Eat this!

I'm continuously inspired by people who use their creativity to improve and better the environment they choose to live in.  One of my best friends shared this link with me and though I don't yet have children of my own, I'm passionate about the little things in life.  Especially when these little things, and ones, make a change for the better.

I love this idea!  Play dough that really is edible dough!  So if you care what the little ones in your life are putting in their mouths then this will interest you.   Play dough is a fantastic way for children to discover their own creativity, and now they can safely eat it too!

Click the link to be a part of bringing this wonderful product to homes in America!

The Worlds First Edible Play Dough!


DISCOVER, SHARE, INSPIRE AND BE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT.  

Packing List

MUST HAVES

The first two items on this list should not be taken lightly.  You can skimp or save money on just about anything else, but your backpack and shoes will make or break your trip.  I've never regretted spending a little extra on either of them, even when hitching-hiking in NZ and walking for hours before someone picked us up.  (hitch hiking in NZ was perfectly safe for us by the way).

*Back pack -with full suspension, solid frame fit for your size.   I prefer front loading for accessibility and 60 liter is sufficient.  We're very happy with  the Lowe Alpine TT Tour ND 60 woman's.  There are many good packs out there so do some homework and find  something that works for your style of travel.

 *Walking shoes -Well made, multi-terrain with good tread and support.  But make sure you like them cause you'll be wearing them a lot!!

CLOTHING

*Flip flops - for beach, public showers etc. 

*A hat.

*Scarf - monochromatic goes with more things.  These are great for cold busses, planes or trains with AC; cover-up for sun, temples and sacred places where they require woman to be covered.  

*Sarong -  Also great for covering your legs at temples and such; a thin blanket for long journeys; something to sit or lie on at parks, dirty benches.  Priceless and multi purpose. 

*Bandanas - at lease two.  come in handy for anything you can imagine.  Eye cover from light on buses etc; a rag for anything; cover around cold water bottle for condensation; sweat scarf, or wet it and wrap around neck to keep cool. I could go on but there are as  many uses for these as you can think of.

*Durable and light weight clothes.  Not half as many as you think you might need. 

*A couple pairs of socks. 

*Breathable, comfortable underwear.  

*Jacket- water-proof, light weight, dark looks cleaner longer.  (We're following the summer, so this is perfect for us to stay dry and layer underneath if it's chilly).

TOILETRIES

*Contact Lenses -(enough for the time you're gone) and pair of glasses. 

*Wet wipes and TP in a small ziplock.  Some places don't have it in the toilets. 

*Whatever else you need or use in 2-3oz screw top bottles.  (we found really durable ones at REI)  I just refill mine with whatever product I need and purchase along the way.  

***Things like toothpaste, lotion, face wash, shampoo, conditioner etc can be bought anywhere you go.  If it's not a specialty item you "must" have then you can find each countries' version of it somewhere.

STORAGE

*Small dry bag-  Great for going to the beach and taking valuables into the water with you. 

*Small reusable containers for liquid items. (mentioned in toiletries)

*Day pack/ bag - light weight but comfortable and can pack inside your big bag if you don't need it.

*Ziplock bags- various sizes. The freezer kind last longer and seal better.  They're light so you can bring a lot of them and probably should, the good ones are hard to find in some countries.  They come in handy for toiletries that might leak, food you don't   want roaches getting into, left-overs, storing soiled socks or clothes before you get to a place to wash them. Again these have been priceless for us and there are an endless amount of things they can be used for. 

*Nalgene water bottle-  When i don't need it for water I pack things inside it. 

SAFETY

*Small door alarm - You can buy these at most travel stores or find them in the "travel section" of certain stores.  They're small and light, wedge into the door crack and make a huge noise when opened unexpectadly.  In some areas this extra security measure has        really helped us sleep more soundly. 

*A cheep fake wallet with some old business cards a few buck and whatever else you don't mind loosing.  Give it to a thief while making some noise and they probably won't take the time to go through it until they've left.  

*Money belt for inside your clothes.  

*Copies of important documents - kept in a safe place at all times.  If you're traveling with a partner each have a copy of the other's as well just in case.   If your passport is lost or stolen at least you have a copy of it somewhere.  

*US $$- We both keep a secret stash tucked in a safe place just in case.  Even if you're not from the US, every country we've been to prefers USD.  Ideas (under the insole of a shoe, a secret zipper in your back pack, money belt...get creative)

*Locks - one for my backpack (TSA lock) and one extra big one.  We have Pacsafe cords to tie our bags to something steady in the room this prevents someone from just walking out with it.  These can be found at most travel stores and even airport shops.  Small  price for peace of mind. 

* First-Aid kit-  a pain killer with anti inflammatory has duel purpose, Advil PM is great for insomnia, anti-itch/bite cream, anti-nausea pills, Laxatives, and something for Diarrhea.  And of course a couple band-aids and anything else a regular kit comes with. Again this  all comes down to the type of travel you intend to embark on.  We have water purifying tablets just in case.

***Most places have stores with the stuff you might need, however there aren't always store close enough when you need them. But again this all depends on the type of travel you intend to do.  

ELECTRONICS AND ENTERTAINMENT

*Camara (we had our waterproof, crush proof from HI and it's been well worth it having something this durable.  

*All country power converter

*A cheep watch with alarm. 

*Playing cards

*I-Pod, good for calculator and music.  

*Books. 

* Computer or iPad. Great for booking ahead, keeping in touch with family and such.  We have a Y-splitter as well in case we want to listen to something together. 

*whatever keeps you busy on busses, trains and sick days. 

MESS KIT

*Tupperware?  Yes a small durable storage container that doubles as a bowl and food storage and when you're not using it just store random stuff in it.  

*Spoons

*Good chopsticks.  Learn how to use them and never look for a fork again.

*Bottle/can opener with a small knife all in one.  

*Reusable compact shopping bag.  (I get passionate when I see all the plastic littering some of the most beautiful places on our planet) 

RANDOM BUT PRICELESS

*Safety pins - You'll be surprised how handy they can be. 

*Glue stick or two- these don't leak like liquid glues and with the flame from a lighter you have some super strong glue handy.

*A couple of climbing carabiners -These come in handy when you need to clip something to the back pack, clip your back pack to the racks of a train or bus. many more uses with some creativity. 

*Rubber/elastic bands-  they help with keeping things compact, cords together, bags sealed, book pages together etc. I almost always have one around my wrist in case and use it all the time. 

*Pen and note book.  There are always things to note down like reservation numbers, addresses, to do lists, and it's a good idea to write down some of your experiences.  It's surprising how fast I've forgotten little details when every day is packed with different ones.  Having a journal is well worth it.  

*Headlamp-  These are good for reading in bed or busses, getting around a dorm room that's packed with sleeping people, or when the power on the whole island you're on goes out and there are no generators. 

*Travel Towel-  Super light and compact

*Sleep-Sac-  Silk is best but you can even make your own with a sheet.  If you plan to sleep in hostel beds or budget accommodation then these might bring an extra level of comfort while sleeping at night.  

*Dryer sheets-  Place one in your pack between your clothes and it works it's smell magic.  

*Portable clothes line - Doing my own laundry saves us money and our clothes.  use a dirty sock or bandana to plug any sink. 

*Sunglass Chums - never lose glasses again.  

*Belt - goes with everything, no holes

*Extra passport photos - It's very handy to have them ready when applying for a visa on arrival on 6am after a 20 Hr bus ride.
*Duct tape - roll it around a pen or pencil to save space.  We've been surprised how handy this was.
*Tea - I love it, not a lot of places have it and its light to carry 

There are more than likely items I'm forgetting to mention that have been useful for us and other items I have mentioned that you'll find useless to you.  But the bottom line is, everyone travels just a little differently from the next person.   In addition to personal preference, time of year and location all play a huge part in deciding what to take.  Think about your specific travel details and take into account the length you'll be away from home.  When it comes right down to it, once you're on the road you won't need half the stuff you thought you would while laying out items on your bed at home.

                                                 HAPPY TRAVELS!

Budget

How it all began for us...

Once the idea of traveling for a year was born, we started our plans with a world atlas pinned to a cork board mounted on the wall in a place we could see often.   In the case of our tiny two bedroom house it was on the wall in the kitchen/dining/living room where we spent most of out time.  With a tin of colorful sewing pins we started placing them in counties we wanted to see, alternating terns.  I said Africa, he said Poland.  I said Italy and he said Australia, so we continued along with dreams far apart of places we both wished to see and taste.   It took us a while before me met again at the map, this time to connect the dots with all the potential routes and directions we could imagine.  Both loving warm weather made it easy with the choice to follow the summer, but where to begin and which direction would we travel?   How long could we afford this fantasy after all and how much time would we want to spend in each country?   How would we get to each country; around the world ticket, land and sea travel, buy as you go?  And once we got to these destinations what on earth did we want do there?  Once one question was answered two more arose.   We had loads of time to plan and save so didn't rush anything.   I did endless hours of research through blogs,  books and magazines from the library and websites on world travel, packing, destinations and anything that had to do with it.  

One year and 5 or so months after making the decision to leap, we flew from Indianapolis to Auckland, New Zealand on a one way ticket.  We finally ended up running across a great deal in Queenstown NZ on an around the world ticket through Star Alliance.  This alone has saved us thousands of dollars on flights.  $3500 each, 16 flights to use in 12 months.  No fees for change of dates within 24 hrs from scheduled flight (we've used this a lot) and small fees to change destinations after purchase of ticket.  There are mileage brackets and allowances for all sorts of trips and different travel plans but this one worked best for us.  At the time we purchased the tickets we looked into our flight from Capetown to Johannesburg alone which would have cost us $1200/person.  Now they're included in our tickets.  It's almost unbelievable when I think of it.  (I priced a similar ticket at a lot higher if I would have bought it in the US before we left.  The rate of exchange worked in our favor). 

After being on the road for around eight months now we've learned a thing or two about travel, still however, realizing that there is an endless well of  knowledge and experience ahead of us.  Much like life in a way.  No matter how much planning we do based on other people's travel experience, there are always the priceless lessons we get to learn for ourselves.

A few people have emailed me recently asking just how exactly we went  about planning a trip like ours.  The two most common questions  thus far:   What do you pack?  How do you plan the budget?  So the next two posts will be dedicated to these two questions. 

THE BUDGET

This is of course the first question at hand because how on earth are you going to start a journey of this length and depth without the funding?  Unless you are sponsored by a lucrative company you can benefit through your travels somehow (not a bad idea if you can think of a way, and if you can then you deserve it), then it takes some planning and potentially sacrificing some of the things you're accustomed to spending your money on.

Determine how much time you can take off or if you can afford to quite your job  for longer term travel.

There are details of each day that have to be planned, but the key is to start broad and then work your way in. There is no possible way you can plan details of every single day for the whole trip that far in advance.  So start with the basics.  Where to go and how long can you afford to stay, eat and enjoy the place you're seeing?    

When planning a budget ask yourself these questions:

*Where do I want to go?

*How do I want to get there?

*What do I want to do while there?

*How and what will we eat?

*Where will we sleep/stay, e.g.  hostels, Couch Surfing, camping, hotel...

*How much can you afford with a generous buffer for incidentals?

but most importantly...

*What kind of traveler am I?

The internet is a great resource to find average prices for accommodation, meals, travel tickets, activities, etc in specific locations.  Estimate the amount of time you wish to stay and this should be a relative gauge for your individual costs.  For instance we have found the $30-40/day in most S.E. Asian countries is more than enough for both of us to have a wonderful time and stay in private rooms.  (I have a list of helpful links at the bottom right of this blog)

If you're going to spend 10 months in South East Asia then it's going to cost far less than spending 10 moths in Europe, or Australia and New Zealand.  However one budget traveler could spend the same amount in Europe for 10 months as a high end traveler would spend in South East Asia for 10 months.  So it all depends on what you're willing to save money on.  Can you sleep in a hostel with 10 other people and share a bathroom while couch surfing or do you require a hotel room to yourself with Air Conditioner and internet all the time?  Can you buy your own food from local markets and cook in your hostel kitchen, eat street/local food and not go out every night?  Or do you have to eat at restaurants every night not wiling to sacrifice the little luxuries you love at home?  Are you willing to take a local train for 30 hrs rather than a luxury sleeper?  Are you willing to take a bus rather than fly?

Now I admit that we are not at the extreme end of budget traveler and afford ourselves treats every now and then.  But no matter what, there is always a way to save more money and travel just a little smarter.

Rainy days

When the goal is to follow the summer for a year and half and the rain persists for a week straight,  I start to appreciate the often taken for granted days we have a shade to sit in.  Rainy season in the Philippines means days of full shade from cloud cover and wet feet from puddled sidewalks.  Today, I'm watching the rain with gratitude for teaching me to take a deep breath, sit back and enjoy doing absolutely nothing!  Or better yet, take a deep breath and enjoy doing whatever the hell I please.   I'll even dare admit that it's taken me these eight months we've been on the road to now finally allow myself to throw out the expectations I've placed on making the most of each place we visit, by doing and seeing as much as we can in each location.  Of course we want to experience a place for what it has and enjoy as many facets of it as we want, but there's a delicate balance I'm finding in being on vacation and seeing the world.


I am finding this lesson can be applied equally to my entire life.  I remember how I would so often run around always have something to do or get done.  Even if there wasn't something to do I would find or create something.  I'll even admit to making a mess or leaving things out so that I would later have something to re-organize.  I was the queen of finding advice for people even if it was unsolicited,  I almost always had something to throw in of an opinion.   I'm not sure if i'm abnormal in these traits or not but it doesn't really matter does it,  because it's what I did.  I am now however, through these lessons and my greatest life teachers, learning to sit back and allow other people to live life the way they choose. In doing so I'm able to enjoy my life and the results of my own creations with a deeper focus and appreciation for the details.   I feel freer already and it's only been just a few days with this fresh out-look.


Rain, like any form of water, has a profound calming affect on my physique.   Maybe it's because I'm a firry Aries quenched by water, or I can feel Mother Earth's energy cleansed by Father's Sky's love.  The reason is unimportant but the affect is unequivocal.   And so I thank the Philippines for sharing with me this lovely tropical storm so that I can learn a lesson or two.   And it helps to have an understanding and calm partner who's the perfect Yin to my Yang.  


I am learning to live my life on the road rather than making this trip a mission to see and do as much as possible.  And by the time i've perfected the art, it will be time to return to "the real world" where I will be able to apply the exact same lessons.

Ps. Our camera broke a few weeks ago so no photo's until we get to a city again and look into having it repaired. xoxo