Are you baffled at how you’re going to make your new year resolutions stick this year?

Every year you are greeted with this gorgeous blank slate full of possibilities for your health, relationships, business, and personal goals. But you might be confused at how to go about making positive changes in your life. You know where you are now, and you know where you want to be, but you might not know how to get from A to B.

We wrote about working your dream down into a tangible goal you could reach in Dream Save Do. It is key to make the transition from the general “I want to lose weight” to the specific “I want to lose 15 pounds by June 1.” Without a specific goal and a deadline, you don’t really have much to work with. But once you do have that specific goal and deadline, how do you make it happen?

The strategies below are proven methods to go from dream to done in your new year planning, and we’ve successfully used all of them at one time or another. An added bonus is that you don’t even have to start them on January 1. Your new year can start anytime you want it to!  Just like  there is no “one size fits all” plan for life, there is no one way to plan for your new year or assigned date on which you have to start. The important thing is to state a measurable goal and find a system that works for you in achieving it.

The Renaissance Approach

In order to live a really healthy life, you have to focus on all the aspects of your life when you list your goals. If you aren’t physically healthy you may not have the stamina to reach your work goals, and if you aren’t in a good relationship you may not have the support you need to go back to school or start a business. Everything works together in goal planning, and you have to think about the advances you want to make in each area of your life: Personal, Health, Relationship/Family, Work, Giving Back.

This is our third year of doing a comprehensive retreat, and the changes in our lives during that time are proof that this kind of planning and attention works. We got our start from Chris Guillebeau, a renaissance man if there ever was one, and we think you can successfully use this method at the start of the new year or on your birthday, which is technically your New Year’s Day, right?

The Engineering Method

We love tracking metrics. We did it for 25 months as we saved for our big trip and systematically sold, trashed, or donated everything we owned. And since leaving, we’ve tracked all of our spending to stay on budget. We track our website statistics, our daily word count in writing the new book, and we each carry a small notebook to capture new ideas as they come to us. We are geeks when it comes to tracking, and we know you can make huge strides forward in your goals when you take them from lofty ideas to concrete plans you can track.

Our friend Dwayne Melancon has a somewhat geeky but very effective approach to New Year’s resolutions that involves the use of a Mind Map. Dwayne is a technology guru and autodidact, and he spends a great deal of time pursuing his genuine curiosity and overall self improvement. Dwayne always knows the latest gadget, methodology, or business idea, and he puts this all to use in his work and personal life. He’s a happy, productive guy, and it is due in no small part to his annual efforts to plan for that result.

The Celebrity Scoop

If you need the support of others, going the celebrity route might be just the thing. Proclaiming your goals via Facebook, website, video, or even just announcing it to your friends can make a huge difference in your ability to achieve those goals. When I signed up for the 2010 Seattle Rock-n-Roll Marathon, I took on a Lady Gaga attitude and made it public. I gave updates on the blog and Facebook, and all my friends knew about it. It was very hard to back down on my commitment with all of those people watching. The same thing happened to Warren with the Fremont Solstice Parade in 2010. He had been mentioning it for years that he was going to be one of the naked bicyclists, but it wasn’t until he finally put it down as a goal and said he would do it on the blog and on video that it happened.

You may or may not want to ride in the buff in front of thousands of people, but you probably do have an audience of friends and supporters who would encourage you to reach your goal. You could even go as far as Perez Hilton, who proclaimed in late 2007 that he would be posing shirtless in front of millions of viewers on the following July 4. Perez was significantly overweight at the time, and he spent the next 4 years working out and eating right, losing an overall 61 pounds. He also kept true on his commitment to pose shirtless every July 4 to keep himself motivated.

The Artist’s Way

It is easy to talk yourself out of tracking your creative pursuits. I mean, they are creative pursuits, above the status of numbers and checklists and timelines. You can’t rush art!

Well, you may not be able to rush it, but you certainly need a scope and a deadline. If your goal is something of a creative nature, it is doubly important for you to set up metrics to track your progress. Don’t get caught up in the angst and romance of creation, thinking it cannot be good if there is no suffering or breakthrough involved. I used to do that, and it wasn’t until I assigned daily word counts that I was able to actually complete a book with very little angst and zero blood loss. Creativity craves routine just as much as routine craves creativity.

“You know who gets writer’s block? Non-writers. They think it’s cool and romantic to struggle to make Art. They make sure everyone knows how torturous the process is, so when they finally squeeze something out, it won’t be judged on its merits but rather the emotional anguish involved in its creation. Writers write. Posers whine about how hard it is.” ~ screenwriter John August

If you need support in your artistic endeavors, make plans now for NaNoWriMo, the 3-Day Novel Contest, or getting some specific help through a writer’s critique group or a primer on book proposals (this is the one we just used to create our proposal). Set up your daily word or page count, or really challenge yourself by producing a painting a day for 100 days like Jolie did.

Old School Style

Psychologist Cliff Arnall, who studies happiness, states that the unhappiest day of the year is the third Monday in January while the happiest day is June 17. Starting out your biggest plans of the year when your mental health is at an all-time low could be counterproductive to your goals. He advocates starting your goals at a time other than January 1 to have a better chance of success.

Many people do this subconsciously in the spring (spring cleaning, garage sales, diets for swimsuit season) and in the fall (school starts, the end of vacations, back to “serious” work). For years, I considered September the start of my new year just because of school, and later I switched that to my birthday, which is in early December. It gave me almost a month’s headstart on my goals in comparison to everyone else.

You don’t have to make your New Year’s Resolutions begin on January 1. In fact, just about anytime is a good time to wipe the slate clean, state your goals out loud, and develop a plan to reach them. Pick a method, combine a few, or come up with your own. The important thing is to do something about your dreams, because if you don’t, no one else will.

Make the next year one for the history books.

2012 in a nutshell

How do you want your life to look at this time next year? When you start with a picture in mind, it is a lot easier to work backward to create a plan for reaching it. To do it, you must be able to see it.

• State your goal
• Find a method to make it happen
• Track your success until you reach your goal

Set the date. Be excited. Do it!

Find out more about reaching your goals here.

Remember all the times you said to yourself, “I don’t have the time right now” when thinking about something you know you really need to do?

• Getting healthy
• Starting/repairing/ending a relationship
• Finally doing that thing you’ve always wanted to do

Well, now it is actually true. Time is running out. You only have 365 days to get your shit together before the world ends or undergoes a dramatic transformation, according to the ancient Mayans.

Whether you believe it or not (the fact that the Mayans didn’t ask for your life savings like Harold Camping did gives them a bit more credibility), you can craft a one-year plan today…right now… to get what you most want before whatever happens is going to happen.

I know, I know. You’re telling me this is probably a hoax and it won’t actually happen. True, but if you do it aren’t you ahead in 365 days anyway?

We began our current adventure with a very similar question when faced with tragedy:

“What would we do if we knew we wouldn’t make it to our 40th birthdays?”

We are safely past that date now, and all the work we did before then has changed the way we will live out the remainder of our lives, no matter how much time we have left.

We want you to have the same thing. So whether or not you believe in the ancient Mayan prophesy that the world is going to end, believe in yourself, that you are worthy of the work you need to do to reach your goal, and that you are up to the task.

Imagine what you could do in just one year.

PS – If you choose to do nothing, you may want to invest in the Mystic Mayan Power Cloak to guard you from destruction, though I don’t actually want to see you wearing it.

For more on getting your act together, sign up here. 

You can do it,

and by “it” I mean any of the options you have before you. Picking one over the others is not a permanent choice, and you can change your mind and go in a different direction if it doesn’t work out. You always have options, even when you feel as if you don’t. Especially when you feel as if you don’t.

Changing course completely, adjusting your sails, riding out a storm, anchoring in still waters: it is all up to you.

You are not defined by any single decision in this life.

Your life is a creation of the hundreds of decisions you make every single day, and the definition of you changes slightly with every single choice you make. You are a work in progress, and you won’t be finished until you draw your last breath.

You will mess up,

and when you do it will be a great learning experience for you. You’ll be much better prepared the next time, when that life-changing opportunity comes around. You’ll thank yourself for making a go of it and failing because it will give you the skill to succeed the second or third or 27th time, when it really counts.

Your heart will be full and your heart will break,

and you’ll look back at both instances with a tear in your eye, thankful for the experience. Neither one is too much for your heart, and you are stronger for knowing this.

People will come into your life and change it

in small and profound ways, and you will do the same for them. People will leave your life slowly or suddenly, and you will learn to let go and be thankful for the time you had together. When you leave the lives of other people, you will learn to do it gracefully.

Money will flow all around you or go straight down the drain.

You will find that you can be happy or sad in both scenarios, and this knowledge will give you the power to always be able to take care of your basic needs.

You will get through this,

whatever “this” is, and you will again see the beauty, the wonder, and the cosmic luck you have to be living right now, in this place, with these choices in front of you.

Choose.Act.Now.

It’s all gonna be okay.

Editor’s note: This post was written with love for all of you who face choices every single day, but it was inspired by three readers who contacted us recently about life-changing choices in front of them. You know who you are, and we wish you clarity and joy with your decisions.

Additional reading:

• Your ideal life strategy
• What if you change your mind?
• Mind the Gap 

After a year of travel, we almost forgot what it was like to settle down. So when we made the decision to stay put for six months as we worked on our creative projects and business (and you so kindly gave us our destination as Chiang Mai, Thailand), we weren’t quite sure what to do next.

Stay tuned to find out what we did as well as how you can win a $100 credit from Roomorama for your next travel adventure.

How do you “settle down” after a year of travel?

• Figure out how you can stay in your chosen country
• Learn the language
• Get temporary lodging first and then book something more permanent after you arrive

Research visa options:

If you rely on a typical tourist visa when you arrive you might not get the time period you want (or even be allowed to enter some countries). Do your research first. If you do need to go to an embassy to get a visa before you arrive, bring everything requested as well as a pen, and try to learn a few words of their language before you go. While they will almost always speak English, it is polite to address them in their language and thank them that way, too. Being polite and considerate of their culture will go a long way in making this a pleasant experience.

We researched our visa options online and applied for our double-entry visas at the Thai embassy in Brussels, Belgium, where we were housesitting. By getting a double-entry visa and using the 30-day extensions available with each entry, we can stay in Thailand for six months with only one “visa run” to a neighboring country.

Learn the language:

If you’re going to live somewhere for a while, it pays to be able to communicate. Sure, a touristy area will likely have a lot of English speakers, but can you really learn a lot about a culture if you don’t learn a bit of their language? We love being able to greet, thank, and ask basic questions to our new Thai friends and hope to deepen the conversations during our time here. We could easily just make friends with other English speakers – there are plenty of them here – but that’s not really the point of long-term travel, is it?

We began learning Thai before we arrived through Mango Languages. When you plan to stay in a country for an extended period of time, you have to be able to get around. Even when the locals often know English, as is the case in Chiang Mai, you can go much farther by knowing the language. The whole experience is just more pleasant. We both want to learn more lanugages during this trip and diving and staying somewhere for an extended period is the absolute best approach. In addition, there is new research that links learning languages to staving off Alzheimer’s which sounds like a great side benefit.

Find temporary lodging:

Booking your permanent accommodations for a long-term stay can be disastrous. We found this out during our stay in Lima, Peru when we prepaid for 3 weeks in the loudest apartment on the face of the earth – and one with a bathroom mildew problem to boot. When you’re dealing with a private owner who lives in another country, you have very few options for getting your problems resolved or getting a refund if you just can’t take it anymore. Not only that, it was hidden away in a residential neighborhood that even the taxi driver from the bus station couldn’t find!

This is why we are so glad to have found Roomorama. Roomorama manages short- and long-term stays at privately-owned properties all over the world. You get the coziness of staying in a private residence combined with the service of staying in a nice hotel. This is certainly the way to travel whether you are looking to go somewhere for a week’s vacation, or plan to hop between locations and need a few nights in each place. We love it because you get all the luxuries of your own place, can cook for yourself, and are staying in a residential neighborhood which gives you a chance to see how people live in the city.

Roomorama offered us a stay for 5 nights at a full-service condo building. After arriving in Chiang Mai, we got a taxi who immediately knew of the condo tower and took us directly there with no confusion. We were met by a full-time staff who answered our questions about the condo, the area, and how to best get around. We enjoyed a condo with a kitchen (not so common in Chiang Mai rentals), a great view, and daily breakfast at the downstairs restaurant included. We knew we needed to get our bearings before we made any permanent decisions, and staying at Galare Thong Tower through Roomorama was the best way to do that.

We spent those first few days getting ready for the launch of our first book (available now) as well as exploring the city a bit to decide where we wanted to settle for our time here. We had a peaceful and relaxing start to our stay here thanks to our short stay with Roomorama and now highly recommend them to others who are seeking a vacation rental or need a place to stay for a few nights before settling down somewhere.

Are we really settled?

We’re getting into a flow & routine with a nice balance of work and play. In addition we’ve enjoyed having our friends from England visiting us last week (our fourth continent of travel together – how cool is that?). We have met a few of the local expats and long-term travelers, and we’re getting to know our local vendors and restaurant owners. Warren is practicing his Thai every day (วอร์เรนคือการฝึกไทยทุกวัน), and we’re both diving into the creative and the moneymaking projects we want to help fund our continued travels. We like Chiang Mai more and more each day – the landscape, the climate, and gentle and fun-loving nature of the people. I think we are settled…for now.

I like the way we settled here, and I can see us using the same strategy again on our next long-term stay. It is going to fun learning about the Thai culture in more depth while we create some exciting new products.

Your chance to win a $100 gift card for your next stay with Roomorama

Roomorama has kindly offered to give one of you, our readers, a $100 gift certificate to try out their wonderful service. They manage properties all over the world, so finding a location will be as simple as narrowing down where in the world you would like to see.

To be entered to win, follow these easy steps:

• Tell us in the comments below where you’d spend your gift certificate.
• Facebook – Like Roomorama and Married with Luggage

We’ll use Random.org to pick the winner. Good luck! We look forward to hearing about your travel locations and to following up about your experience.

UPDATE: contest is now closed. We have selected our winner.

Close your eyes and wish and you will become a writer...right?

Remember when I wrote about Resistance and how our lower selves work really hard to keep our higher selves from achieving big things? Well, I’m happy to say that I’ve mostly kicked my lower self into submission on this book writing project in Edinburgh.

I say “mostly” because there have been times she’s reared her ugly head and pushed me back a step or two. It is hard to keep up a 2-hour writing block first thing in the morning when you want to go out and walk the city in the fresh early-morning air or sleep in after a late night out with new friends.

There are always excuses, aren’t there? I’d find them whether I was alone on a tropical island or in the middle of a bustling city. Or on a trip of a lifetime or in my old life from before. Really, there is no “ideal” time to pursue a dream of any size because routine and daily living will always intrude. You have to make time, and continue making time, and continue making time. <sigh>

If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.

And the self-help section at the bookstore would be empty.

The Book Project

So far I’ve written 30,000 words, but since the first 10,000 were crap I am sitting at a total of 20,000 as of today. Thanks to a suggestion by both Tranque and Amber, I’m now using the Pomodoro Technique and loving the focus it provides (while also highlighting how easily I get distracted). This isn’t just a technique for writers, so check out the free pdf and see if it can help you gain focus at work or on your personal projects.

The book I’m writing is about how we saved the money for this trip and the changes we went through as we actively worked toward a dream. It is a primer for other people who want to save a lot of money in a relatively short period of time for a specific project. It is for people who aren’t afraid of change.

It is a book about using money as a means to an end, not an end itself, and how breaking free of the control of advertisers and peer pressure will give you the freedom to live in a way you never thought possible.

In short, it is the first part of our story, and I think it is the most powerful piece. It is the foundation upon which everything else rests.

If you have the time I’d love to hear your feedback on your biggest challenges to saving money (don’t worry – it is anonymous).

Click here to take a 6-question survey.

For those of you who committed to a writing project along with me this month, how are you doing? Even if Resistance has made an appearance – and I’m betting that little creep has – you can brush yourself off and start again.

What kind of Resistance Ass did you kick this past week?

One year ago today I rode naked in a parade in front of 40,000 people. The annual Fremont Solstice parade celebrates the beginning of summer with dancing, non-motorized floats, and a lot of “expression.”  It kicks off with a few hundred riders baring all, for no purpose beyond each person’s individual motivation. While this may seem like an odd goal for many, for me it was the opportunity to follow through on something I had been talking about for years.

Each year I would attend the parade and tell Betsy that I would like to ride in it “next year.” Then next year would come I would have a list of excuses for not riding, or simply not even trying. While riding in the parade was important to me, I failed repeatedly to follow through on my goal.

With our date for departure set for October 2010 I knew I had one last chance. After the parade in 2009 I immediately started telling people about that I planned to don my birthday suit, paint up, and ride in front of a large crowd of people on June 19, 2010. I made sure they knew that this was important to me and that I wanted their help to ensure I did not back out again.

Telling people that you will be naked in public elicits some interesting reactions. I know that many people thought I was crazy and I heard as much from some. From your co-workers you see that look in their eyes that says “you have lost your mind” or “please don’t bring pictures in of this experience.” Your friends offer support, typically in the form of “wow, I hope it is not cold that day”.

Tell people your plan

The important part of this process was not their opinion of this crazy goal. Regardless of the reaction, I needed other people to hold me accountable so I would not back out again. Whether people are supportive or not they are sure to ask you the next day if you did it (whatever IT may be). For me, that was the incentive I needed.

Putting big audacious goals out there is scary. Baring your soul (or more delicate parts) to others seems to go against everything we are taught. We spend our lives setting private goals and then failing to reach them. Instead, if you have a big audacious goal in life…set a date. Whether you are starting a business, traveling around the world, riding naked in a parade, leaping out of a plane, or running a half-marathon, let others know what it is and when you are doing it. Keep them updated on the progress. Encourage others to ask you about it to keep you on track.

Is this scary as hell?  Absolutely!

Will there be days you want to crawl away from this stated goal? Without a doubt.  In fact, 30 minutes before we were to ride out of the house I thought about backing out.  It was raining and I thought this was a perfectly plausible excuse to back out….again. Luckily I had 4 people standing there to remind me just how important this was.  (Plus, Betsy yelling “I just spent 2 hours painting you.  Now, get your blue ass out there.”)

Will there be people that do not support your decision? If you find that everyone is supporting you then you have not told enough people.

Set a specific date

By setting a date and sharing that date with others you can really begin the planning process. Saying “I’m going to ride in the parade in the future” it not going to motivate you. Telling people you will “downsize your home in 5 years” is not specific enough. What you will find is that in 5 years you are still saying the same phrase and you are no closer to achieving your goal. Pull out a calendar and select the specific date you are going to achieve your goal and start working towards the date.

What is your big audacious goal? What is the date you want to achieve it? Who have you told about it?

Thanks Katy for riding with me

To all of you gearing up today to ride or watch the parade, have a great day.  I’ll be thinking of you.

With January we are getting the hang of life on the road.  Sure it took 3+ months, but when something so new is started it is inevitable you need to ease into it.  We started the month and 2011 in Ecuador and ended in Peru.  While Peru is slightly more expensive (specifically in terms of buses and accommodations) we actually spent $200 less than December.  The majority of this is due to the challenges we faced in Colombia and additional money we had to spend trying to get out of Pasto.  For January 2011 we spent just under $2,200 and our average was shy of $71.  Overall we are happy with all we did this month and well under our $100/day budget.

Expense Breakdown

Total trip expenses to date

Lessons learned

• Snacks are good – When heading to a remote location, bring some snacks with you.  When you get there you will be beholden to whatever pricing they may decide to charge.
• Sleep on the bus (if you can) – Overnight buses mean that you will not need to pay for a hotel room (at least not financially).  The next morning you may be tired, but your bank account will be better off.  Splurge for the “full cama” (fully reclining seat) if you are given the option.  The price difference is typically quite small but the comfort difference is significant.
• Long-term rentals – Renting longer term provides cheaper per day rates.  We ended January kicking off 3 weeks in Lima where we found an apartment for $240/week.  The place is 2 bedrooms and includes a kitchen which means we can cook our own meals to save even more money.  As an added bonus the apartment is in a residential neighborhood so we are living a bit more like the locals and loving the experience.

A few people have asked us how we are tracking all our expenses while on the road.  We started off mainly with Excel spreadsheets, but have switched completely to Budget Your Trip.  This online tool lets us plug in all our expenses and then provides a wealth of charts and tables that we use to track our expenditures over time.  Now we can quickly get a sense of our overall daily expenses to see how we doing against our overall $100/day budget.  In addition, they provide guidance on the daily expenses for each country which we can review before setting out.

One of the things we stressed over most before we left was what to pack in our bags.

Hey, we even worried about what bags to buy to pack all that stuff.

So, almost 4 months into the trip, how did we fare with what we brought?

Smart choices

Without a doubt, our Ex Officio quick-dry underwear is a winner (his and hers). These are extremely comfortable in both hot and cold weather, and you can wash them out in the sink and have them dry by the next morning. It is always a chore to find laundry services in each new town on a long-term trip, and knowing we can quickly wash out our underwear every day in the shower or sink means we never have to worry about clean undies. You have no idea how important this will be on your own trip.

The next best thing is earplugs. It doesn’t matter where you stay, there is going to be some noise. It may be from the street, from people in your hostel, or even a buzzing fly or mosquito in your room. In fact, you may use them in the daytime to combat loud music on the bus or other similar situations. Packing earplugs can mean the difference between a good night’s sleep and a bad memory of what should be a great place.

Last but certainly not least, we love our Steri-Pen for cleaning water. We often buy water, but sometimes we run out, or it is inconvenient or unavailable, and it is nice to run the water from the tap into our bottles, stick the Steri-Pen in, and have clean water in a minute. We both got sick at the beginning of our trip from drinking unclean water, and we can tell you this is NOT a fun way to lose weight.

Warren is a great photographer, and back in Seattle he used a DSLR camera with lots of accessories. He sold it and bought a small Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 camera for the trip. What he gave up in range with a zoom lens he more than makes up for in ease of use and the fact that he can bring it anywhere. If you bring a huge camera you will be too self-conscious to take it with you everywhere, plus it will add significantly to your baggage load. We’ve met several people on the trip who have had their cameras stolen, and we wanted ours to be easy to use and easy to hide when we weren’t snapping pictures.

All four of these things take up very little space in our luggage but make a huge impact on our enjoyment of the trip.

Standing up to wear and tear

Our Keen Voyageur shoes are holding up well to some pretty harsh abuse. They really only need a good rinse after trudging through the mud and muck, and after a lot of mileage they are still pretty comfortable.

Just before the trip I bought a Scottevest. This is a pretty cool item because it has tons of pockets that are fairly well hidden. You won’t look or feel like a fisherman in this vest, but you can carry quite a bit on you. I really only wear this on travel days, and it comes in very handy. I keep the essentials on me in case my bag gets lost – contacts, passport, a pair of underwear, etc. If I need to, I can actually pack the camera, iPad, sunglasses, iPod, hat, etc. in the pockets. You can learn more about this vest by watching the videos from Rolf Pott’s 6-week trip with just a Scottevest for luggage.

Hats are practical, but not always easy to pack. I have a straw hat I bought 10 years ago that rolls up nice and neat in the bag. I have worn this hat almost every single day of this trip, and you can probably find a similar one for well under $20. Don’t skimp on bringing a hat – believe me, you’ll need it. Warren bought a great “Indiana Jones” one at the Otavalo Market in Ecuador and wore it almost daily for 3 months. Unfortunately, he left it in the overhead bin on a bus a couple of weeks ago and has missed it ever since. His replacement hat folds up in his bag just like mine, which means he is far less likely to leave it behind again.

Didn’t last long at all

Some things just didn’t work out for a variety of reasons.

• We gave up the laptop bag because it was too painful to carry with the large backpacks. We bought another small backpack which we wear on the front, and it is not quite ideal, but workable. We need a laptop because of Warren’s website work, but if you just want to stay in touch with friends and family on your trip, there are internet cafes everywhere and no need to bring your own laptop.
• We ended up leaving several items behind because we lost a lot of weight or we found we weren’t wearing them enough to justify the space they were taking up. It is hard to know when you buy new clothes whether you will really like them long-term or not. Wear them before you go as a comfort test.
• We bought several items of clothing with insect repellent/sunscreen built in. This may work for some people, but we find that they give off an odd odor when we sweat that is pretty unpleasant. Any benefit we get from the chemicals is far offset by how much we offend each other when wearing them.
• The Ex Officio button down shirts we bought were very unflattering. They are boxy and always made us stand out in a crowd as “new travelers.” The longer we are on this trip, the more we just want to look like regular people.
• The iPad was a dumb move. We sold my Kindle when we got it, and since wifi has been so weak in almost every place we’ve gone, the iPad has essentially become a very expensive book reader. Don’t overthink your electronics. Really, you can find internet everywhere you go, and having it is just one more thing we have to worry guarding from theft or breakage. (We are keeping it, though.)
• Makeup was a dumb move, too. I’ve worn it 3 times since we left, and it just takes up room in the bag. I’m not sure why I’m still carrying it.

We should have packed

• 

  Photo by Lea Tusseau

  Plastic rain ponchos that cover the backpacks as well. We both brought conventional rain jackets which we never wore, and they took up much more room than the folding plastic ones.

• Better socks. Investing in the right kind of socks can mean the difference between enjoying an experience and feeling the pain of it for days afterward. Don’t skimp on good socks.
• The really awesome Swiss Army laptop backpack Warren had in Seattle. It would have been much better than what we use now. RIP, Swiss Army bag.

Lessons on packing for a RTW trip

How does the saying go?

“Pack half as much as you think you need and twice as much money.”

We can vouch for that 100%. Don’t overthink what you need beyond the basics because you can buy almost everything you need in even the smallest town, usually at a lower price than you would find back home. Our biggest regrets have come from the extra things we brought, not the things we left behind.

We have both lost weight on the trip, and if you go from desk jockey to traveler you probably will, too. Count on the fact that you will have to replace your clothes as you go, either from wear and tear, the harsh local washing methods, or simply from weight loss. If you invest in expensive clothes, it will be harder for you to consider replacing them.

The other tip we would give is to make sure all your clothes coordinate so you can wear them in a variety of different ways. If they are a rainbow of colors it will be harder to make them mix and match to stretch your options. (I have a red jacket, an orange Scottevest, and tshirts that are purple, green and orange, so you can see that I speak from experience.)

Our future plans concerning our possessions include:

• Getting smaller backpacks. Now that we’ve gotten rid of a few things, we see that we can have smaller bags.
• Buying new pants/shirts/socks for our slimmer selves when we get to Lima.
• Gloves for our upcoming trip to Antarctica (coats and boots are provided by Gap Adventures).

We’ll give you another update in a few months to see how our possessions are evolving to suit our needs.

If you’re on the road, what are some of your tips for packing for a RTW trip? If you are still in the planning stages, what questions do you have?

December was our first full month of travel and away from the delights of free lodging and a kitchen. As as you will see below, our expenses clearly reflect this. Without the luxury of our own kitchen we ate out virtually every meal, yet our food expenses are only slightly higher than previously. This is due to the cheap meals you can find throughout Ecuador and Colombia (this bit we saw at least). Where we saw the biggest expense increase was, not surprisingly, in accommodations.  After 7 weeks enjoying the kindness of friends we hit the road and began contributing to the wallets of hostel and hotel owners around Ecuador and Colombia.

expense breakdown

• Accommodation: $984
• Alcohol $40
• All Inclusive Tour or Cruise $30
• Entertainment $27
• Food $484
• Health Care:  $25
• Intercity Transportation $275
• International Transportation $241
• Living Expenses $120
• Local Transportation $117
• Souvenirs $17
• Tips and Handouts $30
• Water $8

Grand Total: $2,398
December daily average: $77

Overall Daily Average: $44.78

Lessons Learned

This month we had a number of unexpected expenses (over $400 worth) due to the challenges we faced in Colombia – cabs back/froth, higher hotel costs, and airline change fees for our trip to Ushuaia which we had to change from Bogota to Lima, Peru.  Of course, life does not always go according to your hopes/plans so learning from mistakes is critical.  Here are a few lessons we have learned this month that we intend to apply going forward in managing our trip and finances:

• Don’t plan too far in advance – yes, this is a funny one for me to write given my history.  However, I was shocked at how much planning out a few weeks really impacted out ability to relax and enjoy the flow of the trip.  When we arrived in Colombia we had wonderful plans for making our way north to Bogota to house-sit for a friend. We booked our flight to Ushuaia from Bogota as well as a couple hostels along the path with a goal of  spending 2 months enjoying the country.  Unfortunately, due to the flooding there, we found ourselves unable to get north of Pasto.  The result was numerous cancelled hotels (some which we paid non-refundable deposits), huge flight change fees, and a feeling of constant worry about how we were going to get to Bogota for the 29th of December.
• Buy refundable tickets (where possible) – in attempting to get out of Pasto, we bought one-way tickets to Cali.  However, when the first flight was cancelled we called and they agreed to change for a flight 2 days later.  When that flight was also cancelled we were able to call and simply get our money back.  Believe me, saying goodbye to $200 was NOT something we were ready to swallow so having the peace of mind to be able to get a refund was very nice.
• At times, spring for a nicer hostel/hotel – we admit that we are not the hard-core travelers ready and willing to brag about the $3 deal we got for a bed in a bar that hosts around-the-clock cock fighting. However, we are still on a budget so the average hostels often lacks some creature comfortable.  As a result, we found that stopping and splurging for a nicer place (one with hot water, mattresses not made of solid wood, and lacking “the last couple was murdered in this bed” feeling) for a couple nights helps put a smile on our faces.  Now, we are not talking about a Hilton or anything outrageous, but sometimes spending a few extra dollars makes a difference to one’s attitude.

Colombia! What a grand country with a rich history, gorgeous landscape, and cosmopolitan cities. We could not wait to get there to explore the Lost City, meet up with our friend Jeff Jung in Bogotá, relax in Cartagena, and visit the coffee region.

The first step was to cross the border, which took less than 20 minutes for both countries, including walking between immigration points. Piece of cake!

Second step was to find a cab to take us to Ipiales bus station with a side stop to the Santuario de las Lajas, which is a gorgeous cathedral built into the side of a gorge. Various miracles are said to have taken place here, and what was so fascinating to us were the hundreds of plaques on the wall leading down to the church giving thanks for miracles received.

It made me sorta wish I had a miracle to wish for…little did I know it would only take a few days for a need to make itself known.

We got to the bus station and bought our tickets for Pasto, which is not exactly a tourist town, but it is a good stopping point on a journey by bus that starts from Quito. Warren had corresponded with Jaime Lopez, the owner of Casa Lopez, via email and booked a room for 2 nights. Casa Lopez is a little bit outside the backpacker budget, but anyone who has traveled for any length of time knows that a little splurge now and then can make all the difference, especially when you’ve been traveling by bus a lot.

Jaime’s wife Amparo runs a high-end bakery in the hotel, and son Andrés helps his dad manage the hotel. It is really beautiful, with a large center courtyard and beautiful rooms with luxurious bathrooms and flat screen televisions. They are really the most generous, lovely people we have ever met, and when Mare the housekeeper came to put hot water bottles under the blankets to our bed, we both said we could get used to this.

Ahem. Pay attention. These words will come back to haunt us.

We saw some cool things in Pasto, like the guy who built a replica of NYC out of cardboard using only Google Maps and pictures from magazines. We happened  upon his exhibit at a shopping center when he was there with his son, and we were surprised to learn he had never been to New York. We also enjoyed walking along the river and seeing our first movie in Spanish at a theater. Andrés even arranged for us to have a private yoga lesson at the hotel, which was a fabulous luxury after so much hiking and lugging around the heavy backpacks.

But really, Pasto is a business town, not a tourist town, and after two days we were ready to leave to our next destination, a beautiful colonial city named Popayán just a few hours north by bus. After that, we were going to Cali, the coffee region (Juan Valdez!), Christmas at the quaint Villa de Leyva, and then to Bogotá, where we would meet up with our friend Jeff and then dogsit for him while he enjoyed a holiday in Cartagena with his family.

We had a plan, and it was a good one.

Departure Attempt #1

We woke up early, said fond farewells to our Casa Lopez family, and even took some photos together. Andrés flagged down a cab, and we were off to the bus terminal by 8.

Once we got there, we couldn’t find anyone selling tickets to Popayán. Now, if you’ve ever been to a bus terminal in South America, you know they have “callers” who stand at the entryway shouting destinations, and you just follow these guys to the right terminal window to get your ticket. Getting a bus in South America at a bus station is ridiculously easy.

We started asking around in our Ecuadorian-speed Spanish, which is not quite fast enough in Colombia. We kept hearing the words “derrumbles” and “derrumbes,” which mean “landslide” and “collapse,” respectively. Uh-oh. The heavy rains from La Niña have been impacting the country for over a month now, but we thought things had gotten better. Not so. The banks of many roads were giving way, making it unsafe for travel, and the road to Popayán was closed to buses for at least 3 days.

There are still some areas where it is not quite safe to travel due to robberies and insurgent activity, so we decided to rethink our options.

And we’re back (#1)

We took a cab back to Casa Lopez, where the gracious Lopez family welcomed us back to our room. We decided to see what our options were, and even though it was a bit out of our budget, we booked a flight 2 days later to Cali. We were sad to be missing Popayán, but we told ourselves we could backtrack after the holidays when things cleared up. We spent 2 days working on the blog, cataloging pictures, and generally reading and relaxing in our comfy hotel room.

Departure Attempt #2

Our flight was set for 5:45 pm, but since the airport was 30 minutes away and we were struggling a bit with our communication, we left at 3. We were also told sometimes afternoon flights were canceled due to weather, and we wanted to be early in case there were other options available. Because we were traveling at Christmastime, there were no morning flights available.

Upon arriving, we checked in for our flight with no problem, and then we went to the passport check stand as required. The military guy looked at our printed boarding pass and asked us for our tickets.

“Estas son nuestra boletos.”  (These are our tickets.)

He kept turning them over and sort of grunting until a younger officer came over to tell him they were printed from a computer. I guess they don’t get a lot of those in the Pasto airport. Finally, he wrote down our passport information and we were off to the gate.

We thought the agent told us gate 5 (cinco), but we could only find one gate. We got some water and a few goodies and headed through our second round of security (the first was at the entry to the airport). We went into the waiting area and sat down with dozens of other people. Just to be sure, we asked the man next to us if he was going to Cali and he said yes, so we felt pretty confident.

The flight was called at 5, and were surprised to learn we were leaving so early. We walked out to the plane and stood in line to board, and I was halfway up the stairs to the plane when the stewardess called me back down. “Este no es el avión.”

Whoops. We had boarded the wrong plane. This was going to Bogotá and then to Cali, and the security guards had made a mistake by letting us through security in the first place. It was probably those confusing printed boarding passes that threw everyone off.

We were a little embarrassed, but we walked back to the terminal and sat there waiting for our flight directly to Cali, which was due to leave in 45 minutes. The rest of the people were let through security, and we were pretty sure our flight would leave since this one had just taken off.

And we waited. And waited. Finally, an Avianca employee came in to tell us the flight was canceled, and he was instantly mobbed by the crowd with questions and demands that they get a flight out tonight. We were pretty stumped as to what to do now, so we just went back to the ticket counter with everyone else and waited.

And we’re back (#2)

After 2 hours, we decided there had to be a better way, so we got our bags, found the last remaining taxi, and headed back to Casa Lopez, where the gracious Lopez family welcomed us back to our room. In fact, they gave us a discount on our hotel room price because of our travel problems, which is another indicator of what generous, lovely people they are.

Warren went online and rebooked our flight, this time to leave in 2 days and go straight to Bogotá. After all, we were running out of time to get there for dog-sitting, and we could always backtrack after the holidays, right?

We got all our laundry done, which is always a highlight for long-term travelers, and did some more reading and writing.

Departure Attempt #3

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. We rebooked our flight going from Bogotá to Cali with the intention of just getting off in Bogotá, and we waited for another 2 days. We were worried because this flight was also in the afternoon, but with the heavy holiday traffic we really didn’t have any other options.

We did a little more walking around the city, read a lot, and watched way more television than we have in this entire trip. (Bonus trivia: You can watch 2-1/2 Men and The Simpsons almost every day in South America.)

Finally, we said our goodbyes to the family, hugged and kissed again, and set out for the airport.

This time we didn’t print out our tickets, and we were hoping to get our bags checked just to Bogotá. We were thrilled when we cleared this first hurdle (though it was weird getting handwritten tickets).

And when we went to passport control, we were pretty confident we’d have no problems. That is, until Warren’s passport was opened and the officer saw a 20,000 pesos bill tucked inside. (That’s about $10 – not a very good bribe if he was trying one). Warren laughed nervously, and we were worried about what he would say. After all, we aren’t the kind of people who bribe government officials* are we? (*yes we are, but not at this point)

He realized quickly that the money just got wadded up there in his pocket, and he made a great display of checking my passport for money, too. He entered us into the book and let us go with a smile. Whew!

We waited for our flight and were happy to see another one take off. The weather must be good! And all our bags were being loaded up outside. Another good sign!

And then…the same poor Avianca employee had to come in and tell us the flight was canceled due to “mal tiempo” (bad weather). We had been chatting with a Canadian traveler who was on his way to Cartagena for Christmas, and we explained what had happend to us a few days earlier. He was not happy at the cancelation, but we wished him luck and set out to get our bags and leave.

And we’re back (#3)

We got in our taxi cab and headed back to our temporary home, Casa Lopez, where we were welcomed back like family. We told them of our decision to just head back to Ecuador the next morning very early and attempt Colombia at another time. It was just too hard to travel with the rains, and our budget would not allow flights between every destination.

They promised to be up for our early departure to say goodbye, though we told them it was not necessary. Mare brought us treats before bed, and we relished our last night in the comfy warm bed .

Pasto in the Rearview Mirror

Early the next morning Jaime called us to let us know breakfast was cooking. He and Ampara had gotten up early and made us a good meal to start our journey, and were happy to enjoy another delicious recipe from their kitchen. We talked around the table for an hour before we got up to say our final goodbyes, something we had a lot of practice doing!

Amparo made us a sack lunch for the bus of the most delicious empanadas we’ve ever had, and we finally set off by cab to the bus station for a long day of travel.

Oh, did I mention the date? December 24.

We made it to the bus station and caught the first collectivo (a minivan bus that leaves when it is full instead of on a schedule) to Ipiales. From there, we took a cab to the border. It took only a minute to go through immigration at Colombia.

So far, so good.

Then we changed the last of our Colombian money for dollars, walked the short distance to the Ecuadorian immigration office, and stopped in our tracks.

There were about 100 people in line outside the building. Ugh.

We stood in line and waited, and after a while started asking around as to why the line wasn’t moving. Apparently the computers were down, and they were processing everyone manually. This we could handle if we had seen any movement at all, but there was none. And the officers kept coming outside, answering questions, and taking cigarette breaks. After 2 hours, we were at our wits’ end, and Warren was on the verge of hissy fit.

We kept thinking there had to be a better way, but everyone kept telling us this was the only way to get through the border. In the meantime, our Canadian traveler friend the airport the day before walked up, and we told him the bad news.  Warren finally found a soldier who told him he could get a taxi cab and go through the border that way, so we took our new friend with us and grabbed a cab.

The Express Fee to enter Ecuador (aka, “the bribe”)

The cabbie at first didn’t understand what we needed and proceeded to drive us directly into Tulcan without a stamp on our passports, which would have resulted in a pretty hefty fine when we eventually left the country. We finally made him understand what we needed, and he just smiled. He drove us back to the immigration office, though he parked on the other side of the building from the line.

He told me to wait in the cab and took Warren and our Canadian friend with him. While they were gone, he told them he needed $20 and the 3 passports and he would take care of it for us. Warren figured that we were in his cab so he couldn’t really do much with our passports, so he gave him the money. Warren and the Canadian (yes, after all this bonding we never exchanged names!) came back to the cab to wait with me, and we watched the cabbie walking around the perimeter of the building.

Finally he sprinted to the door and came back with our 2 passports. He said these things take time and I thought we were going to have to pay more for the Canadian’s passport, but he really did just mean it would take time. About 10 minutes later he came out with the final passport, and we headed into Tulcan to the bus station.

(Side note: we also discovered that the 90-day visa for Ecuador is the max for an entire year, and since we only had a few days left on our visa we had to make it through Ecuador and into Peru in just over a week.)

Vamos a Ecuador!

We headed south from Tulcan on a direct bus to Quito’s south bus terminal, which took about 6 hours. We planned on leaving early the next morning for Riobamba to continue our trek south, so we didn’t need anything fancy.

Which is a good thing, since we stayed at the worst place we’ve been on our entire trip (a “matrimonial” room with bath for only $12). We should have had a clue when they pulled the iron grating over the entrance after we checked in.

On Christmas morning we woke early, avoided the totally gross shower, and headed out to find a cab to the bus station. In the cold light of day, the neighborhood looked like a war zone, and I saw a couple of guys passed out drunk in doorways. But luckily we were totally inconspicuous as the only upright people out that morning with our giant backpacks that screamed “rob me!”

We finally found a cab and made it to the bus station, which was buzzing with people. We got our tickets to Riobamba, settled in on the bus, and finally made it to our destination.

What did we learn?

1. Travel problems always have some sort of silver lining, even if it is just bragging rights to tell your story later.
2. You will meet people during your experience that can make it better or worse. In the same respect, you are that potential person for another person. Don’t be a jerk.
3. Things don’t always go according to plan, and if you are really set on that you will often be disappointed. Being able to adjust and telling yourself you can always go back later will keep you sane.