Announcing My Long Term Travel Plans
It’s not a fantasy, I realize – the big dream is actually beginning!
sab·bat·i·cal /səˈbatikəl/
Noun:
any extended period of leave from one’s customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training, etc.
I am writing this because it is not possible to tell EVERYONE that I know in an intimate setting about my travel plans. That is, I’m embarking on a Round-the-World trip starting in October of this year. I’ve just recently told my workplace, so now I feel ok to publicly announce it.
Who: Just me. I’m going solo by choice!
What: “Round-the-world” trip aka sabbatical aka career break
When: October 2012 – October 2013 – 12 months is the GOAL.
Where: There is no set itinerary. See below.
Why: I have a list of reasons that are motivating me. Some of the reasons are “why not?”, “now is the perfect time”, “I don’t have roots (kids, house, etc)”
How: To make a long story short, I’ve been casually thinking of this endeavor for 2+ years. In January 2012, I finally decided that this is the year and made it happen. Then I picked October as a starting date since it seems to be a culmination of a few things, mainly the lease on my apartment is up. Setting a date like that gave me a goal and the rest fell into place.
Everyone always asks me what my plan/itinerary is… That’s the fun part, there is no plan! There is a framework .., roughly: Amsterdam, Prague, …, Turkey, a stint in [Dubai]2, (Singapore?) SE Asia (Thailand seems neat), Japan (want to see my cousin that lives there), South America, USA. However, when looking at that framework, once you get past Prague, it is too far out to even think about!
I really look forward to any invitations out there, especially couches and/or tour guides! 
Future posts will be about planning, execution, experiences, and otherwise. More to come later, watch this space…
If you don’t take your own dreams seriously, who will?