We have been dreaming about a one-year around the world trip for the past four years.  The dreaming stage has been full of conversations between Michael and I about could we do it, should we do it, where should we go.

Initially, I read articles and searched the web for travel ideas.  I have read a lot of travel blogs and joined a popular travel website, www.bootsnall.com .  I have gathered so much information about various locations, modes of travel and packing tips that I am struggling to narrow it down.

Once we set the date for our departure in June 2015, it became real.  I found that when you have been thinking about doing something for so long, it is hard to make the transition from planning in concept to planning for real.

Part of the ‘real’ planning includes beginning to purchase items that we’ll need.  In my next post I’ll talk about the research involved with buying and then re-buying our luggage.  We’ve also determined that our first stop will be Guadalajara, Mexico.  We’ll fly there from California and then plan to do as much overland travel as possible.  After determining our starting point I’ve begun mapping possible routes heading South.  Included in this mapping are many activities in which we’re interested.  We’ve started looking at language schools, cycling trips, scuba diving opportunities, yoga retreats, cooking schools, and cultural and historic sites that we want to visit.  In a later post I’ll talk about the challenge of a “planner” and an “anti-planner” travelling together; while I would prefer to have these activities all planned my husband will just want to go with the flow.

Some of the ‘real’ planning is about what we’re leaving behind too, not just where we’re going.  We’ve started researching what to do with our house, including looking at house sitting websites.  As I mentioned in the ‘About’ section we’re trying to minimalize our possessions since we’ll be gone for such a long time.  It is also important to us to stay in touch with our loved ones back home so I’ve been researching the best ways to do this.  I recently signed up for Skype so we can easily video chat from around the world.

As we’re moving from the dreaming phase to the planning phase we get more and more excited to reach the doing stage.  I hope you’ll follow my blog to join on this great adventure!