FAQs

Why are you doing this?
We've had a dream of doing some long term travel for a long time. Years ago we had hoped to do it with the kids but Mike wasn't able to get a leave of absence. We've wanted to go back to India for a while and since we're in the neighborhood we might as well go over to SE Asia. We want to check out possible places to spend a few months in future winters. We have the time. Because it is there. Because we can.

How much have you planned in advance?
Not much. We bought a one way ticket to India and a few train tickets that will cover the first few weeks. We do have a couple of nights lodging in Mumbai arranged. We'll book hotels a couple of days in advance once we get there. We want to stay flexible in case we hear about something interesting from another traveler or we want to stay in a place for longer or change our itinerary all together.

Isn't that an awfully long time to be gone?
Yes. We are a little nervous about traveling for that long. The longest time we've ever been gone before was a month. But then it also doesn't seem like long enough to see all of the things we want to see.

How can you afford this?
We've saved for a while and are on strict budget. Our budget is $100/day. Some days we'll spend more but most day we hope to spend way less than that. We'll stay in affordable family run guesthouses, ride local transportation and eat street food. The countries we plan to visit happen to be some of the cheapest travel destinations in the world. In fact one of Mike's favorite travel books is The World's Cheapest Destinations: 21 Countries Where Your Money is Worth a Fortune by Tim Leffel. This book has lead us to travel in Turkey, Honduras and Ecuador- places we might have not otherwise considered. We also have used the book How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter by Matt Kepnes and The Food Traveler’s Handbook: How to find cheap, safe and delicious food anywhere in the world by Jodi Ettenberg as well as many other websites and blogs.

Aren't you afraid of _________?
Mike's doesn't get too worried about anything. I worry about illness especially since Mike is what the CDC calls "an adventurous eater." He promises to be more careful this time but he won't. We're taking a bag of medicine so hopefully we won't be down for long when we get Delhi Belly (or whatever they call it in SE Asia.) I don't worry about terrorist attacks or plane crashes. I do worry about ferry and bus rides. Mike is required to put on his headlamp and  check every inch of every guesthouse we stay in for spiders, snakes etc. We've purchased travel insurance. We are a little worried that we're trying to see too much but can slow things down if it feels like we're trying to cram too much in.

What are you taking?
Not much. I travel with a 34L backpack. Mike's duffel is even smaller. A few outfits, a bathing suit, a couple of pairs of sandals and hat are my only clothes. We're taking a small laptop for blogging, a camera and a Kindle. Guidebooks. A bag of medicine. A snorkel. A headlamp. My haircare products (this drives Mike crazy but is an absolute necessity.) A bunch of little stuff we'll cram in at the last minute. I'll take a picture of our stuff before we go and post it.

What about Charlie?
He'll go to Louisville to stay with Quinn. He'll be able to go to work with her and there are lots of parks for him to run in. Our friends, Christy and Eric are moving in and will keep an eye on the house.

 

What if you get sick of traveling or each other?
Since we have very loose travel plans we can settle down in one place for awhile, change our plans or even come home if we want to. We've enjoyed each others company while traveling in the past. Mike is always saying "what could possibly go wrong?" While I have a good imagination for what can go wrong I'll try to live by that motto.

Any other questions, comments, concerns?