Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Wheels up in 56 days!

Every day feels a little more exciting than the last! Graduation is coming up December 15, but the real countdown I'm worried about is a month later-> January 15. I have gone from loose schedule to exact date time. I'm starting to contact host on www.couchsurfing.org/ If you haven't heard of it, it is an awesome site that enables people to stay with host who love interactions with travelers. I also signed up on www.helpx.net It is similar to the other work/live program that I signed up for a while back but this one enables communication with other travelers and covers a couple counties not just New Zealand.

My REI registry is pretty bare but still has plenty of things that I need. http://www.rei.com/GiftRegistryDetails/GR2866963. Not even gonna lie I got lazy and haven't sent in my boots for a different size yet. I'll have to do it over Thanksgiving break. I'm not that worried about it though, since I broke my ankle I won't be able to break in my new boots properly anyway.

My plan for the 3 months in New Zealand:
Leave USA on Jan 15
Arrive in NZ Jan 17 (if I understand the international date line correctly)
CouchSurf from Jan 17 - Jan 20 Hopefully wearing off most jet lag and getting my pack perfectly situated.
Jan 20- GO. Just GO. Hopefully find another backpacker or somebody headed the same direction. The Helpx.net site has an awesome way for travelers to communicate with each other so I think finding somebody headed the same way wont be to big of a problem.
Jan 25- Show up at first farm, stay as long as they let me, move on to next farm. Rinse and Repeat. Luckily with two different work live programs that I've now signed up for finding a farm to work for shouldn't be a problem.
Feb 25- Meet up with some CS buddies that I made last year when they were state side. Shout out to Jack Henderson!!
Feb 26- Transition from North Island to South Island
Feb 27- Start on a farm then keep doing that. Hopefully making contact with the farm that involves Pottery that I found. That would be legit.
March 31- Start securing passage to Australia by April 15.

Still pretty lose. But over Thanksgiving break it should get more concrete. Also Australia has been loosely planned but it will get more concrete soon as well. To be honest these two countries will be the most concrete of all of the places I go. Due to their greater internet access I can communicate with possible host much easier and actually lay down specific dates. I'm guessing when I'm backpacking through Malaysia I won't have nearly as perfect dates lined down, but I'm ready for both situations I think.

56 days.
Nervous- OH yeah
Prepared- Physically almost
Ready- For sure
Scared- Just a little

Y'all Take Care Now
Steve