A Wandering Sole

The Classic American Road Trip

// August 22nd, 2011 // 25 Comments » // America, Trip Planning

I’m finally back in the US of A after a cancelled flight from South Africa and three long days of travel trying to make it home. I got back on the 13th around 1am, my friend from Germany flew in on the 14th, and we left town for our classic American road trip on the 16th (note that I said ‘classic’- not ‘classy’).

I met Stella in April 2010 in Kenya on a volunteer project and we hit it off immediately. We spent about a month together there, and then I visited her in Germany on my way home in November. It was then that we hatched a plan to do a US road trip. It was an impulsive idea, we went to the bookstore and ordered a guide book, and that was that. Our dates got messy once I accepted a job in South Africa, but we were able to switch her flight, and here we are! (more…)

Saving and the Abominable Travel Budget

// June 25th, 2011 // 4 Comments » // Trip Planning

Snapshot of my detailed budget that I kept on my trip

I’m extremely money conscious. I can’t help it. I blame my accountant dad for it. I’m pretty sure I knew what budgeting was at the age of five. I consider this a life-saving skill, as it’s gotten me out of a job I hated and traveling the world in a matter of 14 months. (more…)

How to Earn Extra Cash for Travel

// January 20th, 2011 // 24 Comments » // Trip Planning

Whether it’s for travel, a purchase, or just because, earning a bit of extra cash is always on my radar. I’m really good at saving lots of money and then draining my bank account to travel. So good, that I’ve successfully done it on at least three occasions. However, saving and earning are two different things. I’m still working on the earning side, but here are some tips that I’ve found useful so far. (more…)

Montage Monday: Planning My RTW Trip

// November 29th, 2010 // 6 Comments » // Photo of the Week, Trip Planning

Just over a year ago, this is what the top of my dresser looked like. I wanted to take off for an 8 month around the world trip and a.) Am the most indecisive person you will ever meet and b.) Have a not-so-secret love for the library. I could go anywhere I wanted in the entire world, pending that it fit within my budget, and found that to be one of the most exhilarating parts of planning my trip. I checked out lots of guidebooks and travel related books from the library because it was free and because I was there pretty much every week. Sadly, I’m not as avid a reader as many people I know,  but I just love the idea of having all of these books at my fingertips. On my lunch break, desperate to get away from my torture chamber (aka my job) I’d flee to the library. I’d hit up the travel section, and if I had time, I would visit art and architecture, non-fiction, and new releases. Travel books + Library = Bliss

And in case you were wondering, Bhutan was at the top of my travel list, I just couldn’t afford the government mandated travel costs! However, I will gladly accept a government sponsored trip (hint hint Bhutan).

Flight Socks Review & Giveaway

// November 9th, 2010 // 16 Comments » // Gear, Travel Review

I’m so excited to be hosting my first giveaway on this blog, as it’s been in the works for a while! Tights Please contacted me a few months back to see if I would be interested in reviewing their flight socks. I literally jumped at the chance. I had recently been on a 14-hour flight from Cape Town to Kuala Lumpur, and it was pretty miserable. If I have to sit on a flight longer than five hours, my legs become really uncomfortable and restless, and not to sound like an old lady, but my feet swell too. It’s awful! So, I informed Tights Please that I could put these flight socks to the ultimate test on my upcoming 11-hour flight to Berlin.

About Flight Socks
Flight socks are compression socks intended to improve circulation. Now, I’m no medical expert but from what I understand when you sit for extended hours on a flight, your blood circulates less in your lower leg. This causes the discomfort that so many of us have from long travel days.

Putting them to the test
On November 2, I boarded my 11-hour flight from Bangkok to Berlin. I was at the airport early so I waited until I boarded the flight to put them on. And if I’m being honest, I waited until my hot seat buddy went to the bathroom to put them on, because I felt a bit like an 80 year old woman putting on black knee-high socks :) But I guess that’s getting off track, now isn’t it? Anyhow, the pair that I tested out is elastic-free at the top, making them more comfortable than I expected. Hours 5, 6, and 7 passed with ease. I was surprise that my legs were comfortable even at the 9th hour. Around hour 10 I did start to feel some discomfort and removed the socks for the last hour of my flight. (more…)

Wardrobing Mishaps of a Backpacker

// September 9th, 2010 // 11 Comments » // Gear, Travel Reflection, Travel Tips

Waking up after camping on top of Nyiragongo Volcano, DR Congo. Frozen.

I’ve already staked my claim as the World’s Worst Packer. However, I have to give myself props: although a work in progress, I feel like I’ve got this packing thing down pretty well now. It’s been a long road, but here are just a few things I’ve learned along the way. (more…)

RTW Travel: Two Months In

// May 8th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Gear, Travel Review, Trip Planning

I’ve made it a quarter of the way through my trip as of today. It’s hard to believe that so much has happened since my one month review.

Start of the Dead Sea Marathon

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The Waiting Game in Kenya

// May 6th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Kenya, Travel Tips, Volunteer

Listen carefully, as this is one of my greatest pieces of travel advice: If you don’t have patience, don’t come to Kenya. Most of you who read this travel blog come from modern countries. You make an appointment if you want to go to the doctor or get your hair cut. If someone is more than 20 minutes late, they’re probably not going to show up. Our Western view places a high value on time, and the world just might collapse if we don’t stick to it.

In Kenya, time is viewed very differently. If a local tells you that they will arrive at noon, it could be 2pm or later. And there’s really no need for an apology. Sadly I have gotten used to Kenyan time. This morning I was 40 minutes late to meet up with James. Luckily for me he has no clock, so he may know I am late but he doesn’t know by how much :)

I believe the reasons for inefficiency in Kenya are as follows:

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Making my way to Venice

// March 11th, 2010 // 6 Comments » // Italy, Pre-Trip

It’s 5:30am on Monday morning. After 2 hours of sleep (it’s impossible to finish packing at a decent time) I crawled out of bed for what was to be my last hot shower at home and my last good hair day. At 6:30 we were headed for Louisville’s SDF airport.

Loaded down & ready to go

Louisville Airport
I arrived at the airport with what I thought was the perfect amount of luggage. All of my must-haves plus all of the practical stuff. As you will soon read/see, I was lacking a bit in the warm clothing department, but my pack was not too heavy this time. After having a few mishaps on recent trips at the airport I made sure to arrive over 2 hours early. I went to check in and walked right up to the counter. So much for worrying about long lines.
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RTW Packing: In it to Win it

// March 8th, 2010 // 13 Comments » // Gear, Trip Planning

After some hemming and hawing, I feel fairly confident that I am slowly working my way up to Mastery Level in the Art of Packing. Based on my last post, you may want to tread lightly when using this post as a resource, but I think it’s looking pretty good. So here’s a summary of what made the final list.

Resources for the next 8 months!

Packing Necessities:
Gregory Deva 60 Backpack
eBags Packing Cubes (3)
Rucksack (to be replaced in Rome at marathon)
Swiss small daypack- doubling as camera bag
LL Bean Personal Organizer
LL Bean Cabin Fleece Sleeping Bag
Money belt
Passport, passport copy, visa photos
Credit & debit cards, ISIC card

Wear:
2 pairs North Face Convertible Pants
1 pair of jeans
1 pair Nike dri-fit capris
2 pairs Champion running shorts
2 long sleeve quick drying shirts
1 black zip up fleece
1 rain jacket
1 swim suit
3 dri-fit shirts
4 tshirts
1 nylon running tank top
2 tank tops
6 prs of adidas nylon socks
8 prs travel underwear
2 pairs running shoes
Chacos
Flip-flops
Sunglasses
Running hat/visor
Bonus: Electric blue leggings (there’s a story behind them that’s bound to emerge on this blog at some point!)

Survive:
LED flashlight
Headlamp
Metal Water Bottle
Nathan Sprint Water Bottle
Fuel Belt
Gu electrolyte gels
Protein bars
Pillowcase- has multiple uses

Entertain:
Lonely Planet Italy
Lonely Planet Jordan
The Sex Lives of Cannibals
Moleskine, pens
Sketch Book
Snorkel & mask- never go on a trip without it

Drug dealer or prepared traveler? Jury's still out.

Hygiene:
Travel size toiletries
First Aid kit: Bandaids, antibiotic ointment, pepto bismol chewables (for race days), ibuprofen, malaria meds, multivitamin, glucosamine chondroitin, stomach travel meds, nauseau meds (for Nepal trekking)
Hair ties, bobby pins, q-tips, dental floss, chapstick
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Contacts, glasses, solution
Body Glide (highly recommend for runners)
Travel size detergent
Microfiber towel

Technology:
My rucksack is the new home for my technology. See picture below. Gasp. I know. I’m having to cope with it as well. Here goes:

The good stuff

Sony W-220 Cybershot camera
Olympus e510 dslr camera w/ kit lenses
Circular polarizing filter
Macbook (confession: I bought a netbook for this trip, but decided I couldn’t live without my Mac, so I turned around and sold the netbook and bought a smaller Mac to take with me)
2 external hard drives
Backup camera batteries & storage cards
Battery chargers
Camcorder
Tripod
iPod
Plug adaptor
Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch

It was exhausting just to write this, let alone get everything together. After all the stress that goes in to packing and planning, it all seems to go down the drain and become trivial once you’re on the road; unless of course you’re lacking a passport, at which point you won’t get very far! But as long as you have that, and your toothbrush (dental hygiene ranks high on my list) then you’re good to go. Bon voyage!