Back in the Saddle

The air is crisper, days shorter, and my birth date is bearing down.  Time to get back to planning.  I will work on some surveys, tools, gadgets and other participatory prompts.  In the meantime, send thought or research-provoking comments.  I am looking for friends in Portland, family in British Columbia, that great Bed & Breakfast, a hidden island, themes, goals, cost-saving tips, all of the above.  Probably need a Sarah Palin reference now in here somewhere.  

Wow, how things change in a few months.   

I still don't have travel dates.  I am inclined to actually travel in summer when this destination will be a tad warmer, but my birthday is in January so I won't rule that month out, although my budget might.  

Let the games begin again.

WINNER!

Northwest North America!  Who could have guessed?

So, I suck at blogging.  It's been months.  But, I have been twittering, so there is that.  I plan to spend the Summer, enjoying Summer.  In Fall, I shall return in earnest to research Portland, British Columbia, Alaska, what else?  So many reasons to love the NWNA, and it never would have been my pick without all of you.  

For now a hiatus, until the travel bug starts to get back under my skin.  Standby.

Narrowing the Field

Thanks for your votes and narratives.  Based on extensive feedback, coupled with personal bias, I now have five contenders.  I am taking new votes and comments, but will also start to research each in more depth.   First, a few clarifications:

1.  Mike will travel with me.  Freddy will not.

2.  Except for major transport legs, we will spend most of the trip non-motorized- likely hiking and walking, perhaps canoeing or biking, depending on destination.  

3.  We would like to visit people you know, if you know people where we go.

4.  The time of year and length of trip will depend on where we go.

5.  We don't plan to tackle the entire scope of each choice- just quality time in a few spots within the selected region.

Send ideas, let me know if you have connections, help persuade me further.  It will be hard to narrow to a finalist, so I will need your help!

Greek Islands and New Zealand Shut Out

I got rid of the extremes,  eliminating destinations with only a few votes, but also axing the two with the most votes.  Yep, the Greek Islands and New Zealand / Australia are out.  Hey, they are my rules and I have my reasons.  Suffice to say that narrative comments often outweighed numbered votes.  I also think there is greater subtle interest in the places in between.  Plus, I had to cut somewhere, and that seemed to make this more interesting!  Bye-bye Mediterranean sails and kiwi adventures.  For what it's worth, I also cut Ireland and the Caribbean since I have been to each destination a few times.  Onward.

Hating on NYC

So.... the only choice with no votes at this point is New York City.  Curious.  I just can't figure it out.  But, you go with your big city hate.  There are no rules.  I guess you can support Al Qeada if you want.  Its America.  

Defending Southeast Asia

Players-  Only a handful of you have weighed in and already I am tantalized.  And horrified.  How could my list exclude what used to be on the top of my list?  That is - Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Well, I know how it happened.  I let you pick the starting list, not me.  I am not sure I am ready yet to relinquish control now that I realize the omissions.  What else is missing?  In fairness to my own self-imposed process, a friend did email yesterday making the case to add Vietnam.  So, I now consider it a viable write-in.  I know I will have to narrow it soon.  Just not yet.  Play on.

Let's Play

My voting list on the left reflects initial input from family and friends.  I eliminated places with offsetting positive and negative reviews. I axed a few places I have been already or know I don't want to visit for this trip.  If you want to see the full text of all of the interesting, delightful, eccentric and diverse narrative responses I have received so far, link to "In Your Own Words" here or below the poll.  Vote for as many as you think should stay on the list.  If something key is missing, let me know.  Sometime in the next couple months, I will start to narrow the list based on results.  Let the voting begin.

Getting Started

So, I turn forty next year.  

Some of you may know I once had a plan to "walkabout" the planet for a couple years.  That plan was hatched with a departure date in April 2008.  Yes, indeed, that is this month folks.  I had it all figured out, the budget worked, and the plan was in motion.

Well, in the meantime, we sold our "paid for" house, I quit my "six figure" job, started a new housing business with no pay during the worst market and winter in our lifetime, built a house with "a big ass mortgage", and, oh, had a kid named Freddy for good measure.  Yep. None of this was part of the original Walkabout plan.  Shit changes.

So, instead of a two- year walkabout the planet, I am now contemplating something a bit more refined--a trip for maybe a couple weeks sometime next year.  This is where you all come in.  Condense a dream of two years of planet surfing into one trip for my 40th birthday.  Impossible?  Sure.  So let's play.