More on how do we do this?

It was decided that we would leave our belongings in storage in Cali and the U-haul research was scrapped in favor of a search for a storage facility.  We began to purge even more and I would bring everything to a co-worker whose mom volunteers at a battered women's shelter.   We also began to research the shots we would need.  We consulted the CDC website and some blogs I found of people who are currently backpacking in Asia (Specifically, Operationbackpackasia.com -   I Facebook friended Ray & Genelle and began to correspond with them and they were so sweet and have been such a great resource.) 

Ray & Genelle got every vaccine known to man and it cost them a fortune.  We decided that we'd get everything they got, except Rabies vaccines.  If we were bitten by a wild dog or monkey or whatever, we could always get the shots afterward.  We'd hold off on that particular treat until it became absolutely necessary.  After deciding that we would not get the Rabies shots and the need to stay away from the monkeys that hang out around the Wats, Phyl sends me this article:

Monkey Bites Off Owner's Thumbs

Disabled Vietnam Vet Gives Up Pet After Another Attack

Her subject line:  I told you monkey's are mean!!!

P -  I still don't want to get Rabies shots, but I'm serious about you staying away from monkeys hanging around those temples.  You have to be safe and I know you'll be wanting to hold them and pet them and take a million pictures.
G-  I never doubted you.  I sure don't want a monkey on my back.  hahahaha!  Just like you, I don't want to contract rabies in a foreign land.
P - I don't want to contract rabies ANYWHERE!
G-  If I get rabies, I promise not to bite you.  Should we carry mace with us?  Is that even allowed?
P-  If I'm traveling all over Asia with all of my shit in a backpack on my back, I might need to be carrying a cane, so I can always beat attacking monkeys with my cane.
G-  Can we get arrested for assaulting  monkeys?  I'm not going to an Asian prison on a monkey battery charge.  We'll just avoid the monkeys.  Ok?
Speaking of carrying our stuff in packs on our backs, we need to start researching the kind of backpack we will need.  I've done a little research and it is completely overwhelming. I think we should go to REI this weekend and get someone to help us.

How do we do this?

We began to toss around ideas, primarily via email while at work.

G - Ok, let's start discussing a firm plan.  When will we leave? Our lease is up at the end of June.
P -  Well, since summer is peak travel time, I don't think we should head back to NoLa until September.   And, because it is so unbearably hot in NoLa, I don't want to spend even 1 day in NoLa in the middle of the summer!! 
G-  Where do we go first and how (transportation wise) do we get there? I guess we'll head west because    we're familiar with Europe, and keep going west from there.
P -  I'll start doing some research into the cheapest place we can go first.
G-  I'd really like to start in Turkey. Maybe we can fly via Heathrow with a stop or 2 in Italy.  You know we cannot go to Europe and not go to Italy.  Also, see if you can find anything on the cost of travel nsurance.
P -  So, will we bring all of our shit back to NoLa?  Then we can hang around for a few weeks and play    with family and friends, then take off!  I think we can travel for, at least a year on 15K - 20K.  Maybe       along the way we can find work.  Then, after a year, we can reevaluate and take it from there.  If we've       found a way to make some money on the road, we can just keep going. If we want to take a break,  then we'll return to NoLa, or where ever, and take a break from traveling and work to make more money. I am sick of this paper shuffling job.
G-  I hear ya sista and I totally agree.  My brain turned to mush over a decade ago and I need to find some    way to stimulate it.  I'm tired of sitting at a desk for 40 freakin hours a week just for the sake of sitting at      the desk when I could actually do the work in about 10 hours a week. But that would never be allowed.       Besides, as I am sure you are tired of hearing, I'm not sure I could be any LESS fulfilled in my job (and      the one I had before this one) than if I was stuffing ground up meats into sausage casings on an assembly      line in a factory.  I am 42 years old and I have to reinvent myself before I just wanna choke myself to      death with my own hands.
P -  Don't kill yourself without killing me first.  I've been working shit jobs 10 years longer than you.  How     do you think I feel?
G-  Yeah!  And while I will certainly take a computer with me, I am tired of sitting at one all day, every day.   I've already got the damn carpal tunnel and wearing a brace like somebody's grandma.  I'm tired of       reading about adventures and I want to start having them, and writing about them, myself.
P-  You don't have to tell me.  I wanted to just go traveling before we even moved to Cali. I feel old and achy now.  I can barely get my ass out of bed every morning.  I'm ready to GO!!!
G-  Alright!  I'm getting excited.  Let's go!  We're going!  We can do this!  We will do this!
P -  Agreed! And at 5:15 this morning when my alarm went off, I discovered yet another one of the many     things I'm looking forward to..........NOT HAVING TO WAKE UP TO THE SOUND OF AN ALARM CLOCK!! (Unless it's to catch a plane, train, boat or some other form of transportation that will take me to yet another exotic land.)

G-  Hell, you know how much I hate the mornings! There is so much world to cover!  And I want to go everywhere.

P-   I know. I just keep jumping from site to site and it's overwhelming.  What's a future nomad to do?
G - We need to decide what places we definitely want to see (countries, cities, historical sites, etc.) and        make an efficient plan.  Maybe sometimes we'll have to spend more money than others to see what we want to see.  And, along the way I'm sure our plans will change.  We'll go to the library tomorrow and do some research.

After doing more research into where we'd go first, we realized that Western Europe was far too expensive.  On Sunday we sat with travel guides, a map of Asia, and our computers checking flights and we narrowed it down to starting in Indonesia, specifically Bali and working our way north to China.  It's a path that makes sense and when we moved to Cali, we intended to start traveling to Asia.  Plus, after Connor's trip to
Thailand over his Christmas break, we've been even more motivated to go to Asia.


P - I just found out we can take a ferry from Taiwan to mainland China for $40.00.  Once we get there, we can get all the way back to Western Europe.
G-  That's too far north. I thought we were starting in the south.  Can't we fly from some places to others  once we're in Asia.
P-  Yes, but with some of the airfares I'm seeing, it's going to cost a lot to fly from place to place.  We  may  have to eat nothing but wild berries and sleep on park benches.  But hey, I'm ok with that..........I just want to see the world.  Whah!  I want to do everything.
G-  I just looked at the map again.... if we start in Indonesia, I thing we can go  north to China via boat, train, bus and foot.  In a couple of places we may have to take short flights, but we can find out the cheapest       way to go by talking to other backpackers.  We can't do EVERYTHING, but we can do a lot.  Chill!

After the weekend and making the final decision that we were DEFINITELY doing this and about where we'd start our adventure, the realization that we were going to quit our jobs and travel the world began to set in. And then, the fear, excessive monkey brain chatter, and self doubt took over. 

P - Hey muffin!  How's your day going? How'd you sleep last night? I've been in a stupid meeting all day      learning how to be ergonomically correct at my desk.  Problem is, I told the stupid ass guy that the way      he wanted me to sit in my chair was not freakin comfortable for me even if it is ergonomically correct.      Stupid ass!  Once he leaves I'll have to fix all my shit back to the way I'm comfortable. See why I'm so      ready to go?  I'm over this stupid shit!  My stomach feels weird and I feel a little stressed out.
G-  I slept like shit!  I could not fall asleep because my brain was racing with all kinds of things that will need  to be done and my brain keeps telling me that we are crazy. We cannot quit our jobs and do this.  I've      got the flying shits!  I thought my IBS was gone, but now that I'm feeling stressed it's back.  I finally fell     asleep, but woke up at 3AM to pee and started thinking again.  I kept telling myself "shut up! it'll all work out", but I'm nervous. I know we're both going to experience stress over this life altering course, but we'll just have to keep telling ourselves and each other that we're doing the right thing and it'll all work out.  Deciding to move to Cali was stressful and we had far fewer people giving us words of encouragement.  The stress will subside.
P -  Keep reminding me that this is what we WANT to do because I'm very stressed over it.  You know       planning a trip is ALWAYS stressful for me, but once we get on the road, all is good.  Since this is       HUGE, of course it is going to be stressful, but I think once we get it rolling, we will look back and think       it was TOTALLY worth it and wonder why we didn't do it sooner.  I know you are going to keep a      notebook of all the things that need to be done, but please know that I am not depending upon you to do it all.  When things pop into your head, let me know what I can do to help.

At this point our plan is still to move all of our belonging back to NoLa. Using a moving company is
COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION after our horrific experience moving out to Cali with CNS Transport who picked up our stuff in NoLa 4 days late, brought our stuff to us in Cali 8 days late, damaged every piece of our furniture and has still not paid us a penny for it.  We would sooner throw every one of our belongings into a big pile and light it on fire before we would ever give our stuff to a moving company again.  We wish unspeakable evil upon the guy Peter who runs CNS transport and will never forget the horrors of that move if we live to be 10,000 years old.

G - Here's the cost of the U-haul: about $1,700.00 plus gas.  If we want to tow Tini (our little MX5) behind  the truck.... either $210 for rear wheels on the ground or $420 for all wheels on the trailer.  It may cost less to tow it than to drive it, but towing it scares me.
P-  I don't feel comfortable with towing her.  If we get ourselves into a situation where we have to back up    the trailer or park in a small spot, we'll be screwed.  Remember the trouble we had with Michelle's      trailer?
G-  Agreed.  But how in the hell are we gonna get a U-haul full of stuff and 2 vehicles to NoLa.  I'm sure       we're supposed to be selling all of our stuff and our vehicles, but screw that.  We're not recently out of college with nothing but shit from Ikea.  We've been collecting our stuff for 17 years and I'm not getting rid of it yet. We already purged and downsized from 2100 sq.ft to 1100 sq.ft when we moved to Cali.
P-  Well, I think we should start thinking about storing out stuff in Cali until we know where our lives are       headed.  Besides, why move all of our stuff back to NoLa when we know if we ever live in one place      again, we want it to be Cali.
G - Jesus!  We are going through a LOT just to go.  If we get there and hate it............we'll just have to       drown ourselves in the Indian Ocean or throw ourselves into a pack of rabid dogs so we get rabies. We'd better be blissfully fucking happy on the road carrying all of our stuff in a small pack on our backs.  I wish there was some way to know before we go through all of this.
P-  I agree about going through a lot before we even land in Bali, but we will be living our dream and how     can we not like the experience we are going to have?  Just keep telling yourself, like I am, it's going to be the experience of a lifetime and worth every penny!  I'm now set on doing this and I don't want to turn back.
G-  I know.  I do keep telling myself that, and knowing that I will finally have the time to write has me so       motivated to change my life now before it is too late.  But why are we moving AGAIN in the summer? It is the busiest time of the year.  We are idiots!!
P-  We're not idiots, it just happens to fall that way, again.  If we wait until the off season, we would have to   stay at jobs we hate, pay $500.00 a month in gas to drive to jobs we hate, and continue to pay high rent.       We need to just take the plunge and do it.
G-  Ok, muffin.  You know I want to do this, but I'm nervous and my sensible side is yap, yap, yappin to       the point that it is making me crazy and causing my IBS to act up.  But I do admit that I feel alive and       charged up!!  Like I'm actually doing something to change/further my life and escape the feeling of  being a zombie trapped in a hamster wheel.
P-  I'm up and down, up and down too.  And I'm constantly second guessing this decision.  But I WANT to do this.  We NEED to do this.
G-  I know exactly how you feel.  It is a roller coaster of emotions.  One minute I'm so excited I could burst   and the next  minute I'm so scared I have diarrhea.  Then I keep reminding myself of that saying, "you will regret the things you have not done more than you regret the things you have done", or something to that effect.  It will be a lot of work and prepping, but I think it will be totally worth it in the end.  And while moving to Cali has not worked out exactly as we had hoped, since I was not able to switch careers and work with the elderly but was stuck back in law,  it was totally worth it and I would not give up any of our experiences.  I love it out here and wish we had moved sooner.  And we both  realize that it was the stepping stone that has given us the courage to take this next step and travel the world.