Monday, March 16, 2015

Countdown to Nepal

About 2 years ago, over coffee and breakfast at Juniors cafe in Portland, Brad and I made a somewhat nebulous pact to strike out on an extended travel adventure. Only one aspect of this pact was definite: we would leave before the younger of the two of us turned 31. And that's how we find ourselves today, one week before my 31st birthday, with our bags meticulously packed, anxious to leave in less than 24 hours.

Our impending trip has evolved somewhat in the last couple of years but not much. For starters, we have a destination: Nepal! We have a departure date: March 17th. We have booked our first 2 nights in a Kathmandu guesthouse. But that's where reservations end. Of course we have ideas about our next steps including a trek in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas, lots of aimless wandering (my favorite activity) among temples and city streets, reading (Brad's favorite activity) on rooftop porches, and eating delicious Nepalese food. A bit further along, we hope to make it to SE Asia, probably beginning in Thailand or Vietnam. And we'll probably end up back in Portland sometime in June, just in time for summer!

So, from mountains to beaches and lots of anticipated in betweens means we had to pack for all the different conditions. We've done our best to prepare but I know we'll end up throwing stuff out and acquiring more useful items along the way. Here are our bags:




I'm excited to get started and see what's out there! Though Brad and I have some experience traveling together from our time in South America, I'm sure this trip will be entirely different. I anticipate a large challenge will be the language barrier. Both Brad and I speak Spanish so South America could be decoded to varying degrees from communicating what we needed to understanding the culture we were seeing and experiencing. I am nervous that I will feel much more isolated in countries where I won't be able to understand the spoken language let alone even recognize the lettering on signs. I will try to be patient, open, and curious and hopefully that will be enough!

We'll miss you!  Write to us!

2 comments:

  1. A pair of Portlanders launching off to Nepal on St Paddies Day?? Linda and I look forward to your accounts. Travel safely! Best regards, Linda and Van

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