Places to go

The next step in planning this journey is to put thoughts together on where I'd like to go and when. This can be difficult because some places are only good to visit during specific times of the year. It's impossible to be in all of the ideal place at the ideal times. The best and cheapest way to travel around the world is to travel in one direction and avoid backtracking.

I've decided that the best way to approach planning my route is to create at least a couple different options: travel from East to West or travel from West to East. I have to pick a few places and times of the year I really don't want to miss, and they will dictate where I'll be at what time.

Another consideration is whether to stay in a few places for a longer period of time or to keep moving and only stop in each country for 2-4 weeks. Staying in a place longer might provide more exposure to the local culture and language. If I keep moving, I will get see and experience more, and it might cut down on flights if I 'overland' between destinations. After putting some thought into this trip, a year no longer sounds very long, and it's certainly not enough time to 'see the world'.

The last consideration I had was where I should spend the majority of my time. I'd like to see Europe, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and South America. I've been wanting to see the rest of Europe since I visited Italy three times, but the culture in Europe is more similar to the US than many other parts of the world and it's more expensive. Future vacations are more likely to be in Europe as well. In addition, I would learn more culturally from spending more time in the Middle East, Asia, and South America.

There's still lots to consider. Planning is enjoyable because it's moving me closer to fulfilling a lifelong dream.