Everything that I wanted to pack.

The weeks and days flew by in the run up to the start of the trip and there was one thing that I was not looking forward to at all.  That was the packing.  How do you pack for a round the world trip?  Well…it wasnt easy.

To begin with I laid out everything that I wanted to take on the bed and begin the the task of rolling and packing into the backpack.  It quickly became apparent that I was going to have to be roofless with what I did and didn’t pack.  I would have to cut the load by half if I wanted to get the backpack closed.  I had also forgot to pack the copious amounts of malaria tables.

Cody was bored with the business of packing.

First went the bulky items, beach towel, hoodies, jeans etc, followed by the teeshirts.  It took 4 attempts to get everything in but several stressful hours later the bag had been packed.  The morning of my departure I took cold feet and packed it for a 5th time to trim down some excess clothing that I wouldn’t need.

The final result was a reasonably light, slightly bulging backpack.  All there was left to do was say the final goodbyes and head to the airport.

I’ll update soon on the events of the past week.  The Bangkok heat (and a stinking hangover) is making it difficult to concentrate.

The excitement about the trip has now turned into nerves (hopefully short-lived).  Its really started to hit home now that I in a few weeks time I’ll be leaving my job and jetting off around the world.  They really started to kick in when my job was advertised in the paper and the applications came flooding in.   I’ve also been sitting in on the interviews which has made me a bit uncomfortable because, essentially, I’m interviewing someone who’ll be taking desk and doing my job.  Never thought I’d feel so territorial about my work.  Ha ha.  My boss has already kindly agreed that he would keep a position open for me but I can’t help but think about the “what if he doesn’t” situations.  That’s a risk that comes with the territory I suppose.  I’ve wanted to go travelling for years and I’ll regret it if I don’t do it.  Now or never I guess.

Work has been hectic over the past few weeks and I’ve been busy making sure everything is sorted before I leave.  I’ll definitely appreciate the trip all the more now as a result.  I was hoping things would have slowed down a bit on the run up to Christmas but it seems to have gotten worse.

With regards to the trip, all the big stuff is sorted now; passport, Australia working visa, TEFL certificate (just one more module to do), insurance, backpack etc.  That just leaves the smaller stuff to get sorted.  I’ve been picking up bits and pieces over the past few week, surfing travel blogs, and preparing myself mentally for going.  I’ve also managed to get my finances in order and ensured that I have enough to cover any bills for at least 12 months so I don’t have to worry about  them when I’m away.

As for itinerary developments…well, we are still stuck at the Bangkok part (the second destination on our itinerary.  We aren’t exactly sure of the route to take from there.  Rough plan is to head up through northern Thailand into Laos, then down through Vietnam and Cambodia.  We are planning on teaching in Cambodia to ease the burden on our budget so were aren’t sure of our exact timing for there yet. The “Southeast Asia on a Shoestring” Lonely Planet guidebook just arrived so hopefully it will shed some light on key destinations and activities.

Hopefully we'll be able to find a free spot on a beach like this.

For anyone visiting the blog for the first time you may be wondering what it is about.  Well…in short, we will be embarking on an around the world adventure on the 16th January 2010 (just under 7 weeks away!).  We have been blogging about our preparations and other random musings on the run up to the departure and will continue to blog here throughout the trip.

From here, our friends, family and anyone else who’s interested will be able to keep up to date on what we’ll be getting up to as we make our way around the world.  The site will also serve as a bit of a memory bank for our adventure since I have a memory like a fish.

Keeping up to date

Any updates to the site will automatically be posted to Twitter and Facebook so don’t forget to follow me on Twitter.

You can also keep up to date the old fashioned way by signing up for email updates.

For the more tech savy people, you can also subscribe you our RSS feeds.

Areas of interest

Some parts of the site that you might want to check out include:

About us – More information about the site
Our Itinerary – See where exactly we are going (coming soon)
From the beginning… Donna’s account of how the trip came about
Going round the world – how it started… My side of the story
Photo Gallery – This section will be updated with pictures and videos from the trip

Don’t forget to check back frequently to follow our progress.  You can also leave comments on any of our updates by using the comments section at the bottom of each entry.

Donna recently invested in a backpack just like this. She still thinks it might be a bit on the small side.

Time is flying by at the minute.  I think it must be down to being so busy in work with conferences (8 in 8 weeks and counting), countless brochures, Northern Ireland Yearbook, re-branding, white van man and general technical ‘go to’ guy.  Never a dull moment.  I don’t mind so much because I know that come the 16th January I will be starting the RTW adventure.

The planning and preparation has taken a bit of a lull lately as I’ve been struggling on with the TEFL course.  I’ve finally got  through the nightmare that was the grammar theory and have found the following sections a little easier.  I’ve still go a lot more of the course to do though so I’ll have to keep cracking on with it.  Minus craic but quite possibly vital if we want to earn some funds during our trip.

As for the rest of the planning…well…as I’ve already said, we’ve reached a bit of a lull.  We still need to sort out working Visas for Australia and suss out the various other visas for South-East Asia.  We have however managed to  book accommodation for our arrival in Bangkok.  After some searching on the Lonely Planet forums I managed to find a few recommendations and we finally settled for the Suk11 hostel.  It seems to have good reviews (as far as hostels go) and it looks cool too, check out their pictures on the website.  It was also quite reasonably priced (£6 per night) and is well located.  There was cheaper ones to be found but we though this offered the best value as it includes breakfast, unique looking and was centrally located.  We have booked 4 nights accommodation their but could possibly extend our stay there or move to another hostel depending on the sights to be seen in Bangkok.

Donna and I are both keen not to keep our itinerary fairly loose and opting for the ‘on a whim’ approach instead.  We still want to see all the key sights but don’t want to be tied down too much by accommodation ties and a strict itinerary.

Social life has taken a bit of a hit recently because I’ve been working instead of spending.  I’ve had quite a few discos over the past few weeks which helps the finances.  I’m also doing another one this weekend for Halloween, not good for the social life but great for the pocket.  I’m not that bothered about going out any more because I know that the more I save now, the more I’ll be able to spend when I’m away.   I’m also enjoying the geeky goodness that the PS3 has to offer in the form of the gaming masterpiece that is Uncharted 2.

On a side note, the website will be officially launching in a couple of weeks (after I’ve broke the news to my work) and there are a few tweaks, additions, and improvement that still need to be made. I’m thinking of introducing Google AdSense to see if we can earn a little pocket money while we are away.  We’re also hoping to introduce a Donate button just incase our friends and family feel sorry for our poverty stricken adventure and want to give us a morale boost.  Hint hint.

As you may already know, its been quite a few years since I left school.  I finished high-school in 1999 (10 years ago!) to go onto college, then university. I assume that I was taught grammar, and its various functions at some stage in high-school but can’t remember anything about them.  I obviously know how to write reasonably well and believe that I am more than capable of stringing together a few sentences (although Donna the grammar Nazi will probably suggest otherwise).  The only problem is that I’ve forgotten the meaning of the various grammatical terms, despite being able to use them in practice.

I’m now in the thick of the TEFL course and  have been taken aback by just how much I have forgotten and the sheer quantity of different grammar rules and structures.  Infact I’ve forgotten so much that I’m actually struggling to get through the grammar section of the course.  Its not helping that e-learning is the last thing you want to settle down and do after you’ve already spend a tough day in the office.

Anyway…I’ve got no other choice but to knuckle down and get on with it .

Other plans and preparation have come to a bit of a standstill as a result of the course but we’ll have to refocus on them shortly to ensure that we are fully prepared for the trip.   Fairly high on the agenda will be investigating visas and sorting out any that we are required to have before we start the trip.  We’ve also decided to go for an Australian working visa just incasewe need to find work in Australia too.

Less than 3 months to go now and still quite a lot to get sorted! Exciting stuff!

Lots of updates since I last graced the site with my words of wisdom. Just a little update in terms of timescale to highlight how long since I blogged…

The X Factor has actually surpassed the auditions, boot camp and first live final 12 show, Claire Hudson has been in Liverpool for nearly 2 months and we’re into double figures on the aul countdown til Jan 16th.

All in all it’s been a busy few weeks with the preparation for going away. As you’ve probably read from previous posts we’ve changed our ideas about working while we’re away.

After some careful consideration…we’ve decided to do the TEFL course and try to get a job in Thailand (or surrounding areas).

Thinking back to this time last year when Shauneen was scouring Australia for a job and getting knocked back from McDonalds, this semi-decent opportunity of finding work in S.E Asia seems quite appealing.

Now, the theory part is great….the quizzes aren’t unfortunately. After 3 attempts… I still haven’t passed. Shame shame I know. I really need to go back and read over it. But I’m gonna save TEFL ranting for a totally different blog! (which you can read by choice lol)

Also in my absence from being a regular borebag blogger….quite ironically, I’ve become a bit of one in the real world.  It’s the ‘sitting in and saving stage’ of the trip preparation.  With a warm welcome return to all my favourite brainless tv shows at the weekends I’ve actually not reached the ‘tearing my hair out and wanting to get wrote off the map for everyone else’s amusement stage’ of the preparation malarky…..yet.

I’m looking forward to my fav holiday of the year HALLOWEEN! This is my get outta jail free card and hopefully promises to follow in the tradition of beezer craic from years gone by.

In other travelling news, I eventually made it to the nurse’s to get my injections. I think I’m covered for most tropical diseases but no doubt something life threatening will be evented just in time for us landing in some random shanty town. I’m sure the local chemist will have a cream for it! haha

On that delightful note I am going to go to sleep. Tis tough getting into work for 8am these days….but on the bright side there’s only another 86 days until I finish work for a year!!!!!!

As you are probably all probably more than aware of, the global economy is in a bit of a poor state.  We’ve been hearing reports left, right and centre that backpackers in Australia and New Zealand are finding it difficult to find work at the minute.  The main reason for this being that jobs which were usually reserved for backpackers are now being taken (rightfully so) by locals.

Donna recently visited a overseas work fair in Belfast and came back with the suggestion of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in Thailand.  She sounded pretty sold on the fact that we could teach for 1 term in Thailand.  USIT are offering a *deal* in which you pay £1000 and they provide you with TEFL training and qualifications  and guaranteed accommodation and job with wages of at least 15,000 baht (£280 approx).  I have to admit that I was less than sold on the idea, mainly due to the fact of the initial £1000 outlay and the fact that we don’t really seem to have any say in where we are placed or what type of school we are placed in.  From browsing Thorn Tree forums I also discovered that 15,000 baht would be difficult to live on.

TEFL was something that I had never thought of or considered for this trip, even though I think that its something I would enjoy.  Admittedly its taking some time getting my head around the idea that we have the option of doing this instead of working in Australia or New Zealand.

I don’t like the risk of paying out a large lump sum and placing our fate in someone elses hands as to where we are placed.  I much prefer to do the TEFL course and then find a job ourselves.  From browsing through the Thorn Tree forums I discovered that Cambodia have 6-8 week school terms and offer a rate of pay that would would allow us to live and possibly save a little too.  This obviously would be the better, more flexible option.

I’m also slightly concerned that spending such a long time in such a different culture could prove difficult.

Decisions decisions.  We’ll have to sort something out soon though.

No fun at all

Its been a tough month since Donna and I are taking part in the so-called “Shoestring September” we are only allowed to get by on £10 per week (excluding Diesel money) .  Getting by on a budget like this during the week is fine but when it comes to the weekend, its no fun at all.  This is especially true when you know all you mates are going out and you’ve opted to sit in.

I keep trying to tell myself that it’ll be worth it when I’m off round the world enjoying myself but in the mean time its just shite.  Sometimes you need to socialise and have a few drinks to unwind from a hectic week at work.  It’s now been 3 weeks since I was last out in a bar and I really could do with a pint.

Looking forward to the first weekend in October so I can enjoy a night out without worrying about a budget (even though I really should be). From now on I will have to settle for one good night out each month to get me through until we depart.  It will all be worth it in the end.

In the meantime I’ve been amusing myself with other peoples travel blogs. One in particular that I stumbled upon with thank to Lonely Planets Thorn Tree forums was “Crusoe’s Diary“.  Crusoe travelled around SE Asia for 6 weeks during the summer and from the sound of it he had a ball!  It is all well chronicled in his blog.  He has a humorous writing style and certainly had some entertaining stories to write about.  I really like the way that he seemed to wing it most of the time, took a few chances and generally went with the flow.  He also seemed to be on a budget like we will be so it was interesting to read how he managed to get by on a shoestring.  Entertaining reading and well worth a look if you are planning  on doing some travelling in SE Asia, or even if you just suffer from wanderlust.

Inspired by Crusoe’s blog I am wanting to learn a little but more about places to visit in SE Asia and am planning on purchasing a few Lonely Planet or Rough Guide books when I next get paid.

We’re back into conference season in work and the days are flying by because we are so busy between preparing for the conferences, working on the magazine, designing conference brochures and every other random IT task in between.  Its been an intense and stressful few months and is looking like the next few months is going to be just as hectic (but hopefully not as stressful).

In one way I’m glad that things are so hectic at the minute because I’ll appreciate the break when January 16th does come.  I just hope it doesn’t get any more crazy cause I’m not sure I can handle it.  I might just crack up.  I’m looking forward to the change of routine and being able to try something new.

Saying that there is still plenty to be organising for the trip to keep me going.  We still have to study up on our destinations and find out exact places we want to visit and figure out things we want to be doing.  Vaccinations still need to be sorted and we also need to consider booking an adventure trip.

I’d really like to do some sort of charity or volunteer work when I’m away but I’m not so sure about the fund raising part that would be required to take part in one.

In an extremely odd sunny day (for Belfast) I took to the seaside with Lisa and Caoimhe. Bending budget was at the back of my mind but I started as I meant to go on. I stole 3 magnums outta the freezer for us.

Note to anyone reading this- magnums make ya thirsty so do bring accompanying water with you. I did not do such things and ended up buying a drink and giving into a magners! I’m starting the week in minus figures now cuz im going to the cinema as well!

Isn’t there some stretching I can do since GL has petrol money? Hmmm maybe this can be my wildcard for the month! Damn you really do have to be a hermie for this tenner thing to work! lol

I bet he’s bought summat at the chinese dinner thing – I just hope it matches my ludacris spending!!