SkipperVoyage

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.

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.