The Adventures of Jim & Rhonda

Ok, some of you asked for it! Here is a list of what we’re taking in our packs. We each of a Northface backpack and even though they feel really heavy after weighing them we find we each have around 30-35lbs. Most of you will think we’re crazy to travel with so little, while the other RTW travelers will think we’re crazy to take so much! So, here it is…
Jim has:

3 pair of long pants (2 zip off)

3 pairs of shorts + swim trunks

3 short sleeve shirts

3 long sleeve shirts (2 button up/ 1 tee shirt style)

4 pair travel undies + long underwear
3 pair socks

north face jacket/ liner + gloves & stocking cap

rainpants

a tilley hat for the sun, bandana, and pj bottoms.

Rhonda has:

1 pair zipoff pants & 1 pair long

3 pair capris

2 pair shorts

swimming suit

2 long sleeve buttonup shirts

1 long sleeve tee

3 tank tops

2 short sleeve shirts

4 pair travel undies + long underwear

2 pair socks

Northface jacket/ liner + gloves & stocking cap

rainpants

tilley hat for the sun, bandana, and pjs.

We’re both bringing 3 pairs of shoes - which is more than I’d hoped for but it just (for now anyway) seems the way to go. We each have a pair of light hikers (Merrill for Jim/ Salomon for me), we each have a pair of chaco sandals, and Jim has chaco thongs while I have keen slip ons for the beach, questionable showers, etc.

Then, of course the toiletries and misc. We, of course, have headlamps, locks for our backpacks, etc. and the typical toiletries although very pared down. We’re only taking very minimal makeup and toiletries & will just restock on the road.

We also both have a couple of books, our guide on New Zealand & Australia (Lonely Planet), copies of our confirmations for everything already figured out  and my journal and little black book for making sure we stay on our budget. Oh, and we also have a travel towel each and a small pillow.

Jim is taking the ipod and we got a duel system so we can each listen at a different volume level so I’ll still have some eardrums left when we return:)

That’s about it. 2 30lb backpacks and 2 10lb daypacks to hold everything we’ll be using for the next 12-15months. It seemed impossible to do while we were living in our house but since we’ve been basically living out of 1 suitcase and in between 5-6 different houses for the last 3 weeks we’re feeling a little bit like gypsies already.

In the coming months we’ll let you know how much of it we really keep carrying around and what we didn’t take and wish we had!

How weird is that??? I’ve been with my company 10 years in Sep. and I am cleaning out my desk for possibly the last time. Very odd indeed.

I only have 2 more days of work to go and am so looking forward to moving full force into trip preparation next week. We need to pack up the apartment as well because we have to be out by 10Aug. Then we will be officially homeless.

We’ve got a ton of stuff going on in the next few weeks, we’re really going to need that week on Fiji to just chill. Tonight we have our pre-lasik eye appointment, tomorrow we get 2nd round of shots and meet some friends for dinner. Friday we’re having a “pre-party” before our going away party on Saturday. Next Wed. we have my works going away party, Thursday lasik surgery, and Sat leave for Vancouver BC for 3 days to visit friends. Whew, we need a holiday!

We’re getting a few fine details smoothed out as well. One thing we’d been trying to figure out was where to send our sleeping bags/pads to so we would have them at the beginning of our Africa portion but so that we didn’t need to haul them all over the South Pacific, SE Asia, and India. Suddenly I got a brilliant idea (it does happen occasionally!!!), why not send them to my companys’ Cairo office so we’ll feel more confidant they’ll be waiting for us safely. Abdel, the manager there, had an even better idea… insteaed of shipping them and paying custom fees we’ll just have my boss check them as baggage when she heads to Egypt in late Feb. so they’ll be there waiting for us when we arrive. Check! One more thing off the list of TO DO’s.

We’ve also decided that we are going to fit Turkey and Greece in between India and Egypt. It’s not out of the way at all and Turkey is one spot we really want to spend more time in (we’ve only spent 3 days there so far). Then, mom & dad D said they might want to come meet us in Crete in the spring and friends Ron & Dario had already mentioned meeting in Greece so…looks like we’ll add those 2 countries to the itinerary. I think then we can also take a boat from Rhoades to Alexandria and avoid buying an airline ticket. Things are coming together really well and we’re getting so excited we can barely stand it.

Break is over and back to work… ha ha… only 2 more days of saying that for a long while! 32 days to go and we’re off to see the world. Hope you all come along by blog for the ride!

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