It just hit me yesterday that I'm going to be gone for 5 months, which didn't seem long enough when I started planning, but seems like an eternity now that I'm getting ready to leave. I just realized that I'll be spanning 3 seasons, missing the Lakers championship run, March Madness, and 1/2 the baseball season. 150 days on the road is like a marathon compared to the 7 day vacations we are all used to taking. I definitely plan to spend more time relaxing and chillin than rushing around trying to see everything. But in between coffee shops and parks, I'll definitely find time to see the pyramids, Taj Mahal, and the Himalayas. I guess you could say this is what vacation is supposed to be like: part adventure & part relaxation.My goals for the trip are simple:
1. See some of the spots on my ever-growing list of "places to visit".
2. Take a break before B-School (which is kinda like a vacation before vacation?).
3. Spend some time reflecting, thinking, writing and all that other touchy, feely BS.
So I guess the two main questions are where am I going and what the hell did I pack? The answer to the first question is a bit up in the air... but here is my rough route as of now:
Egypt~Jordan~Israel~Turkey~Russia~India~Tibet/Nepal~China. How did I pick those places? Honestly... it sounds corny, but I sat and spun my globe around and around for several nights and just imagined where I wanted to go. My first itinerary looked something like - Antarctica~Africa~Egypt~India~Home. Then I realized that I couldn't afford half those places, so I had to go with option two. Right now my rough schedule includes 1 week diving in Sharm el Sheikh, a few days out in the desert in Wadi Rum, and 10 days at an ashram. So, I guess you could say that option 2 didn't turn out so bad after all.
The answer to the second question is: Not much. I was forced to follow the golden rule of travel packing... pack what you think you need and take out half. So here is what 5 months of stuff looks like:
5 pairs of underwear
5 pairs of socks
3 t-shirts
3 wife-beaters
2 pairs of pants
1 pair of boots
1 pair of flip flops
1 water proof shell
1 fleece
2 long shirts
10 Odwalla Bars
1 emergency roll of TP (very important)
Lots of toiletries and meds.
2 cameras
3 lonely planets - Egypt, Turkey, and Jordan
1 book - atlas shrugged (longest book on my shelf)
1 Ipod
1 Tripod (ya... its a waste of space, but what else am I going to do in the desert by myself)
Its kinda strange how I can find room for my tripod and books, but no space for extra underwear. Like I was telling my mom... traveling is all about underwear extension. 5 pairs can last you 2 weeks if you extend each wear to the max. I'll let you figure out what the "max" is.
Its time to finish packing, then off to the airport!
~Jeff
ps - dude... be kind a give me a shout out on the blog or by email, so I don't feel so lonely during my travels!
18 comments:
wow. that is some REALLY good packing! i packed more than that for my 3 months of travel.
dude... i don't even want to kno wat "to the max" is on those underwears... all i kno is u better be cleaned up and have a pair of clean underwear on when i see you again. :)
well, BE SAFE and see a lot of cool stuff!! miss you!! :)
i hope you chose black underwears, or brown ones.
have fun, and blog often.
i'll live vicariously through you.
don't forget the extra shoe laces to hang the TP around your neck...CRUCIAL for keeping your hands free to prevent your pants from dipping into the nasty squatters.
please be safe and try to stretch those audio books out until i bring you my ipod in may.
dude...I know this guy who traveled through Africa for a year...by the end he was able to make his undies last FOUR days...that's going to be you soon :) Hope to see you in the middle of the desert soon!!!!
As always, you are truly entertaining. Have fun, be safe, and I love you.
Remember to turn your undies inside out and you can double your days. I do this when I don't want to wash mine.
p.s. don't put them on backwards though as that doesn't work as well. I made that mistake.
Be safe!
Chris
OMG...you make the subject to your email so sad, like BYE and farewell my friends...that is a bit TMI on the underwear...but it sure caught everyones attention... maybe you can line it with TP paper to make them last a little longer... you should have just taken disposable...Have fun and be safe, take lots of cool pictures... I know why you took the tripod, so you can make sure you are in every shot, your so vain!!Mrs. Sufficient!! :)
Take lots of photos. But not of your underwear.
So envious! What an opportunity! Hope you have a wonderful, SAFE time. We'll be keeping track. Don & Teresa (Chris' parents):-)
5-month trip!?!?
i envy you jeff.
make sure you come see me,my husband,aoi and daze in tokyo.
i will buy you a ton of underwears =)
have fun!
have a great time .. can't wait to see pix and hear stories :o)
who needs underwear.
jeff, where in russia will you be between monday, april 21 thru
thursday april 24. this will prob be our best chance to meet up. i can push stuff up a week. get to paris on the 19th, head out to meet you on the 21st and then head back to paris on the 24th. just shoot me your schedule and if it works out i can plan. if it is too much of a hassle, then i'll prb just stay in paris, and maybe do a lil side trip meself to london. Tony
I thought the "CAL" pic was actually "LOL" before I saw the description...
=D
Are you having fun yet?? You lucky dog, you.
Please be very careful and don't do crazy stuff. Write us a few words whenever you can.
you're going to russia? i'm so jealous. will you be going to st petersburg? if so, please stop by the mariinsky theatre for me... and take lots of pictures, maybe see a ballet... take care.
nina
it's been a week... where's the update?!
Are you having fun yet with all the old fogies in Egypt? Just don't come back with an arranged marriage to one of their granddaughters. Seriously Jeff, I'm sooooo disappointed...you forgot to pack the old man sandals!! So are you wearing your socks "to the max" too?
Travel safely and be sure to write often!
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