world travels

It's been hard to keep up with my blog recently. I haven't been doing anything too exciting and work has consumed me for the last several months. But not for too much longer. Hence this post.

For a very long time I've been wanting to travel around the world. After the first few years living in NYC after college, I figured I'd save up some money and take off. Except that didn't happen. Life got in the way and 10 years later, I'm still working and living in NYC. Which has been pretty great mind you. I think that's why the last decade went by so fast. 

But I'm now 33 and it's time to make this dream of mine a reality. 

I quit my job and in less than one week, I'm getting on a plane with a one-way ticket. I'm going to be running, blogging, taking photos, trying all sorts of food, experiencing local culture, trying beers, and whatever else I can think of.  

So yes, you have questions. And since my FAQ to my friends and family seemed to be a hit, I'm going to do it here as well. 

How long are you gone for? 
I'm not sure. Probably around 6 months or so. I have a tentative itinerary, but want to remain somewhat flexible. I want to meet people, learn and absorb the local cultures. I don't want to feel like I'm rushing through this experience.

Where are you going? 
First stop will be Istanbul. From there I'll explore some more of Turkey and then head to Israel and Jordan. And this is all I have figured out for the moment. Thenprobably onto India and Sri Lanka (maybe Nepal?). For the longest time I've been wanting to go to Southeast Asia, so will be exploring as much as possible. And why not run a marathon and spend Christmas in Thailand? Then spend the New Year in Australia and New Zealand. South America is going to be my last continent before I come back home. 

Tentative itinerary follows. 

September: Turkey

October: Israel/Jordan/Sri Lanka

November: India/Myanmar/Vietnam

December: Malaysia/Cambodia/Thailand

January: Australia/New Zealand

February: Ecuador/Peru

March: Argentina/Chile

I welcome any and all suggestions of where to go and things to do!

Why aren't you going to Italy (because really aren't you just doing Eat, Pray, Love)? 
I've been very fortunate to have spent a lot of time in Europe from studying abroad, going on vacations, and traveling for work. My only technical stop in Europe will be Istanbul. I really want to explore parts of the world that I haven't seen yet.

Are you going by yourself?
Yes, I am. I know. I know. I'll be safe. I'd like to think 10 years in NYC has given me some good life experience. I know safety is a concern and I plan to be smart about my travels. But this is something I don't want to distract me from the experience. And I won't always be alone. I will meet new people, and also meet up with friends and family around the world. 

What are you bringing? 

I have a long list of items that I will be squeezing into one large and one small backpack. Yes, that's it. Don't judge when you see me wearing the same clothes, over and over in photos. 

Are you running on this trip? 

We all know the answer to that one. I have signed up for the Chiang Mai Marathon, which is on December 20th. I officially kick off marathon training about 2 weeks ago. I imagine I'll be in a different place each weekend for my long run, which will be pretty cool. I also want to find races leading up the big one in different countries to really see what the running culture is like around the world. 

This sounds amazing and I want to follow you along on your adventure. How do I do that? 
That's obvious. Follow my blog. You can also find me on other social media. Warning: you may get sick of all the photos I'll be posting. 

That is it for now. Keep coming back to get updates!