q: WHERE AM I GOING?
a: Southeast Asia (~ 2months) and a side trip to South America (~ 1 month)
q: HOW LONG WILL I BE ON THIS JOURNEY?
a: 3 months and 12 days
q: WHO IS GOING WITH ME?
a: Alissa - my college buddy from PSU.
q: WHAT WILL I BE DOING ON THIS TRIP?
a: Backpacking across the countries to see new lands, cultures and people....ok, this is very generic, but true. I am going to be living out of my pack for the entire time, which will not contain more than a week worth of clothing....im lookin forward to it;)) We will be staying out of costly metro areas and stick to the budget-conscious areas and rest our heads in homestays and camp wherever possible. The goal is to learn more about places and cultures that are not familiar to me...and, of course there will be lots of exercise....you know that i will find a himalayan mountain to summit!!!!
Also, we will be attending a 15 days volunteer project in Kathmandu. This project entails manual labor --- repairing and re-painting a monastery --- in exchange for the cultural education. The project is sponsored by volunteers for peace (vfp.org). If all goes well, I would do more projects in the future.
Thad has also been nice enough to put me in contact with his friend from Bryn Athyn. So, maybe I will stay a little longer to help out with his orphange.
q:WHY AM I MAKING THIS TRIP?
a: To live out a childhood dream.....and to satisfy a curiosity about the way other people live......AND to test my personal boundaries.
a: WHAT LOCATIONS AND PLACES WILL I BE GOING TO?
q: The exact locations are not entirely mapped out, because I would like to leave room for spontaneity. But, I will definetly be going to an Indonesian beach, hike part of the Ho Chi Minh trail, visit Angkor Wat, go to a temples and Buddhist monasteries in Laos, trekking in Chiang Mai & visiting the local ruins, attempt an entry into Burma and Tibet to check out the architectural feats, climb a Himalayan mountain, hike Machu Picchu, see Lake Titicaca, chill on the beaches near Rio. You know .....the normal Amy trip.
q: WILL I ADOPT A BABY ON THIS TRIP?
a: No, but that doesn't mean I can't look. I am not ready to be responsible, however that day will come ...just need some time.
q: HOW WILL I AFFORD THE TRIP?
a: I have been fortunate to make enough money to support my lifestyle and pay off all of my debt. Yes, Im debt free and want to enjoy it!!! With Dave Diehl as a childhood mentor, I have been guided by the forces of uber-cheapness and have accumulated plenty of savings to travel for 3+ months.
q: WHAT WILL I DO WITH ALL OF MY EXPENSIVE, WORLDLY POSSESSIONS?
a: I am giving up my apartment and will be giving away most of my "furniture". The remaining items will be stored at garage in RWC along with my car. I have found someone kind enough to take care of these items while im gone!
q: WHAT WILL I DO WHEN I RETURN?
a: Many things. But the first thing I will do is tear off all of duncan's clothes and ......you FILL in the BLANK!!! After I completed that, I want to continue my personal training job, and have people committed for the fall. Also, I would like to further my education in this field. So, I am going to sign up for more classes and look for work as a PT aide. I might take an accounting contract, if needed. I won't let my CPA license lapse, so I will need to take CPEs to complete the requirement. No fear, I don't plan on quitting my job in another year and half. I think that I will have my world travelling bug out of my system! (Hellen, I know what u r thinking!!!) I do aspire to have possessions that are not plastic....well one day .......
q: WHAT ABOUT MY PLAYMATE?
a: My playmate, Duncan, is not going to accompany me on this trip. I am honored to state that he will complete his undergraduate degree this month and will do it
with honors. I will admit that I had a small "meltdown" about the time apart, but I have left it in the hands of fate. Although, I think that it is going to be hard for me to navigate without him for the next few months.
q: HOW WILL YOU BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME WHILE I'M AWAY?
a: 2 ways. I will have access to the internet and will have a mobile phone. I am in the process of purchasing a World phone. So, there should be no problem with reaching me in case of an emergency, or just to drop a line. I will send out my new phone # once I get it. And, I will make an updated posting on this site, too.
q: HOW DO I FEEL ABOUT THIS TRIP?
a: Excited, anxious, nervous, sad....all the range of emotions. I think that this will be life experience and one that im happy to be apart of. My only reservation is that not everyone in my life is supportive of this adventure --- but, i hope that in time they will see it differently.
