This trip takes up a large part of our lives. We still have 60 days before we leave and already we have done 3 trial packs. You know that we’re looking forward to leaving when our novels de jour are lonely planet guidebooks. I know there is a backlash out there for lonely planet guides but they make good reading and you can travel the world while sitting in your armchair (but who in the world would want to do that?). I feel they give us some peace of mind and will help us make the most of our journey. They also help us be more adventurous by pointing out the beaten path so we can avoid it when we want to.

I think we have everything we will need for our trip and now the issue is trying to pack it all in 2 bags. I remember my first trip when I had a backpack, an extra duffle bag, and a large sleeping bag that I would tie onto my backpack. I carried it with me for 4 months even though I didn’t use half the stuff. Amie went crazy and bought enough gear for herself to fill both bags but we have somehow brought this down to a single bag. On the bright side, when she returns all the extra stuff she bought, we probably will have enough money to pay for the trip (Just kidding). The one thing we want to bring is our snorkel gear and this takes up a lot of room so we will have to give up something - who wears underwear nowadays anyway?

I, too, am guilty of going overboard. My Achilles heel is EBay. I bought my backpack on EBay and, to be honest, I’m not 100% happy with it. It is a little larger than I first thought, but we will use the space to be sure. I also bought Amie’s bag online and this turned out to be my best ever buy on EBay, as it is perfect for what we want and cost less than $50. The one thing that I'm not bringing is jeans. This is going to be hard for me as I normally live in jeans, but I guess I'll have to make do. We will post a full packing list next month to give you an idea of what we are bringing and will look forward to any suggestions you might have.