My First Big Adventure is Booked

Los Angeles to New York, New York to Boston, Boston to Portugal. Plane tickets are purchased, itineraries booked, there’s no turning back now (not that I want to). I am about to embark on my first big backpacking adventure.

It started a little less than a year ago (8 months to be more specific). I had what I thought was a crazy idea to sell my things, quit my job, pack a bag and just go anywhere.  Here I am, just a little over a month away from my departure date. There’s airline confirmation emails in my inbox and a packing list saved on my computer desktop. My passport and Rough Guide to Europe are sitting on my nightstand as a constant reminder that this is happening.

Whether I am ready or not.

Once I made the decision to quit my job and travel, following through was easier than I anticipated.  I started saving immediately, putting together a detailed budget with every paycheck. I even started working a second job for extra money. Then I started researching the places I wanted to visit to stay motivated and keep me focused.

My plan was even easier to follow when a friend decided to join me on my journey.  Going alone was never going to stop me, but having someone to share it with makes it much more exciting.  A solo trip would have had its rewarding moments. But I do love having someone to research, plan, and share ideas with.

So where to? First stop is New York. I have had a love affair with that city for as long as I can remember. It started even before I ever visited. Since my first trip back in 2005, I have had fantasies about going back and never leaving.  After rekindling my long lost love with the big apple, we couldn’t leave the United States without stopping in Boston.

Then it is on to Portugal, and pretty much open ended from there.  Of course we’ve done research and planning. We have a list of cities we want to go to, things we want to see and a potential route that we want to follow. But everything is subject to change while we’re out there.  On this trip I can’t be too flexible, and nothing is off limits.

So am I scared, nervous or anxious? Of course I am.

It would be weird and probably a little troublesome if I weren’t.  The part I am most anxious about is giving my job my notice (which I still have not done).  The nervous feeling I got in my stomach when I wrote my resignation letter was bad enough, I am actually dreading the verbal resignation I have to give.  But you can’t mistake those feelings for feelings of doubt and uncertainty.

Change is hard, everyone knows that.  But there is a sequel that needs to be written, and I can’t do that if i keep reading book one. So any doubt that I had is gone; I couldn’t be more ready for what is about to take place.