And I'm off!

I am currently sitting in a British Airways plane somewhere over the Atlantic; my eleventh crossing, and by far not the longest flight - a 14 hours jaunt between Dubai and Washington DC in 2012 holds that record. Once again I have packed up my life and put everything in storage, completed most of my to do list, and left what I failed to complete with those I leave behind. This voyage has been in the making for the past 8 years so every time I came up with reasons why not to go, I reminded myself that I really ought to suck it up and go! Also, as one who dislikes 'endings', leaving is always the hardest part for me and this case was no exception.

Departure day was relatively uneventful, other than waiting for a pair of hard-to-find Birkenstocks to arrive in the mail and my third trip to MEC in the past three days. I packed what I would consider a perfectly respectable load for a year of travel - a 50L pack, an 20L small backpack, and a 10L sidebar - all reasonably packed with plenty of wiggle room. Compared to the last time I left the country, I can actually carry everything and move more than a shuffle at the time! Here's a summed up list of what I have packed:
3 pairs of shoes: runners, sandals, and flats;
gym & yoga attire (no mat or shaker bottle);
2 pairs of pants: black cargo & skinny jeans;
1 long skirt (also used as a dress);
1 pair of leggings;
a bunch of t-shirts & long sleeve shirts;
2 dresses (used as tunics);
1 light jacket;
1 light shrug;
2 scarves;
2 belts;
1 bathing suit;
1 hat;
2 books (dictionary & besherelle);
tablet, keyboard, ipod, phone, camera; and
universal adapter, notebook, headlamp, work gloves, letterman, first aid kit.
This is by no means a complete list, but more so an overview to show how the stuff I will be lugging around is lighter than it would have been without any thought. That being said, my storage locker is 10'x10'...

The most common question - despite the lengthy long-term travel literature stating that most people would ask what I was thinking - was what my plans were? Those who are familiar with how I function would assume that there was a well-laid itinerary; however, that was not the case this time. I do nevertheless have a general idea and outline of how I envision 2014. Part of the reason that I have left my plans as general outlines is so that if (when) opportunities arise, I will be able to pursue them.

The year is divided into three legs: first, a brief few weeks to explore Spain and Morocco; second, move to Jordan and a semester to complete my undergraduate degree; and lastly, the remaining eight months going through Turkey, Greece, and the Baltics to end in Poland for Christmas. The second leg ought to occur between February and May with a base in Amman. The third leg is intended as a period of volunterring, WWOOFing, and trips with friends. Having left Canada with only a ticket booked to Madrid, there is plenty that I have left to plan, organize, and haphazardly assemble. However the year ends, I am sure there will be lots to reminisce about and to share with you.

Those who have asked what my plans post 2014 entail probably have just as good of an idea as I do at this time. Whether I get a Class B/go Reg Force, enrol in a masters, or start another career is still up in the air and I am planning to leave it hanging there for most of the year to see what comes up and what I want at that point.

As I finish up this first blog, on the move, most other passengers are curled up with their standard flight pillow, blanket, and TV; I however am still in Pacific Standard time and have a feeling that when I reach my hostel in Madrid (booked while I was sitting in Toronto waiting for my second of three flights) I might benefit from a nap before I send myself out for a city walk to get lost and discover the city!

Adios (...my Spanish is a little rusty, despite brushing up on the basics in Ecuador) .

-Alex

PS: made it to the hostel via the metro in time for siesta!