About four months ago Boyd and I sat with a map of the world spread in front of us stunned by its enormity.
We had been planning this trip since my 5 year old was born and been budgeting and saving and producing babies and changing nappies and parenting and getting involved in Home Birth groups and Playgroups and generally being fully and happily distracted until we reach the point 6 months before we plan to leave. We had no plan, no itinerary and two precious children to guide through an adventure.
Firstly we created time by giving our children to their grandparents. Trying to talk strategy with a 5 year old earnestly explaining how her imaginary friend urgently required Mummy to make a birthday cake and then screaming because the 2 year old has just weed in the cake tin is too tricky.
Secondly we brainstormed what we wanted from our trip. Boyd had been working at a stressful business position for 10 years and wanted a break, quality time with our children. we wanted to find a community place where we could lay down some roots and connect with people, volunteer some time, learn new skills. I wanted to have an adventure, to travel some more.
We wanted to join communities and we were not keen on traveling in the Lonely Planet/ Rough Guide style that I had always used before. Our close friends were all having babies and settled so we fired off little becons to attempt to connect into the community that were contentedly traveling around the world . We talked to people, distant friends, connected with friends of friends of friends of friends that gave us leads ( usually through facebook -thank you to all those lovely people that encouraged us with kind words and beautiful places to explore :-) ). the most helpful links to us were http://www.helpx.net/ and http://www.activeaidinternational.org/.
Then I started to obsess about saftey(its a hazard of being a ex-vet)... I poured over the Malaria maps of the world sure that I didn't want to expose our children to either the parasite nor the prophalxsis. I contcted a lovely Lady called Gabi on her blog (http://thenomadicfamily.com/) who assured me that she had been to all the places i was thinking of with no issues . she wisely pointed out that if i only researched the dangers of the world, I would never leave my front door.
So I put down the malarial maps of the world and meditated on the situation. and after a while found that I was only comfortable taking my kids to countries that I had been to before, still an adventure for me to explore bits that i hadn't seen before but comfortable that I was taking them to a culture that they would enjoy and that enjoy them.
So with that in mind we booked tickets ( well actually we spent a whole weekend researching visas first - because the ease and cost and duration of the visa dictates dates ( smart move Boyd))
| THURSDAY | 31-Jul14 | NEW PLYMOUTH | BRISBANE | Visit Andy and Family |
| THURSDAY | 7-Aug14 | BRISBANE | DARWIN | Visit Sister Lou and Family |
| THURSDAY | 14-Aug14 | DARWIN | BANGKOK | Chiang Mai area mostly |
| TUESDAY | 30-Sep14 | BANGKOK | Kathmandu | Hiking and what ever is clever |
| FRIDAY | 12-17 Dec14 | Nepal | India | Overland border crossing near Darjeeling and then down to Goa for a wedding on the 28th Dec |
| MONDAY | 11-Mar15 | Bangalore | LONDON | Renovate house built in 1739 Oxfordshire |
| WEDNESDAY | ?6-May15 | LONDON | KUALA LUMPUR | From Here we can get to Thailand again and Bali |
| THURSDAY | ?23-Jul15 | KUALA LUMPUR | NEW PLYMOUTH |
