1 Week

Next Tuesday, one week from tonight, I will be leaving Greensburg until this fall. Which means that I have a lot to still get done and very, very limited time to do so! Uh-oh!

My To-Do List is as follows:

Trip-Specific:

- Gather and print out all relevant paperwork, including copies of important documents to have backups

- Create official itinerary and email, for those who need to know the specifics

- Transfer my savings into my bank accounts, so that I have access to my "backup funds" as I'm traveling

- Continue searching for possible Couchsurfing hosts along my Russian travels (note: I do have reservations already booked in each place however only one required payment in advance)

- order prints of some family & home photos to bring with me to share

- Pack!!!

- Finalize my pre-trip budget and ledger

- Add personal item coverage for my laptop, camera, lenses, and any other relevant items via insurance

Misc Other:

- Compile and transfer treasurer materials for my fraternity Alumni Association (Meeting on Sat)

- Complete my remaining work shifts (Sadly, I still need the extra money from this week)

- Finish sorting/clearing out my old clothes, determine if any can be bought at Plato's closet and donate the rest

- Sell my car (after getting the now-due exception done to ensure it's value)

- Dentist appointments to complete

- return/drop off costumes and materials with fellow costumer

Blog-Related:

- Finalize a new name & buy URL & hosting package

- Order business cards with the website info and contact info (a tip read from a fellow traveler!)

I've been toying on moving this blog to its own website for a while now, but think it's worthwhile in the end. I can also start adding adds and earning some revenue with my own hosted site (albeit small at first!)

I placed my last Amazon order last night, which should be here by the end of the week. Other than a few small things I can buy at the store, I believe I have all that I need and can start actually laying out what I want to take - and then determining what I actually have room for and need in my small backpack!

I still have not heard word regarding my visas and the current progress... is no word good word?!?! My departure date and the day I need my passport and visas was noted on the application so I trust that I will have them in time. What I do not know is whether the planned processing schedule and fee amount will stay as it was - or if they will charge extra for rushing anything to ensure completion by my departure date. Crossing fingers it arrives by the end of this week rather than on Monday!

Till the next post, a bientôt!

3 weeks and I leave...Yikes!

Hi y'all,

Realized that in the chaos and everything over the last few weeks, I haven't updated on here. Whoops! So let's try and do a quick recap...


1. Moving
I am fully moved home. THAT was a hurdle in itself, and still rather a mess. On April 22, my dad, brother, and I moved all of the heavy large furniture home. We set up my new "room" - After that, it was my hurdle to continue packing everything else up. While working on that, I had to downsize and sorted things into piles of "sell," "keep," and "give/donate." Again, easier said than done!

In the end though, last wed we got everything moved out with help of may mom and dad. Thursday I spend cleaning the place with intent and agreement to turn it back over to landlords - except they never showed! When I called them, I was first chastised for "not informing them" that the previously agreed upon day was actually my last day?!? Then, they were unable to come over to check things over. I'm awaiting the final word and last check, as there should not be any hassles - but certainly didn't go over as I had tried to plan for.

I still have things to go through and downsize, such as clothing, along with a rather larger pile of things still being sold and or given away. Thankfully, it's clearing out rather quick - except for those dreaded clothes!


2. Work
I informed work of my last day. Hoping they can keep me on the roster as part-time/casual to make it easier when I'm back - but that's up to them still.


3. Tickets, tickets, tickets...
I have all of my Russian train tickets booked and paid for. Well, the train exiting Russia into Mongolia is paid for but I have not received the ticket confirmation. Because it's an international train, it cannot be booked easily online so I had to go through a travel agency.


4. Hotsels
I have a place to stay booked in each city until I arrive at Stepperiders. I want to still see about finding people to Couchsurf with, but if I can't find anyone (or loose track of time!) then I still have someone to stay.


5. Visa
My visa applications are mailed and that agency should be in the process of obtaining them for me. I was an idiot and first realized that I forgot to include my photos - and then was reminded that I had forgotten to include my passport itself! Thankfully, my dad was able to help and get that in the mail for me. Things are much closer to my departure date than I'd prefer - and there's a good chance that even with the overnight mail back to me, my passport might not arrive till the day before I leave!


6. Equipment
Oh, this one has taken much of my time over the last week or so - and still being resolved. I think I've already noted, but in case I haven't, the two hurdles I have on my trip are being without power at Stepperiders (despite taking photos for them) and the high altitude of Tibet in regards to my laptop and a hard drive. In addition to the struggle of feeling like I am bring even more electronics rather than trying to get off the grid, I'm trying to avoid not spending an arm and a leg on things. Amid a flurry of extra camera batteries, extra memory cards, power bank, solid state hard drives, and solar panel chargers... I think I have whittled it down to what I need though and will be writing a separate post next week.

On a similar note for equipment, I have decided on which backpack I am getting - and while REI did not have the color in store that I wanted, it's much smaller than even I expected! It'll be interesting how to get everything packed inside! I have to order it off amazon now, but should be here in a few days.



Things are quickly coming to a head as departure day approaches. Plenty to still get done, but thankfully, a LOT is already accomplished. At this point, other than packing my backpack, I'm comfortable heading off to Russia. It's the later half of the trip, into China & Tibet, that I need to spend some time on to prepare a bit better.

Enter from stage left, Plot Twist ?!

For those of you who caught the Facebook post about a week or two ago, (almost a month ago! - oops!) there has been an unexpected change of plans - a.k.a. the plot twist! Which has since, as of last week, changed again - but still a plot twist...

I'm no longer going on the entire trek by myself, and it shall now be deemed a "Brothers Trek!" (OK, I only just made that name up - it might change...)

Anyways, while driving down to take my former baby grand piano to it's now current home with my dad and my brother two Saturdays ago, I was talking about my upcoming trek. After mentioning wanting to visit and hike the "world's most dangerous hike" in China, my brother mentioned that he wanted to do that as well (after my dad looked it up on his phone and noted noted that first I, then both of us were crazy!) Before long, the conversation turned into utter seriousness and discussing the realistic possibility of Matt accompanying me on the entire trek!

Up to this point, no one except a friend, who was contemplating seeing part of Russia with me, and my grandmother, who had mentioned a desire about seeing the Giant Pandas in China along with a river cruise, had shown interest in accompanying me on the trip. So it was rather a surprise to have someone joining me at this point! Going on the Iceland trip with Vic back in February was different from all of my other previous travels, but not in a horrible way. It was nice to be able to share the experience with someone and to have someone able to take pictures of me without a dreaded selfie stick, though I had to adjust to having to share and make plans together. So the concept of my brother joining me had similar appeal, but also some concerns.

It also added some potential issues as we were just talking while driving:

1. My brother does not have a passport! (Despite me telling him for years...)
2. I'm planning to volunteer for 6-7 weeks in Mongolia with a small family business - while they take on a couple volunteers each week, would they still have room? AND would Matt be interested in volunteering with them for the extended period?
3. He has never traveled outside of the country before, will he have issues?
4. He had some personal things to determine whether or not he could truly go that had to wait till Monday to figure out.

After talking more about what all it would entail, it became clear that not only was he interested but serious too. Having recently been released from a work contract, he's getting unemployment until finding a new job - of which he hasn't found yet. He moved home about a month before I did to save money and find a new job, so those expenses were gone. And he was now single, unfortunately. It actually places him in a great spot to travel where as I am quitting my job, have saved up some with the ability to bridge the remainder cost of my travels.

Over the last week and a half, I changed my direction slightly and buckled down to get a solid estimate on the costs expected for the entire trip - Matt had to know if he could actually afford it. We also spoke with Stepperiders in Mongolia and, while he would probably only be a regular volunteer, they did have room for him to join for those 6-7 weeks. In the meantime, Matt looked into his personal concerns and realized that there might be some issues but most shouldn't be a problem if he took off for almost 6 months.

Aside from the cost factor, which my dad has noted that he is concerned even on my end let alone my brother's finances, the only major factor is getting Matt his passport, along with everything else I still have yet to plan and book. Unfortunately, the company I plan to use for both the Russia and China visa is not able to help with the passport in the manner we would like. They would have to process his passport application first and ship it back before continuing on with his visas because the passport needs signed, and I need his passport number for the Russian Invitation letter needed to apply for the visa. After looking into other options, the end result is we are expediting his passport through the mail and not using a service. We are actually far enough out that its not possible for him to have the rush expedited service (though it still puts our timeline very snuggly to departure day!)

Early last week, we had the fun of applying for his passport. After getting multiple passport photos for each of us, we went to apply for his passport in person at the courthouse. We went there because they permitted walk-ins, except when we got there we discovered that they were not able to overnight the application like we had wanted! In addition, they questioned Matt's passport photos due to words on his shirt and having his sunglasses hanging from his shirt - despite Rite Aid not saying anything when they took the pics! Thankfully, they advised us that Latrobe Post Office allows walk-ins as well. So after a quick stop back at Rite Aid where they retook and reprinted his pics, we headed off to Latrobe. Once there, it actually was quite a breeze since we had everything already done and lined up! Matt ended up deciding to not overnight the application to Harrisburg, which honestly might have only saved us a day due to the upcoming weekend. The goal now is be able to get all of the visa paperwork completed to be ready to turn around after we get Matt's passport, and overnight the applications for the visas so those don't get delayed or need rushed either. It'll be close, as in we might get our passports back just before we leave in June - but if needed, I do believe that they will expedite (and charge for it, of course) to get them back before our departure date.

Russian & Mongolia Itinerary

Since I had to detail my time in Russia for the visa application, as well as I need to start booking trains and making plans,  I have most of the itinerary for my month in Russia and following nigh two months in Mongolia already laid out. Here's all the details!

Russia

June 6: Overnight MegaBus ride from Pittsburg to New York City.

June 7: Morning in NYC, with evening flight departing from New York City.

June 8: Happy Birthday & I Land in Russia! (I land first in Moscow, then have a short layover before a shorter flight to St Petersburg. By dinner time I'll hope to be setting and enjoying my birthday in Russia.)

June 9-13: St Petersburg, Russia

Overnight train from St. Petersburg to Moscow
June 14-17: Moscow, Russia
 Overnight train  to Kazan
June 18-19: Kazan, Russia
Overnight train to Perm
June 20-22: Perm, Moscow
Day train to Yekaterinburg, Russia
June 22-24: Yekaterinburg, Russia
Train from Yekaterinburg to Krasnoyarsk
June 26-28: Krasnoyarsk, Russia
Overnight train to Irkutsk
June 29-30: Irkutsk, Russia
June 30-July 2: Weekend trip out to Olkholn Island on Lake Baikal
July 2-3: Irkutsk, again
Day train to Ulan Ude
July 3-5: Ulan Ude, Russia

July 5: Overnight train from Russia into Mongolia

Mongolia
July 6-8: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
July 8 - Aug ??: I'll be based at Stepperider's main camp - or out on one of the various treks they will be sending me on. [NOTE: Will possibly be "offgrid" and unable to answer quickly]
Aug ??- Aug 31: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: This will depend on how the treks fall, but I will be returning to the capital for a few days before I leave Mongolia.

Aug 31: Overnight train from Mongolia into China

China
Sept 1: Beijing, China:

The rest of China & Tibet's itinerary is still being worked out, due to a couple of factors. Once that is resolved, I'll be updating - though it might not be until while I'm already traveling.

Photographing with Stepperiders!

After a few weeks of talking via email in the middle of the night (Mongolia is 12 hours ahead of our time), I was officially asked to be a volunteer photographer with Stepperiders during my stay in Mongolia! Naturally, I accepted right away but even now the reality is still sinking in.

It started after discovering the company and volunteer experience - Mongolia goes hand in hand with horses, and what better way to truly learn about the country and culture than to live and work with them! They offer two volunteer positions. One is a basic volunteer who's duties including coordinating with the guests on the treks, help with the horses, help out around the camp, etc. The other is actually an assistant manager/volunteer who actually helps in additional elements to run the camp and treks, organizing equipment, and more. Because they are essentially working for the family, they do not have to pay the volunteer fee (though aren't paid anything either.) Being I haven't been around horses since younger and even then it was the occasional ride or two, I wasn't sure how helpful I could be around the camp. Nor did I know which position to try and vie for.

The first thing they resolved was that the lack of horse and horse riding experience would not be a problem - I'd quickly learn and they'll guide me as needed. The longer I can stay and help, the better I will be with the horses. The next item we tackled was which position was best suited for me, after noting some of my strengths and ways I thought I could help out. The extra advantage I had was that due to the mid-Sept start date of the Tibetan trip, I am able to commit to volunteering for at least 6 weeks, if not a full 7. With this in mind, they noted they prefer their assistant/volunteers to stay longer and thus be more useful than those who stay for 1-3 weeks.

The final tipping point came when Nathalie asked me, almost out of the blue, if I can take photographs. I explained that I would consider myself an amateur but have a relatively nice camera and would be willing to undertake such a task. Naturally, I offered to submit some of my best photos for review before they decided. Of course, they asked - yet I hadn't actually gone through and established what my best photographs were!

After spending some time sorting through the photos I have access to digitally, I pulled a little over a hundred into an album to pare down drastically further. With this, I enlisted the help of a good friend, Bekah, who helped pull out 8-10 of the better shots. After some basic editing, with the addition of a couple more photos, I had a nice digital portfolio album to submit. The thing I found interesting was that about half of the photos were taken with either my old Nikon or my iPhone cameras, rather than my Sony a6000!

Here's the link to the Photography Portfolio album:
Photography Portfolio

Unfortunately it took a few days to get the album lined up, and then I didn't hear anything for a few more days - so I started to wonder. Saturday evening, and due to the added of possible plot twist, I emailed Nathalie again to ensure that she was able to access the photos (and make note of the plot twist). Shortly afterwards, I received the email back that yes, she received the link and could view the photos. She was simply waiting for the owners to get back to her on how to proceed. Well, at least I knew that she got the email but back to waiting - attempting to do so patiently.

Then, late Sunday evening I got another email from Nathalie officially asking me to be a volunteer photographer! They actually are going to start me off running, so to speak, as I told them I will be in Ulaanbaatar by July 8, and their Naadam Festival trek starts on the 9th! As this is Mongolia's largest national festival, they want me to go along to take photographs. After that, they are hoping to send me on as many treks as they're able to various locations around Mongolia.

Logistically, she noted they will try to get me into their Ulaanbaator office once a week to do the sorting and editing as there is no power in the actual camp (or on the treks). Which means I definitely need a solar-panel charger good enough to recharge my camera batteries (along with a few extra batteries and memory cards!) I need to make the initial deposit and will be starting off as a regular volunteer, but they will reassess and determine to continue with the plan of using me as an assistant volunteer.

I'm glad that this extended portion of my trek is now confirmed, and am sending the deposit out asap. I now need to brush up and learn some better photo editing skills, along with some extra equipment, but I am already thinking that this has now turned into one of the major highlights of the entire trip!

Lastly, here's a link to their website: Stepperiders

My Current To-Do List

Time is flying - and before long, so will I!

This post is mainly one for myself, however I think many of you might also enjoy a snippet into the crazied, multi-tabbed browser of my mind. This is a generalized, yet significant, to-do list for my upcoming Trans-Mongolasia Trek. (New term, just came to me while typing this!)

Itinerary Specific:
- book transport to New York (either overnight MegaBus or train)
- finalize Russian itinerary (needed for visa application)
- book accommodations in Russia
- book trains for within Russia (don't go on sale until 45 days before departure...)
- book international train from Ulan Ude, Russia to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- book basic accommodations in China (possibly needed for visa application)
- apply for Russian and Chinese visa (currently gathering paperwork to get in the mail)
- continue finalizing details regarding my volunteering position in Mongolia
- look into highlights and attraction costs in cities
-


Moving Home/Personal:
- rent U-Haul truck to move large items home (already booked and planned for this Sat!)
- actually move and return living at home!
- sort through my trailer and decide which items I want/must keep
- pack up the items that my family wishes to keep (most preparing for Steph to move back out)
- sell the items we don't want to keep
- donate/throw out the rest
- open bank account with Charles Schwabb (refunds ATM fees each month and reported great bank for international travel!)
- advise current bank of my upcoming travel itinerary
- create a living will and authorize
- establish needed paperwork for my father to handle my affairs in lieu of my absence and authorize
- determine which sibling will "manage/drive/pay" for my car during my leave


General Travel:
- research and buy a new travel backpack (my current trekking one is way too big)
- buy SSD external hard drive
- possibly buy an internal SSD hard drive (still checking into whether my Mac's drive will be OK in Tibet)
- buy a couple additional memory cards
- buy a solar-powered charger (need for Mongolia due to no power in ger camp or out on treks)
- buy a second power bank, possibly laptop battery backup
- confirm and obtain the needed vaccinations
- buy travel insurance for this trip
- decide what clothing/items I will be packing
- pack my backpack


Things to do while on the road:
- book/update accommodations if needed
- buy international train from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Beijing, China
- confirm/rebook accommodations in China
- confim/pay for Tibet trek
- pay for train ticket into Lhasa
- buy plane ticket from Lhasa to Chengdu
- finalize details for Giant Panda volunteering
- plan and finalize post-Tibetan leg from Chengdu
- decide from which East coast Chinese city I will fly home from
- book ticket home (using frequent flyer miles!)


I'm sure I'm still missing items from my list, but wowzers! And remember, I leave June 6. T minus

Planning updates - post show

Hi! - to those still following along in the madness, and to those who have just joined in for the fun! My last show is now over, and while I have to put away costumes and return the rented ones to Buffalo on Tuesday, my time should hopefully open up more - only to be filled with the actual packing, cleaning out, and moving home elements. Oh boy! Things are finally starting to sink in, which is both exciting yet part terrifying at the same time.

I'm just touching on a few things with this post. First, I apparently was slightly off on the timeline of exiting Russia on a single-entry visa. Instead of the 20 business days, I have up to 30 days (if I'm still understanding things correctly!) This means that as long as I leave before July 8, then I will be fine on the single-entry visa. (I had noted July 5 as that final date previously - not a huge difference.) As either of these dates are just before Mongolia's Naadam Festival, it does not change the plans significantly. I do think though, that I can save some money and apply just for the single-entry Russian visa. In my overall arch of plans, I do not foresee returning to Russia again during this trip nor during the year I'm probably spending in New Zealand - thus, the extra cost wouldn't be worth it.

I have also reached out to two Tibetan companies to try and hop on with a group tour into Tibet. The trek I'm eyeing is as previously noted, hitting the highlights in Lhasa, making my way into western Tibet to do a 3-day trek around Mount Kailash, and seeing the Everest Base Camp on the way back. All in all, that leg would be 15-18 days depending which company I settle with. I'm leaning towards one as they have been much quicker to respond, with both options being similar priced. The one downside is that the treks are either the beginning of August or in mid to late September. Early August would mean cutting time in Mongolia to 1-2 weeks, in order to explore the beginnings of China before the trek. However, the treks in September mean that I would have all of July AND August to explore Mongolia and the beginning parts of the China leg - which is almost too much! Or is it...?

As luck would have it, I stumbled upon two options to volunteer in Mongolia! The one program is primarily for teaching English and based out of Ulaanbatar, lasting at least 1 month with additional weekly/monthly increments and becoming quite affordable the more weeks I stay! ($699 for 1 month, $799 for 2 months!) I'd be staying with a local family, but still in the capital region and my duties would be more spread out through the day.

The other option, and the one I truly am leaning towards, would be to volunteer with a small family horse trek business. Now, the last time I was near or rode a horse was when I was a kid - however, in talking with them via email, there are many things I could do to help out around their camp, assisting even on some of their shorter treks. At $200/week for food and housing, with a real Mongolian ger experience - it's hard to pass this opportunity up. Mongolians are known for their horses and treks! Except, that's not even the best part - if I can stay at least a month or more, then I could potentially volunteer as an assistant manager where my room and board would be free! (Instead of payment, the two break even.) I would have more duties including helping to plan and prepare treks and assist on some business aspects, but otherwise I'd still be working with the horses and going on smaller treks. I think this option not only would be amazing, but the price is hard to beat for 1-2 months! Even better, depending on which treks I assist on, I might be able to see many of the sights I want to without having to arrange on my own, or pay for a pricier tour!

As I am looking into volunteering, I also discovered a site that helps to fundraise for trips abroad. While I'm not a fan of asking for financial support for this overall trip, I'm feel that having a strong purpose such as volunteering would be a worthy cause people might consider donating. I'm still toying with the idea, but you might see something more on that note coming up.

I also realized that parts of my travels might actually appeal to others to join. So, if anyone is interested in any leg of my planned trip, let me know quickly and we can discuss things!

Till then, adieu!

Trains, Yurts, Pandas - Oh My!

Sorry for the lack of updates since dropping the huge announcement about me upending things to travel. This post also turned into more of a personal thoughts-page, as I try and sort through the multitudes running through my mind in the planning process.

Image by David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As the title hints at, I'm currently being swamped with so many options in trying to plan that I almost feel like I'm losing my mind! In addition, I am going into Tech Week for the high school musical so much of my time has gone towards prepping the show. [Plus there's work, sleep (hah!), eating, etc] Thankfully, the show will be done and wrapped up in a little over a week and I can focus solely between work and preparing/planning for my trip. Unfortunately, D-Day (aka Departure date) is quickly approaching so many things need to be resolved quickly.

For example, I will need a visa for both Russia and China. (Both will require a mid-week trip down to D.C., which I hope to arrange over 2-3 days.) But in order to apply for the Russian visa, I need to know at least the exact days I arrive and leave the country, in addition to a rough list of the cities I plan to visit - I'm still trying to sort that out, in addition to figuring how long I'd like to stay in each city to explore without feeling rushed through. I will have to exit the country on or before July 5, so timeline feels snug. In addition, tickets become available for sale 60 days before departure - which means in the next few weeks I need to know what days I plan to pre-book travel, if I want to make any legs "on-the-fly," and whether or not I want to gamble trying to purchase the tickets myself or through a known company who can also help arrange other relevant details. And that's only for Russia! This is on the top of the planning list - because not only does my Visa application need some of the information, but because it's my first stop.

Thankfully, my timeline in Mongolia is NOT at all limited - I can stay up to 90 days without a visa. What IS limiting is the wide, and often empty, expanses between locations. More distance to travel means either needing more time to go slowly (think bus or even personal driver), or more cost in order to travel faster (i.e. flying). I have looked at a couple tour packages for Mongolia but they all tend to be on the pricier side, between $2-3k! My timing is also a bit wonky - most of the longer tours start a couple days before I would arrive in country (thus eliminated because I don't want to cut my time in Russia any shorter), and a few start when I'm potentially eyeing on continuing into China which prolongs my entire trip. I will also be arriving about a week before the country's Naadam Festival which looks to be quite an experience!

I finally stumbled upon an actual backpacker's guide to Mongolia and a trove of options, including significantly cheaper ones - but it also appears that I can make a lot of plans once I'm there. One example I found is a site that lets you join other small groups trying to fill out a tour or advertise for one you'd like to start. I also don't know much about Mongolia other than it's home to the Gobi Desert and two-humped camels, they live mainly in yurts, and Mongolians are quite nomadic still. I could list many things I'd like to see as I learn about the country but I also needed to realize that I probably won't be able to see all, or possibly even half of that. I actually want to experience their culture more than just travel around sight-seeing.

And if Mongolia seems very loosely planned, China is an even larger hurdler (quite literally too!). Imagine you were a foreigner trying to visit the US but only had 60 days to do so - that's what I'm trying to plan. I know that I will be arriving in Beijing via the Trans-Mongolian Railroad, but after that it's entirely unplanned. I'm trying to make a list and determine what areas or experiences I'd like to pursue, but frankly there are so many. Beijing itself has a lot to explore, but the list is growing to include eating food in the Sichuan province, seeing (or possibly volunteering!) with the Giant Pandas around Chengdu, Mount Huashan and the rumored "dangerous hike in the world", the Terra Cotta army in Xi'an, and more. Again, I've looked into some extended country tours but the price is a tad on the higher side. Other places don't quite appeal to me, or at least not yet, such as Shanghai or Hong Kong. Much more rough planning needed for China, that's for sure!

I have made at least one decision that was bothering me, thankfully, after sitting down and examining my overall plans for the rest of the year. The dilemma was regarding visiting Tibet, part of China AND whether or not I need to include Nepal on the expedition. I've had a fascination with Tibet that stems back to Brad Pitt, paired with an equal fascination with Mt. Everest and the Himalayas. Mt. Everest is on the border between Tibet and Nepal, with each side having its own Everest Base Camp. I will wholeheartedly admit that actually climbing Everest is not only out of my price range but leagues from realistic physical activity - but getting to the base camp IS on my lifelong bucket list. As  I will already be in China, it is not that difficult to get into Tibet (although some large caveats) and the northern base camp, as there is a road built right to it! In contrast, getting to the south base camp in Nepal is a 10-14 day trek with the actual peak not visible from the southern base camp (it is fully visible from the north.) There are also other places in Nepal I would want to visit so I honestly would need almost a month in Nepal alone, which does not work well with the overall plans.

As I mentioned above, getting into Tibet or rather the central Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) of China which includes Lhasa, is not difficult - but has other hurdles. I can take a 2-day train ride up along the Tibetan Plateau to Lhasa from Beijing for decent price. Or, as I think I will end up doing, I can also grab the Tibetan train from Xining after making a detour in Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta warriors. This route is definitely the safer and slower route due to the significant altitude difference alone, plus it allows views of the Tibetan Plateau along the way. Once in Lhasa, I will still need to slow down to mitigate the altitude sickness which has the unfortunate aspect of extending any trip into the TAR.

The major hurdle for Tibet is that all foreigners are required to have permits - which are only available through organized tour agencies. There is absolutely no way to visit Tibet via any other fashion. Also included is the requirement to have a local guide with you during your stay. By factoring these into the larger picture, the organized tour groups are really the best way to go if I'm trying to save money as well. I could arrange something individually, but the cost would skyrocket what will already be an expensive leg of my travels (but ENTIRELY worth it!). I also want to ensure that my visit into Tibet will leave me with no regrets in case I don't have the chance to return. Most of what I wish to see are around Lhasa itself, such as the Potala Palace, but also on my list is the already noted Everest base camp and a trek around Mount Kailash, which is not only holy to Tibetans but one of the major holiest sites in the world. All in all, a trek through Nepal might take me 20 days and I'm currently looking into the options, specifically with Tibetan tour companies to be ethical.

As writing this was a lot to think and process, perhaps it helps explain where my mind is going in the quite periods between posts. Also, in putting my thoughts and rough plans into words here, I think I have answered a few of my dilemmas!

Logistics, Questions, Concerns... and more!

Now, some of you might look at my announcement last week in wonder and awe, wishing you could embark on such an incredible journey, yet realizing it might never happen. Others might look at my itinerary and wonder realistically - how can you even afford such a trek, in addition to many other questions. Today, I'll try to address some of those questions I know are all thinking.

Living

I will be drastically consolidating my belongings to the bare necessities and will be moving back in with my parents before I leave. If/when I return, I would also continue staying with them to save - especially since I don't know when/if or for how long that might be. While they are some of the biggest "realistic" questioners and spent a good bit of time already asking me what most of what you might be thinking, they also acknowledge that this is what I want to do next and will do what they can to support me, even if it's just providing a bed to sleep in if/when I return. I will take with me a large backpack and my knapsack, filled with the essentials, and join the well established caravan of backpackers traveling the world. I will keep some of my stuff and put that in storage (at my parents preferably), but many of the other things will either be thrown out, donated, given away, or sold (the extra money will help too!)

I generally do not plan to stay in hotels (many are too pricey and not my style of traveling), but will instead grace the domains of hostels, short-term rentals, and even going back to CouchSurfing again depending what I deem best for the city I'm in. This will also help keep the costs down for those worrying about that! I have stayed in all of these types of domains before and each one provides a different perspective of the culture to visit. I am even already accustomed to "living out of a suitcase" for when I decide to settle in somewhere for a longer stay. That is exactly what I did for the 5 months I studied abroad and lived in Lille, France - two suitcases, my laptop bag, and my carry on were all that I could take (and frankly was still a lot!).

Work

While I will naturally leave my current jobs, they will not be that far behind me. I just finished renewing all of my Medic certifications, and I do not have to renew them now for another two years. I have already looked into ways I can renew either online or within a short trek back to the states to renew. This allots me a solid year to a year-and-a-half of taking a step back to travel or pursue other options, without drastically curtailing all the hard work I have put in getting my certifications. So long as I remain certified, I can return to the US and find a job working as a medic almost anywhere. [THAT is my "fail safe" for those of you who are wondering.]

I also would love to continue working as a medic or providing patient care in some capacity while living abroad which, while potentially a much larger hassle than other options, has not entirely been ruled out quite yet. Over the last year, I have looked into the options of transitioning abroad including New Zealand. There are also programs out there to volunteer, if I wish to go that route.

Safety

You might be thinking: why Russia when we are amid what is potentially the beginning of something messy. And why, being gay, would I willing want to travel in a country where it is not only looked down upon but can have actual legal repercussions? Well, to address the first - I want to visit before it becomes unavailable. While I do not foresee things changing that drastically before I leave, I cannot say the same for a year from now or later. In addition, there is a particular draw to Russia - I'd call it a mix of Anastasia lore, knowing others who have been there so it's not entirely foreign, and a desire to experience the "real" Russia and not just what we hear on the biased news outlets.

As to the second: yes, it is a concern but not impossible or necessarily dangerous. As with anywhere, knowing the local laws and public mindset makes a significant difference. As of today, there is no warnings from the State Department regarding travel in Russia other than their general advice for travelers. Nor would I do anything to intentionally (and hopefully unintentionally) risk my stay or more while in Russia. This would go for any other country I might eventual visit (and yes, I have a desire to visit some "worse" countries as well down the road.)

As for possible "terrorism" threats or concerns, our State Department has much of the world under a general terrorism warning - but that does not mean they advise against travel. There are also no specific limits to any of the countries I am currently planning to visit. In addition, taking standard precautions can prevent many things - or at least those that are within my power to prevent. Don't forget that I was in Paris not even three months after the tragic November attack, even staying just a block away from the cafe. At no point did I feel unsafe during those travels. In addition, I will be registering with each US Embassy where I travel as a precaution. Beyond that, what happens is fated to happen. Lastly, I'm trained to help save lives so long as my live itself is not in danger. IF something would happen, I would do what I can to help others.

Finances

The question many might be having in regards to this trip is: how can I afford such travel? While I could write a diatribe on this topic alone, the best answer comes down to assessing what you are considering expenses or what might make the trip expensive. Yes, it will cost money to take the trip - duh! And yes, I do have some money saved aside in savings for miscellaneous things, including a travel budget. I plan to continue putting as much extra money into that fund as possible before I leave. Whenever possible, I will also try to earn money as I travel. (Not as difficulty as it sounds, especially in today's modern connected digital world!) Lastly, I have a final safety net that I could tap into if direly needed - without resorting to begging for money.

But take a moment to think of how much money you spend in a month on essentials (rent, utilities, transportation, food, etc). I will be cutting most of those expenses here in the states and instead, that same amount of money will go towards my travel costs. By moving home and not having to pay rent or utilities, that same cost will go towards housing options during my travels. By shopping at the store and making food instead of eating out all the time (like you do at home), will save me money. I will either be selling my car and paying off the loan balance, or making other arrangements where I will not have a car payment or gas expenses - which will instead transfer to costs of transportation instead. Factor in the currency exchange difference (all of the countries have either a similar exchange rate and cost of living as here in the States or better, thus the dollar gets more "bang for your buck" - hah!) When you break it all down, one month of normal US expenses can easily fund a month, or more, abroad.

I also have a decent balance of frequent flyer miles left, with which I can cash in for a return flight home with a drastically low cost fee. Right now, that is my "fail safe" for returning back home if needed. In addition, I plan to get a second credit card and, by taking advantage of sign up bonuses, get even more miles before leaving. (aka travel hacking!)

Thus while it is a valid concern, it really is not as huge of a challenge as it seems.



While I could keep going or go into more detail, I think this addresses most of what people are thinking. If you have a specific question, don't hesitate to ask me and I will try to answer.

... pation!

First off - kudos if you got the reference! Time for the big reveal - but first, a review of the teasers and the answer to their respective locations (for those of you who couldn't figure out them all):  

1. The fountains of Peterhof Palace outside Saint Petersburg, Russia

 2. The Red Square with the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia

3. A yurt in the wilds of Mongolia

4. The Forbidden Palace in Beijing, China

Now, while some people have correctly guessed one or two of the individual pictures - I have not yet seen anyone mention the actual overall trip that ties them all together!

THAT is major clue to my next adventure, which is....                                                      





























 ... Russia and the Trans-Siberian Railroad!  

Used from: http://www.frontiersoftravel.com/

Ok - technically, I will be traversing the Trans-Mongolian section, not the true Trans-Siberian route - but it will still be quite an endeavor! I am starting with Saint Petersburg, despite the route officially beginning in Moscow. If I traveled this line in one solid stretch, it would take 6 non-stop days aboard the train and travel over 8,000 miles, crossing 6 time zones! However due to visa restrictions, I can only stay in Russia for 28 days, so my overall time is limited. I aim to use every day! After hitting St. Petersburg and Moscow for short stays in each, I plan to slowly make my way along the entire route.

As of now, I'm still sorting out which cities/destinations I will make as stopover points and for how long, but so long as I exit Russia into Mongolia before my visa expires, I am safe. In Mongolia, I plan to make at least one major stop to explore the unique nomadic culture and landscape, but again, that section of the trek is still being laid out. Lastly, I will cross into China with the current end point being Beijing - since that's where the train line ends! Naturally, I'll explore Beijing and some of China before leaving.

And that is where my options split in so many directions that I'm still not sure of the next step. As of now, some of the options include:

• accepting service in the Peace Corps with a possible fall or winter embarkment (working on that application currently)
• slowly continuing my travels from China into Southeast Asia, finding a place to call home for a period of time and finding work as I go (such as teaching English, or possible digital nomadic means of income)
• travel through China into former Tibet, flying over the Himalayas into Nepal and continuing that direction
• rather than stop in Southeast Asia for work, I'd continue traveling down to Australia or New Zealand to stop and take a working holiday for a year
• ??? 

As you can see, the options are about as endless as the world is full of destinations! Sadly though, I might need to make a stop back home for a brief period before continuing for a few reasons. If I am offered and accept a Peace Corps placement for example, I would need to undergo their training and preparations here in the US before departing for that placement. I might also have some dental issues to resolve - UGH! And if I make the trek back home, I would take advantage of the time to go back to work briefly and bank up more money.

My date of departure and the one-way plane ticket is already purchased, at a cost of $5.60

Yes, you read that correctly! $5.60 total - granted that is also using 30,000 of my built up frequent flyer miles too (of which I did not spend a single extra penny earning - thus I'm not really counting that in the cost). I will be flying from New York City en route to Saint Petersburg on my 31st birthday, June 8. While not quite a "mid-life, getting old crisis," I felt it fitting and one of the best presents I could give myself. For those of you already thinking: but you live in Pittsburg, not New York City... I will be taking the overnight Megabus to NYC the night before. Not as glorious as saying goodbye at the airport, but I was unable to wrangle leaving from Pittsburgh's airport on my birthday.

Now that the cat's out of the bag, I have a ton of planning, preparation, and work to get done. But the avalanche has begun and what has been a flight of my imagination for at least a solid year, is now a reality. I am leaving. Sure, I still have many questions and concerns, but I cannot let those hold me back. I hope that as you follow me on this adventure, many of those will be answered. And welcome aboard the experience!


P.S. - Earlier this week, one of those extra options jumped to the front of the line (the additional awesome news I hinted about!) I received word that my application for a working holiday visa in New Zealand was APPROVED! YAY! Unlike a regular 90 day tourist visa, I will be able to stay for up to 1 whole year AND I will be allowed to work and thus, earn money to fund my stay there and further travels. And if that news alone cannot be bested, I have until next March to enter New Zealand, upon which my 1 year stay begins. As of now, I feel that only a Peace Corps acceptance and placement would challenge this option but we'll see!

Iceland: Day 3 - South Coast, Take 1

View of the BSÍ Terminal, in front of Reykjavik Airport

Today was the first full day excursion we booked, going to the South Coast for waterfalls and glaciers, which meant an early start too since we had to be at the BSÌ Terminal before 8 to be picked up. Ugh! But we got up and by lucks chance, the first bus of the day got us there in time for a quick coffee and breakfast pastry. Except, while waiting for the almost half hour to be picked up, it became clear there was an issue - no cars or vans with our company's tour logo came by! Once looked like it might have been for us, but despite standing directly in front of the guy and trying to asking him who he was here for, we were ignored and/overlooked. After about 20 min, I finally buckled down and called the company - and was told we were marked as a "No Show," that they sat there for a good 5-8 min! After quickly correcting the, saying we've been outside freezing our asses off waiting the entire last 40 min, they finally said there wS nothing they could do as the actual bus would be leaving heir terminal shortly. After some lovely words, the agent finally said he could check on putting us on the tour for another day. Thankfully, not only did we have tomorrow open for general Reykjavik city sightseeing (thus could swap days) but they had the room on tomorrow's tour. And, after they switched me to a different booking agent to set up tomorrow's trip, they were actually able to pick us up at the Hamraborg bus stop instead of the busy BSÌ Terminal. (The stop near our guesthouse.)

By now, it was just after 9 with the entire day to now explore Reykjavik. As I go for the glacier and waterfall excursion, I actually rented a small day locker to keep a few things and lighten my bag. While sipping another round of coffee (was needed!), we roughed out our day. Reykjavik does have a City Hop On Hop Off bus which we had been considering for a simple overview of the highlights - but not only was it pricier than all other city hop on/hop off busses, but the reviews actually weren't so great. Plus, out 3-day bus pass meant we didn't need that aspect to get around. We finally opted to head downtown to the Tourism Office, to check if there was another simple city excursion that wouldn't take up our whole day. As Reykjavik is quite small, it is actually easy to walk as things aren't far apart (and the buses don't always go everywhere you want.) We hopped off the same stop as last night and walked the few blocks to the City Hall, which also houses the Tourism Office. Naturally, we passed by Tjörnin, a large lake in the middle of the city that they've built around. Here, there were ducks and more! Much of the lake was frozen on the surface, so it was neat to watch the birds try to land on the ice and slide around. Hehe!

Tjörnin, with the City Hall across the lake

Geese and ducks on the ice!

We finally separated ourselves from the birds and got to the City Hall. There, the desk worker from the Tourism Office tried helping us, finally  convincing us to get the single day City pass so we could save getting into the National Museum and saving on a few others we were eyeing. So our initial goal then was to go check out the National Museum, head to the Old Harbour for lunch while stopping at the Settlement Exhibition on the way, hit up the Kolaportid flea market, and then head to either the Saga Museum, the Whales of Iceland Experience, or both - Quite an active day. Again, as things were close, we walked the few blocks along the other side of the Tjörnin, getting to the museum just as the sun was rising - about 11 am!

Actual sunrise in front of the National Museum

City Hall, with Tourism Office inside

The actual museum was neat and we ended up spending a bit longer there than initially planned, despite it being rather small - just two exhibit floors. The entryway itself was quite architecturally stunning, concentric circular steps into the doorway and continuing upward to the first exhibit floor. Packed into this museum was the history and excavation findings of Iceland, which is actually relatively newly settled. My fascination was on the second floor where they had examples of the national costumes (yes, I took many detailed pictures of those!) After a quick perusal of the gift shop, we left to catch the bus over to the Old Harbour to grab lunch and continue exploring.

Wooden spade with runes, 12th century

Copy of Guðbrandur's Bible, printed c. 1584 AD

Ingjaldur, 4 man fishing boat build in 1898

Circular stair entrance to National Museum

Old style national dress, faldbúningur

Old Harbour

Our hosts had advised us of a small little restaurant in a seafarer's harbour home that was now rather iconic, both for food and atmosphere of Iceland. After a short walk along the harbour, we found it, Sægreifinn, or The Sea Baron. It's actually was man's home that he opened his kitchen up to the harbour workers, there's even a wax statue of him inside under the stairs. Now, it's just the restaurant but unique in that the kitchen is in the middle and you walk right trough it to get to the rear and upstairs dining area. Known for the best lobster soup, and as that was the usual daily special, that's what we both ordered!

Old Harbour, other view point

Inside Sœgreifinn, the kitchen is through the door in the middle
going through to the other seating area

They also offered a very unique flavor to Icelandic fare - Minke Whale. Now, as an avid lover of whales, I was torn between sampling such a unique meal and adding to the commercialized hunting of whales. I finally settled on just the smaller Minke Whale sample, not a while steak as my thoughts were that they had already hunted the Whale and it was more economical to have the sample and be conservative as well. [For those still uncertain, Minke Whale is one of the least concerned whale species currently; the IWC has approved of small scale commercialized Minke Whale hunting; and Iceland itself did studies to determine if hunting Minke whale again would have a detrimental impact on the species, which they concluded it would not - similar to our own deer hunting concepts.]

My lunch - Lobster soup, bread, Minke, and a porter

Anyways, the lobster soup was utterly delicious and the Icelandic Porter was equally good! The Minke was different. I'm not sure of it was seasoned of flavored any, but it was quite dark yet also rather tender, I'd say it was cooked at medium rare. The initial taste was almost a teriyaki flavor but it then change into a strong iron aftertaste, much like liver. While it was good for the small sample, I'm not sure I could've finished a whole steak. Even Vic had a small bite!

After lunch, we headed to the Kolaportid weekend indoor flea market. I LOVE markets while traveling, and after finding out about this one, it definitely made it onto the list of things to do. Plus, many sites noted that if you wanted to find a Lopapeysa, the iconic Icelandic sweater with the circular yoke pattern made of Lopi wool, at a great price then the market was where to go. Vic got pulled onto the first sweater stall and bought a few, before I was finally coerced into buying one at the second sweater stall. (FYI, if you're doing Iceland on a budget, you don't want to look at even these discounted prices!) But I cannot pass up a nice sweater, especially when supporting locally made and sourced goods!

Kolaportið flea market, with Lopayeysa (photo borrowed)

The market has a food area which utterly fascinated me with many authentic food goods at good prices, but sadly, I was limited due to feasible logistics. I still managed to pick up a few things, and had my first sampling of Hákarl, we'll chat on that later! I eventually bought some Icelandic flavored salts - it was tough to pick but I settled on a mushroom flavored, a rhubarb flavored, a spicy lava black salt, and a licorice flavored. Yum! I nabbed a can of fermented cod liver pate, though passed up in the fermented cod liver oil (an excellent supplement and fresh in Iceland but I don't do supplements consistently.) The last food items I grabbed were some Harðfiskur (dried fish), another Icelandic food staple: Steinbítur (Catfish,) and Ýsa (Haddock.)

We explored more of the market as Vic was looking for souvenirs, though many stalls had various knickknacks you'd expect at a flea market but aren't quit souvenirs. Again, we spent a bit longer than we aimed but much of that was my fault - aside from the sweater we bought right off the bat, I didn't actually buy anything else until after perusing around first. My last souvenir was the most troublesome. I wanted something jewelry-wise with lava stone - except I already wear my watch, my Fitbit, my hematite, and my quartz! Everything for men were bracelets or large stone necklaces. I finally found a vendor who had a flat circular stone that she put on a choker for me - sold! After that, we wrapped up at the market to continue onward.

Saga Museum

Our initial plan was that after the market we would try and hit both the Whale of Iceland Experience and the Saga Museum - however, since we meandered our day at our other stops (which was fully worth it and enjoyable), we had to pick just one. Unfortunately for me, that was the Saga Museum, especially since they closed later than the Whale's. Due to our much needed naps yesterday, I had already resigned to the fact that we probably wouldn't be able to grab a Whale Watching tour as they only run one in the afternoon during winter. The Whale Experience was my concession, but even then  it only is a huge warehouse filled with life-sized model replicas of the whales. Whereas the Saga Museum had full displays regarding all of the Icelandic Sagas - which are ingrained in Icelandic culture and heritage. So, it actually made more sense to get there anyways (and give me another reason to return back to Iceland for the whales another trip!). It was a brief walk back up past the harbour to the Saga Museum.

Saga 4. Ingólfur Arnarson, founding of Reykjavik

The actual museum was rather cool to experience, but not much to talk about. It's set up to walk though the displays, with one display per Saga using wax mannequins. You're given an audio headset which talks you through each of the displays. It's rather short, about 30 min to slowly walk through them all. It was really interesting to learn visually about the sagas, not knowing anything about them. Afterwards, they had a small area you can try on some classic viking garb including actual chain mail, but we passed. After grabbing a few things at the gift shop, we started working our way back to the bus stop. It was 
already dark as the sun set while we were in the
Museum.

As we still had much of the evening left, we though that we'd grab some dinner on the way to the bus stop, swing back to the guesthouse to grab our suits and check out the Laugardalslaug swimming pool, the largest in Reykjavik and quite a common activity for locals! Plus, it was still rather cold and the hot water would be nice to relax in. Since we passed it on the way up to the Saga Museum, we stopped at Reykjavik Fish Restaurant for some fish & chips! I had the typical Cod & Chips, the Viking Lagar (quite yummy and light!), and since they were offering it - Hákarl (fermented shark) with a small bottle of Brennivín, which is a schnapps of potatoes and caraway. Hákarl is cured uniquely - burying it in the ground then hanging for 4-5 months till it dries. It has a unique smell though which Agnes told me lingers, thus the tradition is to eat as much of the shark bites as you can stomach before chasing it down with the bottle of Brennivín. It has a strong flavor for sure, but I had no problem eating all the bites in the small cup, though felt that the Brennivín was even stronger tasting! It didn't go the best with the Cod, but as they were both delicious and I was hungry, I was able to eat all but some of the chips. 

Fish & chips, lagar, and traditional Hákarl and Brennivín

After our dinner, we meandered though some of the side streets to the MR bus stop so we could get back to the guesthouse. In doing so, we happened to stumble into the actual downtown square or Reykjavik! As we had already eaten, we weren't hungry for the hot dog stand but stopped at two of the souvenir shops to grab a few things. Well, we only went to the second one across the street because the first one didn't have a shot glass that I liked! By the time we wrapped that up though, it became clear that we wouldn't have enough time to get back to the guesthouse, grab our suits, and then grab the bus to the pool before they closed - even though they were open until 10pm. Well, that seemed to be part of our trip but hey, we WERE on vacation! Instead we just went back to the guesthouse to relax, after a quick stop at the neighborhood grocery store to grab some things to snack on and for breakfast in the morning.

We actually had some time to relax and talk with our hosts, about our day, the mishap, and more. Agnes actually offered to call the company with the delay, but I explained we already had it resolved and were doing the trek tomorrow. It was sometime in there that I realized I forgot about the few things I stashed in a locker at the terminal so I started to figure out how to grab the bus there and back - except Agnes offered to drive me there and back, which ended up being much quicker. Agnes also told us that there were two girls arriving tonight to stay in the other room, but that we'll have to share the bathroom.

After we got back and we were going through our day with our hosts, and after I mentioned having the shark, our hosts got intrigued and asked me if I wanted some more "traditional Icelandic fare."  So they got out their bucket of Blandadur Súrmatur - selections of meat and fish products cured in the traditional manner or whey acid and gave me a small sampler plate! Vic, politely, turned them down as she wasn't feeling THAT adventurous. Except they didn't tell me what each was until afterwards. 

Þorramatur
Left (from top to bottom, left to right): Hangikjöt, Hrútspungar, Lifrarpylsa, Blóðmör, Hákarl, Svið. Right: Rúgbrauð(dark brown in color), Flatbrauð

Quick background, January and February is the Nordic month of Þorri which is highlighted by the midwinter feast of Þorrablót (which nowadays is really any gather where Þorramatur is served!) Anyways, our hosts served me a small bit of the things. After I sampled each, they told us both what it actually was. First were two types of slátur, blóðmör or "blood pudding" and lifrarpylsa ("liver sausage"). Neither were too bad actually, though a bit sharp in taste because of the soured aspect. They apparently are actually made very similar to Haggis, perhaps why I didn't have too much of an issue with them. The other item they served me was some Hrútspungar, which looked quite unique with a bunch of ovals pressed into gelatin. Well, low and behold it's ram's testicles that are thrown into a pan, gelled, then soured in whey. Again, the taste was a tad bland for the actual testicles themselves but the gelatin was natural like most true gelatin. Overall, the strong aroma of the souring liquid was a bit much but otherwise they were alright to eat. I did pass up on seconds however!

Not too long after sampling the Þorramatur, our other guesthouse guests arrived. Both girls were from Australia and came in with an odd story of their own - they had rented a car in Iceland but when got to the airport after the whole day of traveling, the driver discovered that her license was expired and she couldn't drive! Thankfully they got into the city, but after a brief bit of chatting, they settled into their room to figure out their newly discovered obstacle. After that, Vic and I ended up just relaxing in our room, getting things ready for tomorrow's big adventure and busy day. I spent a good while copying photos off my cameras before finally crashing.