Doing a Thing

I love how cultural clichés work into every day language. I read online about various friends who are ‘doing a thing’ and I often think how silly that phrasing is. But this past week, I found myself using the phrase in a Facebook post to refer to plans I’ve made that I’m not quite ready to announce but I’m too excited about to keep quiet. And so, ‘doing a thing’ became the shortcut to share my tiny bit of excitement without saying what it was. Now I'll say what the thing is.

Three years ago, I turned my back on the Hawaiian sunrise and set off West. Around the world. It was one of the greatest adventures of my life. I saw places and met people I will always cherish. So, my announcement on Facebook last week that “I’ve started the process of preparing to do the thing. Target: October 19” is to say that I’m going to do it again. This time I have a list of places I’ve never been before and a few places I simply need to return to.

The trigger for starting the process of preparing was reaching a milestone in my savings. I wanted to make this trip last year but unexpected expenses wiped out my savings and I couldn’t imagine ever getting to that level again. But I devoted myself to living an extremely frugal life since then. I chose my winter campground, for example, because I could stay here for six months for $1300. Food and fuel are cheap and I seldom venture outside my trailer.

The biggest expense of an around-the-world trip is airfare and transportation. I give both of those because, like last time, I plan to spend my time in Europe traveling by train. And possibly the time in India, too. I contacted my travel agent who set me up on such great flights the last time and his word was that I should keep planning but it was too early to buy tickets. In fact, he won’t be able to book most of the trip until mid-summer. But here is my proposed routing.

Seattle to Shanghai and/or Hong Kong. Investigation so far indicates that it is cheaper to fly to both these locations than to fly through Tokyo. Too bad. I seriously considered spending some time in Japan but when it comes down to that or the two great cities of China, it’s not contest. Traveling as a single ‘older’ man to these locations is frightening to say the least. No language, no guide, no contacts. What a way to get my feet wet for this part of the adventure.

I’ve often pondered how my Northern Hemisphere mindset affected my pagan beliefs. So, I think a great way to challenge them is to spend my high holiday of the year, winter solstice, down under where it is summer solstice instead. Australia and New Zealand are at the top of my list to spend December. And besides, I promised my daughter that when I go south of the equator, I’ll get that tattoo I’ve talked about for years. She might even join me there for the holiday.

From Australia, it is a return to two places I’ve enjoyed in the past—Singapore and Chiang Mai, Thailand. I wasn’t and am not particularly enthused about Bangkok, especially if I’m spending some time wandering around Singapore before I get there. (Pepper crabs!) But I can’t wait to spend a month in Thailand at the fabulous Enchanted Garden Bungalows. I feel like I made friends with Steve, Wanchai, and Janie on my last trip and found it to be one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth. January seems like a perfect time to spend there.

I’ve worked for several years with another author and adventurer, Mark Sawyer, who has given me so many good insights on India that I can’t pass up the opportunity to go there this time.

I expect to make the journey from Chennai to Mumbai overland, seeking out the holy mountain, Arunachula, and some of the people and fabulous sights Mark has described over the years. From Mumbai, I’m head back to Greece.

This is where Eurail will kick in again for my longest overland journey… I’m guessing about two months. On my last journey, I went north from Greece and toured Central Europe. This time, I want to go through Southern Europe along the Mediterranean Sea. This will include a return to some places dear to me.

I need to return to Metéora in Thessaly. Back to Rome. To see Monaco (James Bond fan). To return to the Camargue in France and then Barcelona. And I want to get to Gibraltar. I’ve never been on the continent of Africa, so it seems that a hop down to Tangier in Morocco would suit my tastes, even if I don’t make it all the way to Casablanca. Then up to Portugal where several friends who have visited recently have told me fabulous tales of the wine… and architecture and art, of course.

Assuming they still allow Americans into the country, I want to spend a fair amount of time (a month?) in the UK. First, to visit my friends, Jo, Sassy, and Michelle. That will take me from London to Cambridge to Scotland. But in between is a place that settled so deeply in my heart on my first visit in 1970 that I’ve written about it in four books and I simply must return: Keswick and the Lake District. I will return to Carles Castlerigg stone circle.

Photo by Rob Bendall, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15746841

Six or seven months after I start this great adventure, I’ll return to my camp in Idaho by way of Seattle and spend the rest of the summer spinning tales of my adventures and writing my next great novel.

All a pipe-dream? I’m certainly not saying that the itinerary is set in stone. My agent will have ideas for routing. I've allowed too much time in Australia and New Zealand to allow the kind of time I want in Thailand and Southern Europe. My friends along the way will have ideas for who and when I should visit. And my limited funds will certainly dictate how long I stay in certain places. I can stay in Thailand for little more than I stay at Quartzsite. I can probably afford only a day or two in Singapore.

Do you have a couch I can surf for a few days along the way? Want to travel alongside for part of the journey? I want to meet more people, see more things, do more stuff. I’ll be 70 years old and I think that’s just young enough to enjoy this trip!