"Well that's different" and other reactions to us breaking the news

College (pretend you can sum up 4 years of personal discovery, growing up, making best friends,  and earning 130 credits in a single word) was the absolute best time of my life!  I know I am not alone in declaring this statement.  The friends, the creek parties, the underground tunnels, the nights at Newell's, the nights at Druber's, the Galas, living in New Res/Haury Hall/mod 3B, and first loves just to get going.   It was truly, the best of times.

However, it is also the time that you realize how incredibly weird you are.  That you are in fact the only person that only eats the grape candy and throws the rest of the colors away.  You are the only person that wears flip flops even though there is 8" of snow on the ground.  You are the only one that has to "plug in your car" by running a 100 foot extension cord out your dorm window (no, don't think "she must have had the first Prius ever," think more along the lines of "is that an old-model John Deere diesel tractor that she has plugged in there?".  You are the only one that thinks you can turn 2 fish tanks into a bunny rabbit terrarium with your bare hands.  And you are the only one who listens to Mariah Carey's Christmas album all year round.  You forget that just because your ideas seem normal to you, they probably aren't normal to anyone else. 

So the point really that I am coming to is this: I am still incredibly weird, and my ideas although normal to me, might not be normal to anyone else.  And so, when we have told people that we are traveling around the world for 2 years or forever, the reactions generally have been supportive, but some have been mixed and interesting to say the least.

No one so far has actually just said what they were thinking when it was, "Are you a total and complete moron?"  Instead they say things like this:

- "Well, that's...different."

- "Is this a sort of midlife crisis?  Oh, you aren't even midlife yet...  What sort of crisis is this?"

- "So, like, England?"

- Blank stare followed by furrowed brow.

Other people are perhaps more supportive, but still entirely clueless:

- "So what's your budget then, like $250 a day?" Do you mean US dollars?  Do you really mean a budget of $6000 a month?  Because I don't live on that now, so, are you high or something?

- "Are you going to keep your job then?" Do you mean continue to see patients in the office?  Because my teleporter is still in the shop...

- "Are you going to keep your place?"  What?!?!  Really then, you are high.  Does a money tree grow in your backyard?  Because if so, then I will keep your place.  We rent by the way, and it costs almost $2000/month, and we are planning on being gone between 2 and 50 years, although you do have a point, the place is rent controlled, but I'm going to have to go with "absolutely not" on this one.

- "Are you going to take your cat?"  Was that really your question?  Because you could have said, "what are you going to do with your cat?" and that would make sense.  But bring it with me?  Around the world?  Like in a baby bjorn and pretend it's my kid?  Because I am weird but not psychotic.

In truth though, I know people aren't purposefully asking ridiculous questions.  I forget that this has been a dream of mine for years, and I am the luckiest person alive to have found a partner who shares the same dream.  I think about starting this adventure every day.  Then I come home to my best friend and we talk about it together every day.  We count down, we make lists, we purchase items, we read blogs, we subscribe to magazines, and we realize that thousands of other people have done the exact same thing and we know we can do it.

So for us, this crazy dream is totally awesome and sounds normal.  And to answer some of your questions:

- Yes, it is different, just like us.

- No, it is not a crisis at all!  It is a well thought out decision that will hopefully prove little regret.

- Probably not England, at least not at first, but you never know!  Our plan is to spend most of the first year in Central and South America, then a few months in Africa, many months in Asia, specifically the Southeast, and many months in Australia and New Zealand.  With a time frame of 2 to 50 years, we are happy to be open minded to opportunities that come our way and would love to visit Europe at some point.

- A general budget estimate is $50 a day, with the expectation that some things we want to do such as Divemaster Certification and Safari-ing will likely exceed the budget significantly.

- We will not be keeping our jobs.  And we are not planning to return to them.  We are planning lots and lots but at this point how, when, and where we return is not included.

- We will be downsizing significantly, moving out, and adding the returned rent deposit to the travel fund.

- My parents will be fostering my cat, Mousey, while we are away.  Cats cannot get passports.

Let's Go Shopping!!

Since I was young, I have loved shopping lists.  Grocery lists, back-to-school supply lists, and the like.  Also, since a young age, I have been (more than a little bit) interested in getting a good price.  Some people call this being Mennonite (or Jewish), frugal, cheap, or neurotic.  On a regular basis I do my grocery shopping at 5 different Bay Area stores.  I typically refuse to buy something at store A if I know I can get it, and a few other things at store B for a better price.  And sometimes I have particular lists, so stores C, D, and E inevitably come into play.  

When I was living at 402, my roommate Pablo was curious when I went grocery shopping and came home with bags from 4 different stores.  This was not just a result of me taking a smorgasbord of recycled bags from home (although, I do try and always use recycled bags), I was actually shopping at 4 different stores.  I can't help it, really, I can't.

So the same holds true when I shop for clothes.  In the past few years, it's been very rare that I pay full price for clothing.  Usually I shop at pre-owned clothing stores - Buffalo Exchange, Crossroads, and various thrift stores.  Or I bargain hunt online - Amazon, Ebay, and even Craigslist. 

Last year (2012) one of my New Year Resolutions was to give up shopping for clothes.  It wasn't a vice for me, I was never a shopping addict, and I didn't spend $100s a month on clothes.  I was after all, sticking to the previously mentioned habits.  However, I started to think is was ridiculous, how many clothes people actually buy, not because the old ones don't fit, or because they are ruined, but just because you can.  Throwing out perfectly good clothes, glossing over the same section in your closet that you never really actually wear but hold on to because you haven't ever worn them but one day you might, and buying new clothes as a form of retail therapy became things I decided to give up.  There were a few exceptions - gifts, clothing bought with gift cards, and 2 T-shirts which I called "uniforms" which was sort of a loop hole - but overall, I stuck to it, and for a year, I didn't really buy any more clothes.

Luckily, this year is different!  New year and new resolutions!!  Because we are planning on getting rid of basically, all the the stuff that we own so we can live out of backpacks, the shopping as a whole is being kept to a minimum.  We do though, need to acquire a fairly specific collection of clothing that we will wash and wear, with little variation, for the next 2 years.  So, in small bits, each month we are doing some shopping to grow our collection.  I forgot how fun and exciting shopping is!!  Especially when you are shopping for something as exciting as a trip around the world.

Our Rough Guide to traveling around the world suggests bringing 1 outfit.  That's right, ONE.  Basically you are in that single set of clothes or you are naked.  How exactly do you deliver that one set of clothes to someone to launder wearing your birthday suit?  Seems inappropriate in most cultures I've ever heard of.  So while we are trying to pack minimally, Brandt says, "If I can carry it, I can bring it," and tank tops are small, so I'm going to bring 5 :)

Our collection will soon be complete!  Some items we already own, but we have purchased: a 65L pack, a day-to-day backpack, 3 pairs of hiking/day wear pants, a belt, a skirt, many tank tops, 2 fleece jackets, one pair capri yoga pants, one pair yoga shorts, 3 button-up hiking/dress shirts, 2 rain jackets, an international outlet converter, a deck of cards, dice, 2 travel journals, a few long and short sleeve T-shirts, and merino wool underwear.  Say goodbye to cotton - everything is polyester, nylon, merino wool, or some other combination of sweat/smell/wet-resistant and quick-drying type of fabric.

True to my shopping beliefs, absolutely nothing has been purchased at full price!!  Brandt has really gotten the hang of this too, and I couldn't be more proud.  If you have more time than money, comparing prices, using a discount, and working your "connections" (i.e. friends at Patagonia, etc.), really can pay off.  Here are some websites not to be missed:

Amazon.com

Backcountry.com

GearTrade.com (becoming Amanda's favorite. Always free shipping)

EBay.com

BobWards.com

And here is our collection:

Have you backpacked??  Please let us know what things you really did need and use, and other things that you should have left at home, were useless, or just took up space.  We strive to become packing backpack experts!

The Countdown Begins!

Welcome family, friends, friends of friends, and friends we have not yet met!  Thanks for checking out our page, and if you feel so inclined, following our blog and living vicariously through us as we adventure the world!  Yes, "adventure" can be a verb, and we will certainly show you how it's done.

Who we are:  Brandt and Amanda. You can call us partners, lovers, best friends, a couple, or just two peas in a pod. We work as a construction project manager and a physician assistant, respectively.  We read, run, cook, relax, spend time outdoors, travel, and try to get the most out of life every day. Basically, we are normal people, just like you! 

What we're doing: Saying goodbye to our current jobs, comforts, and routines, and traveling around the whole wide world for the next 2 years!!  We have a loose itinerary of the countries we would like to visit, but of course will be directed by the people we meet, the stories we hear, mother nature, political situations, love, and fate. 

Why we're doing this: We want to speak foreign languages, experience other cultures first hand, find volunteer opportunities in medicine/education/construction, understand what the whole wide world is really like, and in the end, become better versions of ourselves (or maybe even new people).  Don't forget surf, SCUBA, kite-board, hike, and play!  We also want to educate and inspire others to experience the world first hand and travel around the world too!

When we're doing this: Hopefully leaving by Jan 2014!!

Through our previous experiences in traveling, we've found that planning really is a big part of the fun of it all so we will be making entries periodically and counting down in anticipation.  Please, please, PLEASE feel free to make comments, suggestions, and share in your travel and planning experiences with us. 

Also, we would love, love, LOVE for our friends and families to journey with us along the way.  What far off land have you been dreaming about visiting?  There is a good chance we might be in the neighborhood, so please take a look at our plan of action, and let us know where you might want to adventure together.