Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The Next Chapter

If you haven’t read my last post, please do so the rest of this post makes sense to you.

In the process of jumping off the cliff, I decided, why not go for it? What is the one thing that I said if I had the time, I would do? I could hop in my car; randomly pick a direction and go. I thought I’d go to the west coast, up to Vancouver and even up to Alaska! Camping in cheap sights and grocery stores are plentiful, everyone speaks English and all I’d have to pay for is gas.

Instead, why go for half measures? Isn’t it almost everyone’s dream to backpack through Europe? I have the time, but how about money?

Miracle number one: I had so many airline points that I qualified for a free RT ticket to London. I had family in London, friends in Scotland and-be still my Whovian heart- I could visit Cardiff and the Doctor Who museum!

So I booked my flight, six weeks in Europe. I bought a Eurail pass for a month which was also giving me 5 extra days. I’ve read that having a pass is as easy as jumping on a train and grabbing a seat. Now I’m uncertain about what exactly are the ‘travel days’ is it the chronological ticking of the clock or is it the time you spend on the train? So far this is my most costly expense at U$D1000+.

Then I realized I’d need specific supplies for a back packing trip that would last 6weeks. I’ve never been on such a trip, especially a trip where my itinerary was being left to my whim. So I started looking at the travel sites, looking for things I would need; a backpack, light clothing, disposable everything and as light as I can get it.

A good backpack with support and sturdiness runs at least $100. A jacket with secret pockets is another $100, I need room for my electronics. I went to my favorite shopping site, Amazon.com

I often lose my mind on that site, I was supposed to be looking for travel accessories, and I went into a random search and investigation on pre-pasted disposable tooth thingies. They aren’t really tooth brushes but rather ‘alternative oral health care’, important stuff.

Miracle number two: I had saved enough rewards points that I can pay for all my purchases on Amazon!
Miracle number three: My tax refunds all arrived at once.

If I had a scintilla of doubt that I needed this break and the worries over finances, it was being addressed. I may be overly dramatic when I say it’s a miracle, but it sounds better that I was ‘saving’ things up for years without ever taking advantage of them.

I feel as if I’ve been holding my breath for years and now, it’s time to exhale.

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