What did I get myself into?

Traveling was a no-brainer for me.  (Difficult decision, yes.  But still a no-brainer if that makes any sense.)  The travel bug has been slowly creeping its way into my subconscious for over 3 years and even farther back if I think of the study abroad experience I had to cancel after changing majors in college.  Add in the dozens of couchsurfers I’ve hosted and a couple opportunities of my own to travel with two measly weeks of vacation a year and my inner voice had just grown too loud to ignore.  I had to travel.  And well with a full time job, there was just no way I realized to satiate this inner desire while working.  So in the battle between work and travel… well, travel was destined to win out.  And while I did have a front row seat to this fight and could see that travel was winning and knew that it might be smart to start “looking into a few things,” (e.g. Where would I go?  How long would I want to travel?  For how long could I afford to travel?) I still didn’t full comprehend what I was getting myself into.

So for any of you considering quitting your job, moving out of state, and traveling around the world for 6 months, here are just a few of things you might need to contemplate (in no particular order) above and beyond just deciding where, when, how, how much, and why:

Leaving a (fantastic) job – This was much more nerve-wracking than I expected and I expected it to be hard.  How much notice to give?  Who to tell?  Wrapping up dozens of projects.  Doing all you can to make sure co-workers do not feel burdened by your departure.  Saying goodbye to 100+ people.  Incredibly. Hard. To. Do.

Moving out of state – This could stand all on its own as something that always requires intelligent consideration.  But just a few of the logistics…Mini van rental or moving truck rental?  Can I stop and visit both of my sisters en route?  Where to spend the night?  It took 3 days to move down, but can I get back in only 2 days to save time and money (try $150 per day rental as compared to $33 a day in 2009!)  And word to the wise - packing up 650 SF of space cannot be accomplished in only 2 weeks while still trying to get 8 hours of sleep a night.  What to sell?  What to keep?  What to give away?  What to store?  Then there’s still the condo cleaning, ending internet service, canceling electric, changing addresses, saying goodbye to friends and “my little sister” … heartbreaking.  Which leads me to the attempt to stay sane and prioritize trying to finish up my yoga packages at 3 different studios in only a 3 week period.  And add to that the fact that my birthday was approaching and a number of other studios were emailing me reminders to come back and enjoy a free yoga class during the month of March.  Perfect timing!

Finances – How do I rollover a 401(K)?  And to where?  What should I do with my company stock?  How will my last paycheck be handled if I have already left the country?  Do I want to stay with my bank that is going to charge me an arm-and-leg in ATM fees abroad?  What credit cards are best for abroad travel?  Setting up monthly auto bill pays.  Notifying all of my credit card companies that those charges in Australia will not be fraudulent so please don’t put a hold on my account.

Travelers insurance – Reading more fine print than I ever cared to and reading reviews of company after company to scour the reviews of each's claims process.  Spoiler – there is no company with 100% positive reviews.  (So much for buying peace of mind by buying insurance.  Let’s just hope I don’t need to file any claims!)

Cell phone coverage – What to do with my Verizon line?  Termination?  Will I lose my unlimited data plan?  Suspension?  Switch family plans?  What to do for cell phone service abroad?  Data plan?  SIM cards?  Skype account?  Global-ready cell phone?

Car registration, insurance, licensing – You mean I have to insure a car that is going to just sit still for 6 months??  How can I get a NY state license again quick enough so that I can use it to rent cars in other countries?  How can I register my car in NY state without a NY state insurance policy, but how can I get a NY insurance policy without a NY state registration?  Car inspections?  (we don’t have those in Florida!)  And how can I get all this done in 5 days?

Travel gear – Netbook or tablet computer?  New backpack?  What size for my frontpack?  New camera?  How many GB worth of memory cards?  Travel size everything!  Waterproof everything!  Adequate refills of any prescription medications.  Checking climate data for 25+ different countries that stretch multiple months, hemispheres, seasons, and latitude lines. Can I really fit all that in a 50L backpack?  Whittling down from lofty hopes of fitting 6 pairs of pants and 5 pairs of shoes to just 3 pairs of each. (Recommendation: you DO need to do practice packs as you collect your gear!)  Refining the packing list over and over again to make sure nothing is overlooked.

Roadtrip playlists – Pacific Coast Highway.  Great Ocean Road.  Southern Scenic Route.  And all the trains, planes, buses, and ferry rides in between all require awesome playlists.  I know some of my friends and family members understand and would agree on the importance of having the right tunes for the right occasions and that this “To Do” item ranks right up there with deciding what to do with my 401(K) account.

So if all that doesn’t make your head spin (and unfortunately I am sure I have still skipped over much of what has preoccupied my mind for the last couple of months), then by all means feel free to pass GO, collect $200, and start planning the fun of WHERE to travel, WHAT to see, WHO to see, what to DO, what ROUTE to follow, what MONTHS to travel, what MODES of TRANSPORTATION to take, what HOUSING ACCOMODATIONS to select, what VISAs are required for entry, and the true “meat” and excitement of any travel planning endeavor!!