So my friends have been wondering recently, how can I do this trip when I only have $1,300 in the bank saved up?
You only need one thing to do a trip like this. Dedication. Nothing is going to stop me, I will find a way. I'll teach English, write travel articles, find illegal work, something, but come the end of March, save death, I will be on a plane to Europe, not to return to Ameica for at least 11 months (again, save emergencies).
That is all I need. If you put your mind to doing something, you can do it.
In an attempt to keep ourselves excited for the trip before we're actually on the trip, me and Ryan instituted the phase system. Anytime we accomplish a milestone in planning the trip, we get to upgrade another phase - which means a celebration!
The Phases so far
Phase 1 - Seriously considering trip, Jan 2005 Phase 2 - I go to KS for President's Day Weekend, Trip planning moves in serious stage, Mar 2005 Phase 3 - Ryan and Aaron books tickets to Europe, July 2005, Mike and Brandle follow suit, late Sept 2005. 3.5 - Book tickets all the way to Spain, Ryan, Mike, YESTERDAY! Phase 4 - The five of us book our first hotel, for Spain, Sept 2005.
So, as you can tell, we are all on different levels. Ryan and Aaron are full phase 4 individuals, Mike and Brandle are only lacking phase 3.5 classification, while me, I'm only phase 1, 2 and 4, since I have yet to book my tickets to Europe because I'm departing with my family.
So, yesterday was a significant day. Ryan and Aaron both booked their tickets to Madrid. Time for more fill-ins.
Aer Lingus currently has some incredible fares from North America to Dublin - one was for $190!! By far the best fares to Europe that we have ever seen, so without wasting any time, everyone (except me) booked their tickets before fares rose. But we aren't going to Dublin first, we're going to Espana! Therefore, we had to book a ticket from Dublin to Madrid, or some other city in Spain. Again, Aer Lingus had fares from 50 euros, while RyanAir had possible cheap fares to Malaga (south of Spain), but we would have to wait to book those and risk that we never get the cheap fare. The risk was not worth it, so, Ryan and Aaron took the safe path and bought their ticket to Spain.
Assuming they can get a cheap deal from Kansas City to Chicago (Southwest has fares from $40), the total price to Spain will be less than $300 ($190 + $60 +$40) one way, amazingly cheap especially considering the huge gas fuel costs. See more about our trip finances in the Budget Travel section.
Now that I've explained the phases, let me fill you in on the planning process thus far. How the trip started, and how we got the wheels spinning.
- Fall 2004 - Entering my last year in college, I finally started thinking about what I want to do after graduation. My ideas were varied - I didn't want to develop into getting a job and working. I looked at programs, like teaching English abroad in Korea or Thailand, or joining a Peace Corps-esque volunteer program. Peace Corps itself was too much of a commitment for me. At the same time, all my friends started panicking and went through a "college crisis", though I was okay because I'd had my college crisis freshman year. But, as the year ended, I still was clueless. - Dec - Jan 2005 - I go to India and Thailand with my family. The Tsunami hits in the middle of the trip, right as we are on the southeast coast of India. The sights we saw the day before were hit, the sights the day after too, but that day, we were shielded by Sri Lanka and got nothing. Saw the damage firsthand, but what was more shocking was the lack of compassion or caring by the Indian media and middle class (almost all the dead were poor). - Late Jan 2005 - Return from Asia, immediately go back to school. USC crushes Oklahoma 55-19 (FIGHT ON!). Ryan calls me, and proposes this idea of an around the world trip, something he had discussed with Aaron. We talk about it for over an hour, one of the best phone conversations of my life. - Feb 2005 - Because I didn't get to come home at all for Christmas, I come back for President's Day weekend. We have our first major trip planning jam session, drawing out first map of the trip (a map that looks nothing like the current plans) - Mar 2005 - The five of us take a roadtrip from Kansas City to Los Angeles. In Vegas we stay at an international Hostel where we meet tons of people from around the world who give us places to go. In California, we finish map #2, the definitive map (link) until Nov. 05. - May 2005 - I Graduate from USC, and travel around Cali a bit before heading back home to Kansas for the summer, where I lounge around for 2 months, seeing old friends. The trip becomes refined, as we explore working options, and set into stone that we will be going to Spain/Port first. Ideas about website begin at this time. - Sept 2005 - The fears climax, and I apply for jobs outside of Kansas City, ending up in Washington DC. I fly there Sept 1st, with no car, and stay with a friend till I find a decent room. Work for Peace Action, a progressive, non profit Peace Group. It is during this job that I find the time to create and edit this website. The four others book their tickets to Europe on Aer Lingus. - Oct 2005 - I finally find out that my brother is for sure going to Italy to study abroad in the Spring of 2006. My family and I begin to make plans to visit him during his spring break, the last week of March 2006.
From Oct 2006 on is when the website was made live, so scroll up to see what we've done since then.
Well, it is currently October 19th, 2005. I am sitting in front of a desk, in a cubicle, my only light source from the sutpidifying white glare of flourescent lights. Typical, for American office workers, I'm slacking off during work and working on my website.
Oh the things once does for money.
It's really not that bad. I work for a Progressive non profit, Peace Action, doing Communication work. The job is fun, my co-workers chill, and I get to hang with cool liberals, like Cindy Sheehan (for five minutes once), Ralph Nader (in passing), and Members of Congress (who treat me like a intern).
So why am I here? Because the thought of wasting 6 months of my life in Kansas just waiting for the World Trip sounded like a drag. I have ambitious goals and can't sit around, so I packed my bags and moved out east. So until mid March, I will be chilling in Washington DC, making some money, working, and enjoying another sector of life and of the world before I pack my backpack for Italy on March 25th.
