SkipperVoyage

That First night, I just could not sleep… After walking all over the Queen’s city, drinking a few pints of pear cider, and being jet-lagged, I was physically exhausted.  But the adrenaline pumping threw my veins prevented me from getting a good nights sleep.  doubt I got more than an hour of sleep.  I laid there looking at the ceiling, and wondering what would happen the following day, when I checked out of the Holiday Inn, and ventured into the low cost option of a Hostel.   Would I find it absolutely miserable?  Would I end up on the street because of poor planning?  would I tramp all over the city again, or would I be disappointed by the sights because of high expectations?

This was the exciting part of this trip, the unknown.  Some people reading might think, “What is so unknown about visiting a huge city like London, and staying in a Hostel, by yourself?”  - While I’m sure some of my friends and family where wondering why would you want to stay in a budget accommodation?  and see the city alone?  Truth is that I would have much preferred sharing this experience with my wife, and or kids.  But I still felt this was something I needed to do just to prove that I could do it.  That it was no big deal, since people do it all the time.  After all, when you plan a vacation getaway with the Family - you plan for convenience, comfort, it really becomes a different kind of adventure.

7 am came mighty early, and felt like I had only just drifted off to sleep.  I certainly did not want to waste time exploring the back of my eyelids on this trip.  So up and showered, packed up, and quickly sampled the free breakfast downstairs.  After another quick walk around the neighborhood, and a visit to the Internet cafe, I returned to the Hotel, and checked out.  A pleasant employee handed me my bill, with a Zero balance.  I couldn’t help but grin, and blush thinking about the nice breakfast, I felt I had just gotten away with something.

The map I had referrenced indicated my next stop was not that far away.  All loaded up, I headed down Cromwell street towards the Hostel (the ACE Hotel).  Turned out the scale on the map was a little decieving and with a 45lb pack on my back, what looked like a 10 or 15 minute walk became a nice 30-40 minute workout.

When I arrived I’m sure I looked a little like a beached middle aged man.  The hostel was a flurry of staff activity, they were busy running around and cleaning, updating, unloading boxes of supplies from a vendor truck outside.  It seemed like they were getting ready for a tea party with the Royals.  I didn’t see any other patrons… So I inquired about check in, eventhough check-in wasn’t for a few more hours, I wanted to leave my bag, and start some more exploring.  The staff was very nice, we smalltalked a little, and I looked around and decided this place was pretty nice.  They set me up in a four bed dorm with an ensuite bath.  I found the room to be very adequete, there was another guy there from Germany but we didn’t get a chance to talk much.  It wasn’t loud and roudy, there were actually several families with school age children staying there (apparently I had come to London during semester break) All in all I give the Ace Hostel two thumbs up, although I missed breakfast the next morning.   Spending £20 vs £150 per night at the Holiday Inn, was in my mind incredible value.  Suddenly this whole budget accomodation thing looked like a no brainer, why hadn’t I tried this before?

Ace Hotel Bed

Ace Hotel Hostel

From my room on the Seventeenth floor, I can see Hyde Park off to the north… but not much else recognizable.  First order of business… touching base with Home.  Now if you’ve been to Europe, you’ll know cell phones are so prolific - everyone is on their phone, so calling home would seem to be a simple task, right?  But take a look around the internet… there is a lot of information for Americans out there on how to get this done in a cost efficient manner.  Let me tell you how I did it, I’m sure it wasn’t the cheapest method, but it worked and worked well.  I brought along Two phones, my Iphone & an older GSM- tri band Razor phone (unlocked).

My goal was to use the Iphone as a wifi device - a way to check emails and look things up, since I decided not to bring along a laptop.  This is a wise decision considering how lite I was traveling.  I read numerous tales of Americans who returned home to thousand dollar phone bills because of the Roaming schemes overseas.  So I had the cellular turned off and data roaming turned off, I was paranoid about this.  It seems there is a lost opportunity here for AT&T to make a deal and capitalize on this market.  In fairness AT&T does have an option for Americans to turn on International roaming… but it is a monthly option and the rates are not really that competitive.  As far as using the Wifi, I found it challenging, I was able to find plenty of hotspots - but most of them required a user account or password to connect to the Internet.   When I did manage to find an open hotspot, I could connect to the access point, but it would not connect to the Internet.  It was only on my second to last day that I talked to a guy, who used to work for Apple, and he told me how to set it up.  It took popping out the sim card and that did the trick.

So in the meantime, plan B - finding a local cell phone dealer where I could buy a prepaid sim card with good international rates back to the States.  So I headed out into the Streets of London, I decided to just check out the area around the hotel that might have such a business.  I quickly found a little shop and asked the shop keeper what he had, and he said he Had O2 cards, but there was a 5 £ charge just for the sim card, and then I would have to topup, instead he offered another option for about 30 £’s (about $45) where the sim card was free with 30 £’s of credit on it, and only 5 pence per minute back to the States.  In the Past I have used O2 in Ireland, and I knew it was reliable option, but I was buggered by the 5 lb charge.  In the End I know I paid too much - since I ended up only using about 5-10 £’s of the 30.  I’m sure his commission was higher for this card as well.  But it didn’t matter because it worked - and it worked well.  I was able to pop the card in, activate it, and call home and talk to the wife and kids right there in the store.  The only issue I had was all my phone numbers for my buddies in Europe where stored away in my Iphone or Email… Technology, isn’t it amazing?

My flights went well, the first flight was a short hop from Austin (AUS) to Houston (IAH).  The Great Bargin that I had found was on British Airways - leaving from one of their departure cities, and Houston was the closest.  Originally I thought I could just drive, but after a few quick checks, I found a 90$ roundtrip on Continental.  This seemed like a better deal.  If I had tried to book it all through BA, the flights from AUS->IAH would have been a couple hundred bucks…  In this case it was much better for me to book separately, especially since I didn’t plan to check any baggage.

One thing I always marvel at is International Travel, I love walking thru the International departures and seeing all the people waiting for flights, it is usually one of the best people watching spots on the Planet.  On this particular night, the Houston International Concourse was deserted.  Except for one flight departing to Dubai, or Saudi Arabia - which was boarding when I walked by,  there were no other Foreign carriers and no one waiting around.   I think all the US based carriers just depart out of what ever gate they end up at.  I still had about two hours for my BA flight and the plane had not arrived yet,  so seeing nothing going on, I headed over to the Continental concourse, and grabbed a bite to eat.

Sleeping on a plane is always impossible for me, but I managed about 30 minutes here and there.  The flight was practically empty, which was nice.  When food was served it didn’t take long, I sampled it, but since it was mostly un-edible I also quickly gave it back…  I tend to catch up on my Movies during flights.

Arriving at Heathrow, I breezed thru immigration - and into the main Terminal, the place was buzzing, I found the tube ticket counter and confirmed the best option for me was a 7 day travel card plus about 10lbs credit, all on an Oystercard.   After getting some cash, I was off on the TUBE… it didn’t take long to fill up, it was about 12 noon, and everyone seemed to be headed into London.  The ride actually takes a while, initially I had chosen a seat, there ended up being so many folks packed onto the carriage, that I didn’t bother to get off at my intended stop, instead I waited till it cleared out a little, and doubled back.  Lesson learned… if carrying the pack, don’t sit down where you can’t get off.

Gloucester Road was my goal, and coming out of the Tube Station, I had lost all bearing on North/South, East/West even though I had studied maps and google earth before the trip.  It’s hard to miss the Holiday Inn Kensington, as it seems to be one of the tallest buildings in West London.  After checking into my Free Room, I quickly reduced to my carry along backpack and set off to explore.  Look out London, here I come.

LONDON

Against my better judgment (I’ll explain later what that means), I’ve decided to take a Trip to London.  The basic rationale is that I have a week of vacation left over, and need to use it by the end of Feb.   So I started thinking… what could I do in a week?   In Late January, I stumbled across a good Deal on British Air (thanks to Europeupclose.com), and Thought “Here is an Idea”.  I knew the Wife has been to London, and the chances of us actually planning a trip there was not too high, after all there are many other places that are higher up on my List.   Now, Normally I’d just take the week off, and spend the days reading about other folks on their RTW journey, Working on Honey-Do-Projects,  and then deliberating about how to move in that traveling direction.  So I started playing with the Idea… How could this work?  how can I convince the wife to let me go and how can I do it cheaply?  After all, this is not exactly like the boys trip to Vegas once in a while.

I decided that I had to do it on the cheap, and I’ve read so much about folks that are staying in hostels and guest houses and take the road less traveled and less exploited for Tourist, that I felt challenged.  So, with some rudimentary planning, I came up with round trip tickets for about $500, and staying in hostels probably another $200.  Sightseeing, and Eating another $300, coming to roughly $1000 for the whole trip, hmmm.  So that was my initial budget… as the CFO in our family, that seemed doable.  After all, I did just sell the boat, but London is one of the most expensive cities in the World and economic times are tough.  Some might question “frivolously” spending money right now instead of stashing it away.  It is something I grappled with also, but in the end, I felt that my daydreaming needed a does of reality…  and I decided it was worth the cost.

It didn’t take me long to get real excited about the Idea.  Now I had to figure out how to “ask” for permission, not that I need permission, but I’m very lucky that the Wife is very understanding and accommodating of my passions.  Maybe she is just ready to get rid of me, but really in the end is was, ME:”hey what do you think of this idea?”  Wife: “Sounds good, Go for it…”

Now back to the Judgment thing, What is a grown family man thinking, taking off for a week to venture around London on my own?  After all, I’ve two children at home to raise!  As I’ve hinted, there are lots of reasons to justify not going, but one main one is the Responsibility of a Parent.  I remember when I was a kid, my dad went to some conference in London, and I remember pouring over a city map laid out on the living room floor.   I had no idea the passion I would one day have, but I recalled how fascinated I was with that idea of my dad going to London.  I hope to inspire my children in the same way.

More on the Trip coming up.

The holiday season has officially kicked off, and while most everyone else is “Dreaming of a White Christmas“, or at least find themselves humming along as they mad rush through the mall looking for bargains, I find myself dreaming of far away places.   While I ponder how to make a permanent move out of cubicle life, I thought about what type of Journeys might work for me and their pros and cons.

GAP YEAR - This is one of my favorite Ideas.   I’m not sure why, but for some reason Gap Years are not very common in the American Culture, however it is very popular in other countries, especially in England.  Mutter the phrase ‘Gap Year’ at a Party in London, and everyone will know what your talking about.   Many cultures have a ‘rite of passage’,  marking that journey from the young adult years to grown up years, and I consider a journey around the world to be a splendid rite of passage.  It is an idea I sure wish I had thought about when I was younger, there was a period in my life of about 5-8 years out of college, before I met the wife, that would have been a perfect time for me to be traveling (and growing up).

The Great thing about a Gap Year is, typically, you will not have a lot of money so it forces you to make do with what you have and make your own way.  You will learn a lot about yourself packing up all your belongings into a backpack.   Also, It is a real core way of seeing the world, breaking down the barriers of stereotypes because you will get to meet many other nationalities and learn from their perspective.  You will meet some fantastic people and make good friends for life.

It is so much fun to put a bunch of marks on a map, and dream about packing it up for a year, but for now this idea will stay in the dream realm, however, It is something I will encourage my children to consider when they get older.

FAMILY RTW TRIP - I like this Idea also, it is much more appealing to me personally, if not downright frightening, considering my situation.  Family trips can be a terrific bonding experience or an incredible nerve racking, white hair journey.  Currently there are several Families that I am following, like the James Family (www.thewidewideworld.com).  Of course this type of trip is a totally different animal than a solo trip RTW.   Transportation, Lodging and Eating for a family of four on a Budget could be a real challenge with tired, hungry and growing kids in tow.  I’m certain the educational experience would outweigh the challenges, but I can’t help thinking about all the different challenges we might face.   I really wonder how my kids would manage with this type of demanding trip.  I think my kids (both 5yrs old) are still too young to really benefit from a journey like this… However, Soultravelers3 seems to be making it work with their young prodigy child.

LONG TERM Location Independence - This may be the ticket! This is really a broad category, something between working on the road, or picking a new place and then working from there.  I would think this also depends highly on a revenue stream.  There are lots of folks that I follow that are doing it, like location independent guru’s Lea & Jonathan Woodward .   Then there is Kristy who has a bunch of sites and manages to keep it going on the road while volunteering also.   I think this might be the best bet and something for me to shoot for.

There are some potential downsides to this, that I have to consider.  One is the kids, with young kids like mine, it is important to give them a stable environment… right now the Grandparents are nearby, and that provides a great support network.  Another is a Home, I consider our home as our base, while I would love to live somewhere else all the time or most of the time, I always want to come home.  For some people, this is not that big of a deal, since they may or maynot be that attached to a specific home.  Suppose we did go on the road and lived in Spain for six months, do we rent our place while we are gone, or sell it and pick up the pieces when we come back.  Last but not least, Taxes and government regulations about working overseas…  I know very little about this other than it seems to be different everywhere, and the impact can be significant.

The EXPAT - traveling for work can be a real bonus, and the best part is generally the Employer is helping pick up the bills.  I’m not sure about the rest of the world, but I know that many US companies are not even considering Expat arrangements anymore.  If your lucky enough to get an expat deal, then you know.  I think generally they run about two years, but can be longer.  You get to keep a good job, and explore a new culture at the same time.  I would consider this in a heartbeat.  It could provide the avenue for me to keep the family together and travel longterm at the same time.

Shorter Trips Traditional Vacations - this will continue to be the mainstay for most Americans.  It seems that more and more Americans are traveling, but for most of us we work all year for that paycheck, and then we get two weeks to go somewhere, see as much as we can and come home Tired, Grumpy, and Broke.