For those of you thinking about RTW travel (or if you're just curious about how our process went), here's a preliminary guide of observations/lessons learned/thoughts.
You have to commit. And I mean really commit -- financially, emotionally, physically. People may think you're crazy (and maybe you are a little bit), but once you make your decision to do it, go all in. Extended world travel is something that Matt & I talked about (mostly dreamed about really) for a long time, but usually not seriously. And then the timing just seemed right. Be open to these moments or you may miss them! =) We were a bit afraid of the enormity of the undertaking, but then thought to ourselves, "when have we ever regretted a travel experience?" Answer: never. It has always been worth the work, research and risk.
Your trip: what do you really want?
- For how long would you like to travel?
- Where are you "can't miss" destinations?
- Consider the weather -- if you're going to be traveling through many different climates, it will definitely affect your packing strategy.
- HOW do you like to travel? Are you cool with shared dorms and bathrooms? How about camping? If you need a certain number of creature comforts, be honest with yourself!
- What are you travel goals? i.e. WHY are you taking this trip?
- How early do you need to start planning? Many places issue visas on arrival, but many require you to apply far in advance.
- Housing: Do you rent? Do you own a house? Could you sell it? Could you rent it? Do you know anything about drawing up a lease? Do you need to pay someone to take care of all of this for you? We bought our first house when me moved to Pittsburgh, and we still love it. We didn't want to sell, and eventually found a renter. Other things we had to consider since we would be less-than-reachable for much of the year was how we would handle a situation if something went wrong with the house. Our fantastic neighbors agreed to be on site contacts and we bought a home warranty for the year. These are all huge (especially financially) questions to consider.
- Work: Can you take a leave of absence? Will you have to resign? Can you continue to work in some capacity from abroad? When (and how) will you tell your work about your plans?
- Pets & Kids: Finding a good home for our kitty cat was one of the biggest sources of anxiety for me as I love the little bugger so much.
- Transportation: Do you own a car? Will you store it? Sell it? Loan it?
- Mail: Where will you have it sent? Whom will look out for important letters/bills/etc? How will they contact you?
- Set your budget, and set it early. Be honest with yourself about how much you need to make this the trip you want it to be. Many of the blogs I have read on the subject suggest being financially ready to go 10% beyond that of the budget you set. **(See separate upcoming post about our budget.)**
- Ongoing bills/loans: Like most of my colleagues, I have a mountain of medical school debt. Gonna have to keep making those payments even when we're gone. Don't forget to include it in your budget!
- Taxes: Uncle Sam is coming for you no matter what. Decide early (and depending upon the timing of your trip) how you will file your taxes and if you need help doing so. We will be filing for an extension while we're gone.
- Consider carefully the areas to which you will be traveling and what OTC meds and prescription meds you may need.
- Our Med List (OTC): pepcid, tums, pepto bismol, immodium, senna, benadryl, zyrtec, ibuprofen
- Our Med List (prescription): doxycycline, cipro, azithromycin, diamox, dexamethasone, zofran, diflucan
- Immunizations are your friend!!!! (And depending on where you're traveling, they may also be REQUIRED). Go early to your State/County Health Department and get started. Some vaccination series can take several months to complete. Also, this can be a hidden expense, as not all insurances cover travel vaccines. For example, our yellow fever vaccinations were ~$100 apiece. The CDC website is very helpful for both getting started and for specific questions.
- Look into your health insurance coverage -- if you are quitting your job/taking a leave of absence/etc, it may cost A LOT to keep your coverage (through COBRA etc.) or you may not be able to keep it at all. There ARE travel health plans out there -- we will be going through WorldNomads. Some basic things aren't covered, but the big stuff (med evac etc.) is. Also be aware that insurance may not cover you in countries/areas that are on the US state department's list of countries in which travel is not advised.
- Ladies -- think long & hard about birth control options. Many forms require either refrigeration or reasonable temperature control (is your pack going to be 65-77 degrees at all times? Not likely.) Also, you may need to bring a whole year's supply with you depending upon what type you use. I would recommend looking into IUDs or implantable birth control if that is an option for you.
- WATER: essential for life and significantly unsafe in many parts of the world! Consider taking 2 different methods of water purification. There are MANY different options in this category -- and it all comes down to what you prefer/how much weight you want to carry/convenience/etc. We are taking the steri-pen classic and iodine tablets as backup.
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