Check the specs:
Destination? Southeast Asia, specifically Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia
Timeframe? Six weeks
Posse? Me!
Gear? Just to name a few of the more interesting items; feel free to click on the links. Backpack + daypack, water-filter (my favorite) + water-bottle, camera, luggage-lock, soap, sleeping bag liner, towel
My pack weighs 35 lbs: 13 lbs of toiletries, 12 lbs of electronics, and 10 lbs of everything else (clothing, shoes, and miscellaneous luxuries).
When planning this trip, I was intimidated by the thought of traveling by myself and not for the reasons you might expect, such as safety, safety, and safety. I was nervous that six weeks by myself would force me to fully get to know myself. My entire life has been filled with people. I love people, have a passion for them, and choose to fill most my time with them, but I question if I have not learned to feel comfortable alone, much less enjoy it. I recently admitted to a friend that I'm scared I might not like myself. She had beautiful words of wisdom; if I don't like myself, I will have plenty of time to fix the bad and keep the good. Although I am certain I'll meet other backpackers, I'm excited to go on this journey alone!
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| Just a girl and her pack |
Color me jealous. Do you think you'll be able to keep up with the blog while you're overseas? And what made you choose SE Asia over anywhere else in particular?
ReplyDelete(And 13 lbs sounds like a lot of toiletries!)
I brought my Macbook specifically to keep up the blog. Most hostels in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam will have wifi, and I figured I would save myself time from internet cafes. The goal is, yes, many short and sweet blog updates!
DeleteWhen the trip was in the idea stage, I was interested in South America and SE Asia because both are very different culturally and cheap. I decided on SE Asia because I felt safer going by myself.
(And 13 lbs of toiletries is absurd, but mostly sunscreen!)
I'm glad you're doing this trip on your own! Whatever you find about yourself, it'll all be positive. Whatever needs tweaking, is probably just minimal work, like cutting hair. Don't worry, traveling by yourself is a lot of fun! Have fun, bon voyage :)--Chaz/John
ReplyDeleteThanks for the words of encouragement John!! Can't wait to be my own best friend ;)
DeleteSusan! I went on a really similar journey of spending more time alone and learning to actually enjoy spending time with myself when I came to east Asia. My roommate arrived in three months, but in the meantime I had the most difficult period of culture adjustment to go through while living by myself. It was such a time of growth and it was wonderful to learn I could actually "enjoy" spending time with me, which I'd never really learned before. So so excited for you!!
ReplyDeleteBecky, where are you at? Even though my personal journey will be much shorter than yours, I hope to find the same outcome!
Deletesus! i am sooooo so excited for you! :) have an amazing time and keep us posted!
ReplyDeletelove you!
- carolina