapore
Singapore to Nepal (because I don’t want another 15-hour flight. If I wanted to fly over the world, I’d become an astronaut!)
Nepal to Istanbul. The Istanbul stop could last a while because it’s pretty cheap.
Maybe Egypt/Morocco after that. Now I’ve been told to see Namibia too.
I consider getting anywhere in Europe the “finish line” since I’ve got the Irish passport, lots of friends, and it’s relatively easy to get around.

For now, that’s all I’ve got. Your tips/warnings/contact info for welcoming relatives, are all welcome.

The only thing I need before I go is a watch.

One that has the day/date in big letters because it’s already moving fast.