Do I really need vaccines?
Don't forget to buy travel insurance.
How am I going to cross into Tibet from Nepal, and how am I going to get a Chinese visa with their stupid policies?
Am I bringing enough warm clothes for the Himalayas? Am I bringing too much that I'm going to be burdened when in the tropics of Thailand?

I spend my time laying out all my gear and scrutinizing every piece one by one, over and over again. Granted, I am a bit of a gear nut, but to me, there is nothing worse than the massive regret forgetting something that would have made your trip that much better.

With all that said and done, I am actually planning very few details of my 4-5 month (or longer) journey. I merely only have a rough idea of where'd I'd like to go, and in which order. Only a one-way flight is booked so far, and no dates have been set on specific border crossings. I suppose it is this fact that I have left so much unplanned in my itinerary that I need to ensure all my other preparations are ready for ANYTHING. It is quite an enormous task to fit everything you think you would need to live for months on end (minus food) inside a 60L backpack, but at the same time ensure it is light enough (under 25lbs) to carry for days on ends in backcountry hikes. Not only that, but have all the paperwork, medication, and vaccines ready for anything as well.

Lucky for me I have so much backcountry hiking experience that this is not completely new to me. What is new though is the hybrid of urban and backcountry travels that await me, and ensuring my gear will take me soundly through both. I think I worry too much, but I'm sure in the end it will be worth it.

The idea of being gone 4-5 months months is still somewhat surreal to me. It just doesn't seem real yet. Am I ready to go live in the mountains of Nepal for 4 weeks, transit across China through rural towns and urban metropolises, and then lounge on the beaches of Thailand? Or maybe my plans will completely change and I'll end up falling in love with a hot Italian woman and chase her back to Florence? Or maybe I'll stay in Nepal and become a Buddhist monk of my own monastery.

With so much uncertain, all I can really adhere to is the fact that I only live once, but if I live it right, then once is enough!

written by  chowmander on February 23, 2010 from Vancouver, Canada
from the travel blog: Eastern world
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