Beginning the Next Adventure...

Today is the day I step into Vancouver Airport once more, and head off into the unknown!
I'm nervous, excited, and...nervous! As per usual.
I never feel very brave when it comes time to actually leave my country (and comfort zone). I haven't slept well for the past week, worrying about things I'm forgetting, thinking about just how long 6 months is, and wondering how all the logistics will come together. I always get like this. I get the stomach willies when I start counting down the days, or hours.
Sometimes, when I start thinking about how I don't know anyone, I don't speak the language, and I don't know the culture, and I'm going to have to do all this learning and adjusting, and its going to be so exhausting, its hard for me to remember that I actually enjoy this!

This old North Face Terra 30 pack has gone with me everywhere...
though technically it is 30L, like Hermione Granger's bag it has magical properties
that allow it a certain "wiggle room". I can't believe how much fits in there. 

Much like my struggle to exercise regularly, getting out the door is the hardest part, and it will feel great once I get out there! I know that I will have a great time, be challenged, meet new friends, and go outside my comfort zone again, and again. I know that I will be glad I did this, and it will be a great adventure!

Bangkok, here I come!

A Last Ditch Attempt to Get the Travel Bug Out of My System

When I planned my South America trip last year, I intended for it to be a productive hiatus from studying, which would also scratch the travel itch that had been worsening. I was supposed to hit the books again come September.
But...you know how it is. When you scratch it, the itch gets worse! By the time I fly back into Canada in April, I was pretty sure my semester-long break was going to be extended.

I worked my usual cooking gig in the treeplanting camp for the spring and summer, visited lots of relatives and roadtripped down to the Oregon Coast in August, and now its September!
What have I been doing? Researching, planning, making lists, and shopping for new gear. What for? Well...

As of today, its official- in just over 2 weeks I'm heading out on another backpacking adventure!
I will fly into Bangkok, the capital of Thailand on October 2, and begin my travels through Southeast Asia that may last as long as 6 months!
Like my trip to South America, I am traveling solo and hoping to do some volunteering, treks, and tasting of the delicious local dishes!

So far my intinerary includes a month of volunteering in Bangkok, hopefully meeting up with some contacts for a local's-eye look at Vietnam, chilling out in Laos, popping over to Myanmar/Burma for a glimpse of the country that has only relatively recently become tourist-friendly, another couple weeks exploring the rest of Thailand, visiting Angkor Watt in Cambodia, tasting the wild variety of street food and outdoor adventures in Malaysia, and flying to the Phillipines for some sweet, sweet beach time! I don't know all the details yet, but I am pretty excited about everything, and I know it will be a crazy and awesome adventure!

While I'm not making any promises, I am hoping that I will maintain the blog a little better than last time seeing as I've purchased a new Samsung tablet which, unlike the last device, is compatible with Blogger (and Skype!!!). I have also ordered a keyboard for it, which will make typing up a blog post much faster and less of a nuisance than tapping away on a touchscreen. I should also be able to upload photos to it, so it will be awesome to share some visual updates on the road! 

Now to figure out which vaccinations to get, how to vote when I'm away, purchase travel equipment without blowing the budget, and all that fun stuff... :)

The End of an Era

I think its sad I've never written about my faithful adventure-mobile before now. Allow me to introduce Peppy, a beauty of a 1990 Honda Civic, that I acquired in 2008. As my first car, he holds a special place in my heart. We have had many ups and downs, including blown head gaskets, sliding into snowy ditches, and hitting an unknown (small) creature at high speeds in the middle of the night that haunts me to this day (definitely not a person, don't worry).

One major down was the time the safety catch on his hood didn't latch properly, and when I was merging onto the highway it broke free and smoked my windshield. He was never quite the same after that... 

There were no red hoods to replace the broken one, so he got a white hood. That was ok. It gave him personality. 

Ok, so those were all bad times. But there were good times too. Especially the summer of '09, cruising in the island highway with my tunes blasting...or ripping down the old logging road to the Woodsman camp...or my first trip driving in Vancouver by myself...despite the fact that cars are horrendous money pits, I loved my little red Pepster. 

At the end of October, he suffered his last mishap. 

It wasn't even my fault. As I was driving to work, another car headed the opposite direction did not see me as they turned left...and smashed right into us. It could have been a lot worse, but seeing as Peppy was so old, the insurance company just wrote him off. Not worth fixing. Poor Peppy! In the photo you will notice Regis hanging from the rearview mirror. That was his hangout spot for many years. It was about a week after the accident that I was able to go and pick him up from the wrecking lot. Poor little monkey was nearly frozen and severely traumatized. Now he suffers from abandonment issues. 

It was sad to say goodbye to Peppy. He was old and not very flashy, but he was mine and he ran pretty good most of the time (thanks to my Dad). After he was gone I didn't know what I wanted. I looked at CRV's, Jetta's, even a couple Sunfires. I almost ended up with a newer Civic...but nothing seemed to work out quite right. Until Samantha.

A 2001 Acura Integra, she is quite a lot younger than Peppy and a whole lot prettier. I enjoyed the test drive,  but loved the fact that the previous owner had named her already (for the record I did not base my decision on that). I would never have thought of the name myself, but it does suit her, doesn't it?
Regis has happily taken up residence in his usual spot. I am appreciating having an adventure-mobile again.
Peppy will forever be in our hearts, but I will say that Samantha and her sweet sound system has made it easier to move on...

The Great Backpacking Adventure of June 2011

It is almost here.
Tomorrow I head down to Vancouver, and Thursday I will fly out...
I've packed my 30L backpack with (hopefully) everything I will need for the next 28 days...

It weighs about 25 lbs, and has a little extra space for souvenirs...

As for the destination, I hope you can read mirror image...

Backpacking

I confess: I am a terrible at packing, and I suffer from COPS. Chronic Over-Packing Syndrome, that is.

There are a few people out there that still mock me for one trip in particular, in the days before I owned a backpack. It may or may not have involved a large "wheelie" suitcase being lugged up a steep hillside covered in a foot or two of snow (I eventually had to hand it off to a kind gentleman *Thanks Dave* who took pity on me). In my defense, I had been told it would be fine to bring said suitcase. I had no idea we would be "off-roading".

About two years ago my adventurer brother, Mike, was working at an outdoor sports store and bought me an awesome 30L North Face backpack with his sweet discount. He even picked it out in my favorite shade of orange! What a guy.

However, due to my condition (COPS), 30L has never quite seemed to cut it. Somehow, things just seemed to fill too quickly. Perhaps this is partly due to my love of the bulky hoodie, or my penchant for bringing large books on long trips.
Or the fact that I am a super-klutz and always manage to spill food on myself, so I need that extra shirt, to clean myself up when the inevitable happens.
Or maybe because I always think I might need that 3rd pair of shoes, because the other 2 don't coordinate with that other pair of pants I'm bringing.
What if it gets really cold? I'm going to need another hoodie. What if its really hot? Maybe I should bring a skirt.
And I need to have a nice handbag, as well as my homemade shoulder bag, because what if I go out to a nice dinner while I'm away?

As you can see, it escalates quickly.

I asked my brother if I could borrow his 60L pack. I know myself too well.

On Sunday I looked up packing lists for the backpacking traveler.
Over and over again, the authors rammed into my head, "Necessities only! Pack light! Take half of what you think you need!"

I know that my upcoming trip would not allow packing frivolities. I'm going to have to be really strict with myself. Necessities only.  (Who am I kidding?? I've already put in a colorful scarf, and 2 headbands...they don't take up much space, right?) One site I found particularly informative and helpful was www.travelindependent.info. He wrote with the firm tone I needed to keep myself in line. Furthermore, he convinced me to take my own 30L pack. A scary thought.

Anyway, I did a packing test-run today. I don't have exactly everything I will be bringing, but it gave me a good idea. I actually succeeded in getting everything in there (with the exclusion of my tiny daypack/carry-on)! I was pretty impressed with myself. This is quite a triumph. I only cheated on a few items (including the headbands & scarf). It weighed approx. 25 lbs. I am a weakling, and that is heavy enough for me. I think I would crumple under the possibilities of the 60L pack!

One thing I have learned through this experience is quality over quantity!
I tend to buy lots of clothes, each for a different "need"...I think in the future I will have to just buy fewer, better quality items, that are more versatile. Its a process, I guess.

What about you? Have you learned the secrets of the light packer, or do you have COPS like me?

The Great Shoe Hunt

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have had a bit of trouble obtaining a new pair of hiking/travel shoes. The dilapidated Merrells I wore to the Bearcat caves were great shoes in their day....but that day is long since past. They've climbed to the top of Croagh Patrick, waded through a flooded road in Fermoy (they are not waterproof!), strolled the streets of Edinburgh, and served me well for many years. But the trials and trails have taken their toll, and the Merrells have become warped and worn.

I've been on the hunt for a replacement pair for a couple years now, but it hasn't been very urgent, and it always seemed like there was something else I needed more, to buy first. It was a pain (literally) when an adventure would come up and I didn't have the proper footwear, but I made do.

Now that my new travel adventure is looming in the near future, I knew that I had to invest in some decent shoes, and I needed to get them soon to break them in! I had only 3 criteria.

1. Waterproof (Gore-tex...its needs to breathe!)
2. Lightweight (I'm going to be doing a LOT of walking in them!)
3. Affordable (under $140, after tax)

I was down in Vancouver about 2 months ago, and managed to sneak in a quick visit to MEC. I figured they would have the best (and cheapest!) selection. I nabbed a pair of Timberlands for a good price, and was quite pleased with myself.

That is until I put their claim of "waterproof-ness" to the test, and they didn't stand up to the challenge.
I sent 'em packing, becoming a little ticked off at the $11 shipping/handling fee to get them back to Vancouver. Serves me right for buying from out of town I guess.

Round 2, I hit up Sport Chek and thought I had lucked out when I found a pair of North Face trail running shoes for $99 on sale. Perhaps feeling a bit over-eager, I purchased them, only to discover after a day of walking in them that they were a 1/2 size too small! I thought this would be easily remedied, but alas, the girl at the front desk told me they didn't have any more in the size I needed!

Despair reached an all-time high when I checked out the only 2 other stores in my lovely hometown that sell outdoor shoes and found none that met all 3 of my criteria. I went home empty-handed, in a fairly dark mood.

Today, feeling significantly less than optimistic, I decided to see if Sport Chek had anything new in that I could afford. I felt the store was mocking me when I spotted the North Face shoes on the wall, still going for the unreal price of $99.

On a whim, I turned to the salesperson and asked if they happened to have any of that shoe in the size I needed. She said she would check in the back...

And would you believe it, they DID have one pair! I was so excited!

Judging from the state of the box they came in, and the way the laces were all uneven, I think it must have been a return, but I don't even care. They are extremely comfortable, lightweight, waterproof, AND affordable! :D