KM 0, New York

This is my traveling blog for a trip starting on December 11, 2010. I’ll first go to Costa Rica and do some traveling there and get the TESL/TEFL certificate. Then, I plan to continue in southern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and make a U-turn towards northern Asia, Central and Western Europe, and back to New York.

I feel like Don Quixote de la Mancha. The horseshoes he gave to Rocinante helped him out to discover the world he only knew from books. In the end, he wrote his own destiny through creativity and an open mind.

The route has four parts: I) Spain, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel; II) Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia; III) Japan, Korea, China; IV) Central and Western Europe (countries tbd). Each part is planned separately from the others. Depending on how well I do to finance each part, I will be able to continue on my journey and make adjustments as needed. The trip could be as short as four months and as long as one year.

I want to see more of the world, and learn about other cultures, their history, arts, and ways of live. While I am out there, I plan on documenting my experiences and gather enough material to write a small book or a series of articles to help other travelers. I also have some business ideas and will try to do some networking for future projects.

In order to keep it all in a tight budget and to be able to stay longer in each place, most of my traveling will be on public transportation and when possible by land. For accomodations, I will start with couchsurfing and hostels. I’m also going to look for volunteer work in exchange for a place to stay, food and a stipend, and could even offer language and Latin dance lessons for extra cash.

Having seen so many people from all over the world here in New York would make anyone wonder what things are like out there. The ideas for this trip are in general terms, and although some important details are also included, it will be through improvisation how things will eventually happen, like everything else in life.

Will keep you posted....