Planning, Saving and Eventually Taking

After finally decided it was time to take my dream trip and researching other adventures that other people have taken. I learned that the best first step would be to open a travel account to stock away savings.

So that is what I did. I opened a checking account so I can squander away part of my income into my future travel account.

I also opened a savings so I can also squander away money for my coming home fund.

I read the most interesting comment on Boosnall last night, where a guy stated that once he realized everything he wanted would eventually end up in storage, I sat down and made a budget.

So am sending a portion of my income into my checking account, and another small portion into my returning home account. I figure this is my first year of saving, and after 6 months I will review my progress and go from there. I am hoping to have the portion needed for my central america and south america leg saved by the end of the year. Which is why it is important I get a rough idea of how long I spend in each country. I am quickly learning that some latin america countries are more expensive than others.

I opened up each account with $1 so needless to say I have a long way to go, but this way I know in the end, I have accomplished a lot. Anyway time to plan Latin America and work on that first budget 🙂

I have finally decided to start planning and doing what I have dreamed about since I was a little girl.

About me I am currently 28, live in TX and have been to Mexico, Jamiaca, and Grand Cayman. That is it.

Let me explain,
When I was 15 I took German (Don’t ask me to speak it now, unfortunatly I can’t) but I wanted to sign up for the exchange program and study abroad. I didn’t. I chose to be on the high school drill team because that is what girls from my home town did.

Let’s move on to when I was 18. I wanted to take a volunteer vacation to Ghana with Cross Cultural Solutions during the summer. I didn’t. I chose to wait tables and enjoy college life and party with my fellow bearkats.

When I turned 21 I gave up on my dream of travelling and volunteering in Africa and decided to back pack Europe for a year when I finally graduated. I even started saving so a few weeks after my graduation I would take off and not look back. I was studying Biology and I “thought I wanted to be a doctor. I knew the time off after Graduation would give me the much needed mental break before going to medical school.

Ha, little did I know that when I turned 23 and was 2 semesters from Graduating, had just took my MCAT’s and scored well I would have a mental breakdown and realize that medicine was not for me. So I bumped my minor Criminal Justice up to a major and decided to double major in political science.

Long story short I did not graduate until I was 25. I had the money to travel to Europe but chose to take a job because hey that is what I am supposed to do, it was is expected in America.

Here I am 3 years later into this job, and needless to say I am miserable. I have few regrets in life, the regrets I have I just listed out. I am miserable and this job is not really for me. About 4 months ago I read the lost girls and wished that was me. So that bring me to three weeks ago I was sitting in my annual benefits meeting and I was advised I would be 100% vested in my stock at 6 years, 3 years from this June, and I kid you not the first thought in my head was “coming home fund”.

My second thoughts was…

I have always had the burning desire to take off for 1… no 2 years and travel. Really travel and live and see what I read about in books.

So which brings me to today. I am no longer going to make the plans for myself and flake out on myself I DO NOT WANT TO BE 50, 60 or 70 and sitting in a rocker on the front porch writing another blog regretting that I never took my two year around the world adventure. I am going to do it. I am going to plan, research and do everything I dream of. So when I am 70 and my grandaughter comes to me telling me of her need to travel I can tell her where to surf, hike, volunteer, learn and most importantly EXPERIENCE.

I am going to save, scrimp, sell do whatever it takes to see what I dream of.

I know I can do it, I have read so many storys. Which in the end begs the question “Why not me”

Which now brings me to the end of this rant, I will use this blog to plan, talk, rant…SCREAM about my plans. I can do it, and I can’t wait to share my story with fellow ROTW patrons 🙂

So I am going to break it down in legs. I am going to start with central america, venture into south