I am a big fan of country music and there is an older song I heard on the radio the other night by Chris Cagle called, What Kinda Gone. It reminded me of my current situation because as I have been talking to people about my trip and answering all the questions, one of the main ones I keep getting is, “how long are you going to be gone?” So, I figured now would be a good time to clarify what kinda gone I am talkin’ bout here.
As of now, I plan to be gone for a year. I have funds that should last me that long and I think it is a reasonable amount of time for a trip of this magnitude. But, I am not sure I could do much more than that. I know I will be missing my pup and I think I will want to get back to “normal” life again at some point. I recognize that I may get out there and hate it (unlikely, but I am a realist) and I know I can always come back home. At this point though, the plan is to take a year and enjoy it all!
My Travel Approach
When I first started thinking about where I wanted to go on this trip a lot of blogs recommend you to plan your route 6 months in advance. Well, I am currently less than 5 weeks out from leaving and I have no plans beyond my first stop in New Zealand. Call me crazy (you wouldn’t be the first), but I didn’t want a structured itinerary. No RTW ticket, I am going with the “fly by the seat of my pants” plan! And I couldn’t be more excited.
Since I am traveling solo, this allows me so much flexibility to go where I want, when I want. I have ideas of countries and areas I would like to go, but nothing firm. In my mind, this allows me certain advantages:
- If I love a place, I can stay a couple extra days…or leave if I hate it
- I can search for flights/transportation, see what is available, and just go
- If I meet people that are headed somewhere fun, I may just go with them
There are also some disadvantages to this type of travel:
- Might end up paying more for transportation at the last minute
- Makes is more difficult to have friends and family come meet me somewhere when I don’t even know where I’ll be in 3 months
I have always been able to strike a balance between planning and going with the flow. I think this way of traveling fits my personality perfectly. I may have a change of heart once I get out on the road, but I can always make adjustments. I am sure I will be making quite a few over the next year!
Who else follows the “fly by the seat of my pants” plan? What advice do you have for me?
and, you could decide that you love it and find a way to make it your new reality and keep on going forever! so many possibilities!!!