A trip around the world has shown to need a little more preparation time then a 3 day trip to Wetaskiwin to visit gramma. Fast tracking the whole adventure by 6 months does not help by any means.

Originally the plan was to renovate, list and sell our home in the spring of 2019. Plans changed drastically when word got out about our upcoming #decisions. We were approached by a young couple about the possibility of looking at our home and subsequently were presented with an offer which turned into acceptance and now we are homeless as of October 31/2018.

The dust has settled a bit on whats proven to be a small case of OVERWHELM and we have time to “prepare”. We had the thought of renting in town and perhaps taking the next 6 months to cross T’s and dot I’s in order to be FULLY PREPARED come spring but quickly asked ourselves “why”? Why move our belongings twice, Why wait when we are all healthy right now.  Why, why,why?

So… November 1^st was chosen as our date of departure from small town northern Alberta and November 6^th as our first flight on our epic adventure.

Well now we have less than a month to prepare. What exactly goes into preparing for a trip around the globe? Well here’s what we’ve done so far.

1. Sell all of our stuff! In my That’s the facts Jack blog, I had written that #itstimeforachange. In this blog post, I touched on the fact that we have entirely too much sh*t. You don’t realize how much crap and useless stuff you have until you go to get rid of it. Our bigger household items are going with the house so that’s a relief but the smaller items that clutter our basement, shed and garage need to be collected, prices put on them and ready for liquidation. It really is a rather satisfying feeling to de-clutter if you can get past the fact that your $100 item that you purchased 5 years ago is now worth $5 or less. This will allow for a fresh start when we return to Alberta. We will keep a 7×14 enlcosed trailer full of memorabilia and all items that we will definitely need upon the completion of our voyage.
2. Where will we go and where do we start? We have a tentative list of 26 countries that we would like to visit and certain attractions within these countries that are “must sees”. We aren’t all about the touristy stuff but visiting a country such as China and not fitting the Great Wall in to our schedule would be a travesty.

The list of countries of course includes a duration of stay within each country. There are a few countries that require visas which will affect the length of stay but most do not have that stipulation so we can just roll with the maximum days aloud in those countries that do and increase stay in the ones that don’t. We will plan a month to 2 months a time so as to not be on a strict schedule. The guideline is set. First stop Beijing.

3. Where will we stay? Hotels, hostels, Air B&B… There are a few choices that we have to make. Some will be based on price, yes. Some will be based on location and we will be at the mercy of whatever the fixed price looks like based on convenience. We also are fortunate enough to have some help and guidance along the way. Through the keeping of high school connections to networking throughout our lives, we know people in 11 of the countries that we will be touching down in. This is HUGE! Not only does this allow for cheaper lodging and probably a meal or two but it provides us with a sense of safety and a leg up when it comes to where to go and where not to go.
4. What do we pack? This is not as difficult as it may seem. The reason is that we all will only have a backpack to fill and that pack must fit as carry-on. 40L Osprey packs for Patty and I as well as 26L and 18L packs for Reid and Lela will accommodate everything we need when packed in an assortment of packing cubes which are essential for this type of travel. We will have a link on our website that will take you through everything we are taking and why plus some tips that we have learned along the way. A couple changes of clothes, toiletry essentials and of course “tech” will be all that is on the menu. Packing light is both essential as well as very liberating. There won’t be a lot of wasted decision making when it comes to what to wear tomorrow. If we need anything along the way, our plan is to purchase, use and discard or give away on our way out.

This leaves us with a whole lot of preparation on the road. We have always known that we would be doing it this way, just not this soon. A schedule that serves as a guide only and will never bet set in stone allows for flexibility should one destination be more attractive then another.

As I write this, we are 24 days from heading south in my pickup with belongings in tow. Its Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and we have soooo much to be thankful for. Our friends and family that support our #decisions, the ability to still have an income while traveling and again, being truly blessed that this family has been brought together by chance for one purpose. This trip will open minds and enlighten all of us, of that you can be sure.