Tag Archives: travel planning

Back on track!

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I am very grateful for the kind words and resources that have been sent my way since my little meltdown. I am feeling rejuvenated and refocused. I have been a busy little bee the past two days and booked all my travel and accommodations through March 22nd. My friend Jon is meeting me in Rome on March 13th, I am so grateful that I will have a piece of home here and to have someone to indulge with! I’m not sure that I would have taken such a vacation without him. It’s given me a little guiding light through the next few weeks. It’ll be a quick but amazing week – Rome, Cinque Terre and Venice!

These are my plans from now until March 22nd, any recommendations on what to see and do in these places would be greatly appreciated!

2/27 train from Augsburg and to Frankfurt – visiting a childhood friend from Connecticut that now lives there
3/1 bus to Berlin
3/5 bus to Warsaw – I will visit a mural that my best friend spent 3 summers working on that now hangs in the new Jewish museum
3/7 bus to Krakow
3/8 day trip to Auschwitz and the salt mines
3/9 train to Prague
3/13 flight to Rome
3/13 – 3/22 vacation in Italy with Jon!

Panic

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I’ll be honest, the reality of being alone for 3 months… traveling in foreign speaking countries while still having to work at an intensely stressful, full time job has set in. Part of the reason I choose to embark on this journey was to challenge myself outside of my comfort zone, to live life in the moment instead of according to my plans. But then I got to Europe, with no plans past my arrival in Germany and my departure from London and started to realize how much that actually terrifies me. I am grateful that my first stop in Europe is with someone I know who has been an amazing host and made me feel truly at home. I’ve started to do research on the next stops – how to get there and where to stay. It’s overwhelming to say the least. I also underestimated how expensive travel and hostels would be, especially considering I need to ensure that I will have a WiFi connection for work. I just need to breathe. When I started this journey, I had to tell myself, that whatever I see and experience will be enough. But now that I have arrived, it’s hard to remember that. I don’t know if I’ll ever afford to be back here and I want to make the most of every moment. But doing so while working 8 hours a day is both mentally and physically exhausting.

Confessions of an over packer

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I tend to be an over packer. I like to bring every amenity I might like to use while traveling and an outfit for every occasion. I left San Francisco with a giant red suitcase almost at weight capacity, a stuffed 45 liter pack and a backpack. Determined to be able to truthfully state that I ‘backpacked through Europe’… I had to figure out a way to downsize my life and my work (mobile office) into 2 carry-ons. Oy! I began by placing everything I wanted to take on the bed and what I knew could be left behind in the red suitcase at my mom’s house. I painstakingly mulled over the pile a few times… making several passes at what was strewn before me… hmming and hawing then bringing in a good friend for a second opinion to really draw the line between was wanted and what was needed. The main criteria was for each item to have a multipurpose or be super necessary. I packed my life into my 45 liter pack from Costco and my work into a school size back pack. Surprisingly, only each pack is 1/2 full which leaves plenty of room for the trinkets and presents I’ll pick up along the way. Not bad at all for an over-packer (and over-thinker!)!

in 45 liter pack:
-1 pair of stylish boots (for daily wear)
-1 pair of sneakers (for exercise & walking around)
-1 pair of black flip flops (for dresses, warmer weather & showers)
-2 dresses (1 casual & 1 fancy)
-1 thin, stylish hoodie
-1 nice, outerwear jacket
-1 cute cardigan sweater
-1 fashion scarf
-1 pair of jeans
-1 pair of jeggings (for traveling + sleeping)
-1 pair of shorts (for hot weather or running)
-1 pair of capri pants (for running or sleeping)
-1 fancy tank top
-2 tanks tops / under shirts
-1 long sleeve shirt
-2 blouses (for evening)
-3 cotton blouses (for day)
-2 cotton t-shirts (for relaxing, sleeping or exercising)
-1 workout tank top
-1 sports bra
-1 tan bra
-1 bathing suit
-1 camping towel (for the beach and showering)
-21 pairs of underwear
-14 pairs of socks
-1 reusable shopping bag for dirty laundry
-1 toiletry bag containing: deodorant, a razor with extra blades, shampoo, facewash, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, QTips, tampons, nail file, prescribed anti-anxiety medication, comb, extra hair elastics, a headbands, bobby pins, makeup and some jewelry

in backpack (also to use in smaller day trips while traveling):
-purse (containing ID, passport, hand sanitizer, sunglasses + wallet)
-computer + charger
-iPad
-phone + charger
-wall outlet adapter
-headphones
-sweet leather fanny pack (to make touring easier)
-leather journal
-hello / goodbye book for memories + notes from people I meet along my journey
-blank watercolor postcard
-watercolor travel kit
-1 reusable plastic water bottle

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Working in the future

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Many people are curious as to how I can afford 6 months of traveling. The truth is… I can’t. BUT I am fortunate to work for a company that is ‘cloud based’, meaning I can technically work from anywhere so long as I have internet access. We have no central office, but the majority of my co-workers are based in the Bay Area. So, I will be working while I am traveling. Luckily, I am a bit of a work-a-holic and haven’t taken a full vacation in almost two years so I have about a month of time saved up. I will only be staying in hostels or places that have WiFi and will be taking long weekends or early days here and there (definitely planning to take a week off in Italy!). I had to create a REALLY thorough travel plan (a google doc actually, being the OCD Virgo that I am) detailing timezones and schedules to ensure I am as available as possible to my co-workers and clients in Pacific time. Even though Australia is almost a full day ahead, I’ll actually be able to work a somewhat normal schedule there (8am – 5pm). I had to take a vacation day on every Friday that I am ‘down under’ since Friday in California would actually be Saturday in Australia (and “I don’t roll on Shabbos!”). Europe will prove to be a bit more difficult as it’s 8-9 hours ahead depending on the country. This means I’ll need to work from 1pm to 10pm. On the bright side, I will have the morning free and I know most of the nightlife doesn’t begin until late anyway.

I’ll be honest, it’s a difficult mindset to be working in a separate timezone. Since December 7th, I’ve been working in the Eastern time and just the three hour difference has proven interesting! I’ve worked late nights before, but doing so on a consistent basis so that I am available in the Pacific work day is going to certainly require some shifting in my brain and routine. I’m grateful to have co-workers who have not only been supportive and encouraging but are also being flexible in their schedules so that I won’t have to attend any 4am conference calls!  It will probably be the craziest four months of my life (and most of the time I will probably forget where I am in time and space), but I already know it will be worth the hectic and sometimes maddening moments or exhausting days!

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Game on

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My epic preparation to do list is complete! All of my ducks are in a row for my departure on January 27th and I’m ready to begin to the travel planning for Europe. Any and all recommendations or words of advice are welcome!

Travel tip for fellow work-cationers (those with mobile offices that are traveling): I also switched from Verizon to TMobile because they offer free data and texting while traveling internationally. Calling is free when connected to Wifi or $0.20 / minute otherwise. I am thrilled to have discovered this in my research as it will be great to keep my current phone number for work accessibility to my clients and co-workers.

It seems as if the stars just keep aligning on this journey! There are two weeks left before departure and I can breathe a bit knowing that I am as ready as I’ll ever be.

Time Capsules

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I am packing up my life here in San Francisco, leaving it in a storage facility, unsure of when I’ll see it again. For all intents and purposes, I’m leaving a time capsule. It got me to thinking about the other unintentional time capsules I have created – one in the basement of my Uncle’s apartment building in 2003 when my mom and I moved in with her boyfriend and the other in my best friend’s mother’s basement in 2012 when I decided to move to San Francisco. When I go back to Connecticut in January, I’ll actually have to sort through both. I’m so curious to know what I thought was so important to save and store since I literally have no idea what could be in those boxes. This is also making me question my packing choices at the moment.

Should I leave a note in their for my future self? 🙂

I am leaving my heart in San Francisco

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Being the over-achieving OCD Virgo that I am, I naturally crossed off about 70% of my moving and traveling to do list within one week of being back from my SoCal trip. I have packed as much as I can possibly pack that’s not in use (mind you, we don’t move until the end of the month). I sat in my living room on Thursday night, surrounded by boxes and totes, and thought… a lot. I’ve been so excited about going traveling that I hadn’t realized that it meant leaving my life as it is now – a life that is full of love, fun and amazing people. I have been so wrapped up in the romance of my travels that I failed to realize that I was giving up the first apartment I have felt at home in, missing out on a life in San Francisco that I cherish each day and risking change (for better or worse) in my relationships as they are now. People have been saying how ‘brave’ I am for making this decision, but I have realized – it is not the going that is courageous, it is the leaving. It’s easier to make bold decisions when you are unhappy, like I did when I decided to leave Providence for San Francisco… but when you are happy with your life? Oh man… to leave it behind, even if it is to chase my dreams of traveling… Well, I am just beginning to realize how hard that really is. I suppose I should consider how blessed I am to have people who make saying ‘goodbye’ (or even ‘see you later’) so difficult. And while intellectually I know that if it is meant to be, I will find a way to reclaim my life in San Francisco, my heart can’t help but feel a bit torn (cue Tony Bennett’s I left my Heart in San Francisco). San Francisco, I leave you my heart… but I’m taking my curious nature, thirst for adventure and generous spirit with me.

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Preparing for 6 months of travel: the ever-growing to do list

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I’m freakishly organized. As in, I actually enjoy making lists and creating organizational systems. Since the day I bought my tickets, I have been updating a list of all the things I need to do in temporarily wrapping up my life in San Francisco before embarking on this crazy journey. The list just keeps on growing… any volunteers to be my personal assistant for the next month?

-cancel gym membership
-email landlord with 30 days notice
-figure out what to do with my car
-have oil changed and scheduled maintenance done on car
-figure out where to forward my mail
-change mailing address in all accounts and make request to forward with USPS
-check up with doctor
-teeth cleaning
-see if health insurance covers my internationally
-cancel cell phone
-cancel Comcast & utilities
-purchase travel case for computer
-contact credit cards to alert them of travel
-purchase wall adapter for chargers
-find storage unit
-change renter’s insurance to cover storage unit instead of apartment
-schedule movers
-sell furniture and items I will not be packing
-research international calling plans
-review time zones and figure out work schedule
-plan awesomest going away party ever

Sometimes, you just have to say “fuck it”

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When you’ve dreamt of something for as long as you can remember and you’re teetering on the edge of big life decisions… sometimes the best solution is to slug back a few glasses of wine and say “fuck it”. That’s what I did last Tuesday evening when I charged airplane tickets to my credit card for 2 months of visiting family and friends along the east coast, 3 weeks in Australia and 3 months in Europe!

As said best in Billy Joel’s ‘Vienna’ (a longtime inspiration of mine) – “You can get what you want, or you can just get old.”  I’ve learned that time is the most precious resource I have – both abundant and limited in the same regard – I’m thrilled to be taking full advantage of mine. And while it’s one of the crazier moves I’ve ever made, it feels right like the right time to take the right risk.

And hey – some of the best decisions I’ve made have been while intoxicated, so let’s hope this one follows suits (I mean, that one way ticket to San Francisco turned out to be the greatest choice ever, right??). Drunken courage surely takes action for the sober heart! 

I’ll spend the next two months packing up a storage unit (sadly giving up a great apartment), figuring out what to do with my car and sorting out the hundreds of little details to leave my life in San Francisco not knowing where I’ll be when I return in June. I’m lucky and grateful to have a remote job so I will be able to continue working during this time and will also be tapping into my abundant bank of vacation hours (cheers to being a workaholic and having that shit saved up).

I’m also beyond grateful that I will be spending long overdue time with family and friends all over the world and very excited for the new connections I will make! I’m already overwhelmed with the love, support and offers that have come in within a week of making this decision – I’ll keep everyone posted throughout this process and of course when the traveling starts. Cheers to adventure and bold decisions!

Flight itinerary:

12/7 San Francisco –> Maryland to visit Kaley and my nieces
12/14 Maryland –> Florida to visit my grandparents and Ashley for Christmas
12/28 Florida –> Detroit to get a New Years kiss from Jon
1/4 Detroit –> Connecticut to visit friend and family for 3 weeks (hoping to make it up to Rhode Island to visit Josh’s restaurant in Newport and reunite with friends in Providence after 4 years of being gone)
1/27 Connecticut –> Australia for 3 weeks of adventure with Nicola!
2/16 Australia –> Germany to begin 3 months of European travels!
5/9 London –> Connecticut for a few weeks before returning to California

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Activating the Law of Attraction

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“The law of attraction is simple – whatever you project energetically or put your energy towards whether that be positive or negative you will attract. What you project is what you receive. A vision board is simply to help set our intentions for the way we want to live, and for our brains to pick up on that and make it happen. The vision board therefore, is to help our brains recognize what it is we want to make true in our lives. It helps us unconsciously move towards our dreams in a very real and powerful way.  The purpose of a vision board is to realize your future, and to activate the law of attraction and move from day dreaming to living your dreams.”

-Mary Crimmins, Fellow Blogger

I created my ‘vision board‘ in the same week that I started this blog. Ironically enough, I did not set out to do so. I thought it would be a good idea to print out maps to get a sense of not only where I would like to go but where I thought my social network could come in handy. I highlighted where I had been and outlined where I would like to go. I started creating pinpoints in places where I had people I could stay with or where I knew friends had traveled and could offer advice. A cork board that my roommate had given me seemed the best place to tack these maps on – and voilà – my vision board was created!

I stare at it several times a day with excitement and a tinge of anxiety. I’m setting forth my intentions into the world and here is where you all (all of the extraordinary people I’ve been blessed with in my life) come in. Send me your stories and advice! Where have you traveled? Where would you like to go? What must I absolutely see or do? Do you have advice on hostels or know of a couch I can crash on? Do you know of any good websites or travel options to help with planning? Anything! I’m seeking to pick the brains and generosity of all of my connections and their connections and their connections…. You get the idea. So comment on my blog or page… send an email or a facebook message… text or call me… send a note via carrier pigeon – whatever you prefer!

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