It’s been several months since I made the big decision, and my attitude on life has changed significantly.

The decision actually was made about 6 months before the departure date, which  pretty much follows the recommended “6 months left to live” thought experiment.  And when you’re leaving everyone and everything soon, there are two ways to view things:

  1. Nothing matters, i.e. What’s the point?
  2. Everything matters, i.e. We won’t see each other in a long time so let’s cherish this moment!

Being the optimist, I’ve adopted the latter approach, and by doing so, all interactions with friends and family have become more intense, more alive and simply more enjoyable.  Further, by acknowledging the limited time, I’ve spent more time with people that mean a lot, and less time with those that don’t.

There will be some I will miss much more than others, like my 6 year old nephew.  Sammy and I have a strong kinship, and our play-dates together are always filled with laughter and running (this guy seriously loves to run everywhere!).  He recently discovered the postal service and examines his mailbox daily in case a letter with his name magically appears.

To encourage his curiously and maintain our bond, I purchased and shipped a children’s world map to him, which not only displays each country, but also the people and animals that live there.  He posted it on his bedroom wall and will place push-pins as I move from country to country.  I’ll also send postcards with trivia puzzles to solve.  E.g.: “I’m looking at a kangaroo; where I am now and what’s so special about kangaroos?”

After spinning my own globe a few times, I finally decided where to invest the next year.  Given there are many parts of the world I’ve never seen and are bloody far away, instead of visiting one at a time and returning home, I’ll take advantage of the extended period to enjoy one after another.  Enter Southeast Asia.

Since there’s no rush getting there, taking the long way makes sense, right?  And so my journey will begin in South America, followed by South Africa, Dubai and then India.

A friend of mine just moved to Ecuador, so it’ll be a good first step, followed by

  • Buenos Aires, a town I’ve heard too many good things to pass up
  • Capetown, a couple of friends warned I may never leave this cool city
  • Dubai, another friend lives there
  • India

After India, I’m open to wherever the wind takes me, but really want to visit

  • Philippines
  • Hong Kong
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Fiji

Here’s my proposed path

If you’ve been to any of these countries, feel free to share your memories and recommendations.

I also want to return to Poland and my buddy Stef suggested we meet up in east Russia and take the Trans-Siberian Railway west to Moscow.  Sounds like a plan!

I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.
– Rosalia de Castro