V-Love’s Lonely Planet

I’ve converted over to BootsnAll and will no longer be blogging on blogspot.

Hello friends, family, and a few random blog readers. I’ve decided to start posting about my travel experience here for all of you who would like to keep up with my adventure. Many BootsnAll bloggers are exceptional writers who can turn a mundane travel story into an exciting read. I am no writer, nor will I ever be. These are just honest tales about my expeditions, how I’ve planned, why I’m going, a place to post pictures, basic travel information, and an on-line journal for me to look back on in years to come.

It was not until I graduated from A&M when I became excited about traveling. I never studied abroad or took time off once I graduated. Like many, I took the next step after college and accepted an offer for a corporate job. After four years, I’m kicking off those heals and putting on some hiking boots for a long needed break. It’s not standard for Americans, especially those with only a few years of “real job” experience to quit their jobs to go backpack the world. Yet it’s a rite of massage for the Europeans. But through many months of research I’ve found hundreds of 20-something’s like me who are doing the exact same thing; leaving the cubicles for some time to figure out who they truly are and to see parts of the world many dream of. They’ve decided to spend less on material things and more on traveling; gaining experiences that will be humbling and rewarding for years to come; learning a new language; being immersed in other cultures; interacting with the locals; volunteering; and meeting other solo travelers with fascinating stories.

So many of us question what we are doing here. And when I say here, I mean sitting in a chair, in front of a computer, doing a job that is not always fulfilling. Most only dream about taking an extended period of time off to travel. And all I can say is why not? Ok, so I am not married, I have no kids, I am not committed to anyone or anything, I am not in wads of debt. For me, it seems a better time than ever. And I know that I will never look back with regrets and why not’s.

Friends and family are starting to ask:
Where is the money coming from? That’s easy, saving and spending wisely. I don’t drink Starbucks everyday, I bring my lunch, and I don’t often shop for material things.

What I will do when I return? Even I still struggle with this one but I’m trying to not let it discourage me. At least I have the MBA under my belt and some great Finance experience. I’m constantly networking, making connections, and posting that resume. And who knows, I could meet that hot shot CEO on my travels that can instantly get me a job. All I know is that when I return I will be relocating. My hopes are set on Colorado.

Why am I doing it all alone? To me, it’s the best way to travel. As a 26 year old female it may be gutsy but I’ve always been independent and enjoy having alone time. I find traveling alone puts me in uncomfortable and tough circumstances but let’s me know how strong I really am. It forces me to introduce myself to others and meet locals as well as other travelers. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want without having to confirm it with someone else.

I’m an intelligent person who has thought long and hard about my decisions. But instead of continuing to think about it for years to come, I’m jumping into it and taking on what I consider to be a great opportunity and an eye-opening experience. For now, my journey will only be 3 months. I’ll spend 3 weeks in Peru visiting the jungle, hiking the Inca Trail, and staying with local families on Lake Titicaca. I will then spend over 6 weeks backpacking through Switzerland, Italy, Austria, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. I’m excited, nervous, scared, anxious, and writing to-do-lists like you wouldn’t believe.

Over the next month I’ll continue to add posts about my preparations as well as post some pictures so I can get comfortable with posting on this site. I’ll do my best at keeping you entertained and keeping this blog exciting.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 at 4:27 pm and is filed under About Me and Why. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.