Count Down to Massive Adventure

As of today, there are only 95 days until my biggest vacation/adventure EVER!!!

Several months ago, I mentioned I had been approved to take three months off of work.  At that time, my plans were very fluid.  The main goal was to see Australia and New Zealand and to hopefully include some of Central America.  Since then there have been many discussion with HR and my time off was reduced to two months.  Regardless of the initial disappointment of losing one-third of my time off, I’ve still had a blast planning my trip.

A lot of people recommend “going with the flow and not planning too much”.  That’s just not me.  I want to get the most out of my time and I’m a program manager by trade, so planning is what I do.  Plus, if something life-changing does happen I’m more than happy to spend a little extra money and change my plans.

I have the majority of my trip planned already.  I’ll share the details for each country in upcoming posts, but the basic plan is…

Days 1-14 — Belize

In November I will be embarking on my third trip to Belize.  I’ve mentioned it many times…I love Belize.  This time my parents and my best friend will be joining me.  I cannot wait to share Belize with them.

Days 15 — Los Angeles, California, United States

This is an unplanned detour.  In order to get to New Zealand from Belize, the best route was through Los Angeles.  I get in late on a Friday night and leave really early on a Sunday.

Day 16 — In Flight

I think this is the day a lose while flying through the maze of time zones.

Day 17 — Tokyo, Japan

Yet another unplanned stop due to flight arranges.  I plan on making the most of it by taking the train to town and just wandering around.

Days 18-42 — New Zealand

The grand adventure will hit top speed once I hit New Zealand.  I always knew when I visited New Zealand I would make the most of it and stay a long time.

Days 43-63 — Australia

The fun won’t end in New Zealand.  I only have time to visit the East Coast of Australia, but I’m sure I’ll have an amazing time.  I’ll most likely find many reasons to visit again and see the rest of the country.

Day 64 — Sydney or Cairns, Australia

I fly out of Sydney, but my trip ends in Cairns.  Not sure where I’ll be on my last day.

Day 65 — In Flight/Home

I’ll actually get to relive day 65 twice due to the time zone changes.  The first day 65 will be spent in flight from Sydney, through Beijing and Vancouver, to Seattle.  The second day 65 will be spent in my own bed.  But most of all, I’ll get to see my furry kids…best coming home gift ever.

Stay tuned this week as I share more detailed plans for Belize, New Zealand, and Australia.