I’ve been flying by the seat of my pants for so long that I don’t know how to start wrapping my head around the planning and preparation for phase II. There is only seven days left before we embark on our long journey around the world.

Mapping it out — Karina Noriega

I took a look at a travel & packing checklist that I devised from previous long-term backpacking trips. I had broken down the responsibilities for ‘things to do’ months, weeks and days prior to departure. It made me laugh and then I got a little sick realizing that I have basically 3 items on the list that I have actually checked off and one of them is really up in the air.(*3)

MONTHS              WEEKS                   DAYS
Visas               Flights/Ferry/Train     Finalize gear acquisition
Immunizations       Accommodations          Register trip
Get Prescriptions   Car rentals             Cancel any monthly bills/services
Book time off       Rough itinerary/route   Pick up medication
Start Research      Insurance               Pack

My growing patch collection — Karina Noriega

Checked off items: 

• Passport (My pride and joy)
• Quit job (No sense in taking time off, this here trip will take longer than most pregnancies and maternity leaves combined)
• Initial airfare (A one-way ticket to Guatemala & then a one-way ticket to Hong Kong 6 months later)

*3 – Being that airfare is the absolute steepest expense for the start up of any trip, the fact that I still have yet to receive a confirmation about my reservations and payment is not a comforting thing. (Vouchers can complicate and delay processing, but as a micro-budget traveler, you thrive on opportunity, not comfort.)

Travel Tip: 

Being a flexible traveler often means you can accept vouchers

offered by airlines when they overbook your plane.

At least the business of packing has been extremely narrowed down. Six months ago April and I gave up most of our worldly possessions, our home & our truck (since returning from our USA road trip – May to October). Now we just need to access that storage and get ready to switch gears, literally.

Travel Tip:

I found an excellent ‘Master Checklist’ for people planning their first

extensive or RTW (Round-The-World) trip. Check it out at Bootsnall

~ An Extraordinary Story by Karina Noriega ~

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