Preparation Phase

Well, all the websites we clicked on and all the articles we -kind of- read to prepare for this trip prove one thing: we did not prepare what seems to be "properly". Other people read tons of travel books, learn additional languages, "start" their adventure by changing their working-time-model two years prior to take-off and start living in a tent in the garden -"just to get used to it".

We made the final decision to take this trip in June - this year. We have stopped working just a week ago ... to start sorting out admin stuff, backup all important data, have some dentist appointments, move appartements, climb the Mont Blanc, set-up facebook, dopplr, twitter, couchsurfing, freagle, blogger (you name it), party and - the worst part EVER - pack (as in: decide what not to wear in about 5 months). That is a lot of things to do before saying good-bye.

Nevertheless, here we are: Martina and Philipp preparing to leave the country for 4,5 months of travelling in Asia, Australia and Oceania. We have ...

• sleeping bags and pillows (check!)
• 1 backpack (todo! - that one is her's even though it is just climbing Mont Blanc with him ...)
• travel medication (check! - btw. love the pic, Marc)
• a pile of travel books too heavy to take with us (todo! - Nr. 5 please help ...)
• no work to do until at least February 2010 (the one) or April 2010 (the other one) (check!)
• a place to store our stuff (todo! - anyone fancy moving MUC to FRA on Sept 15?)
• a couchsurfing profile (check!)
• hiking boots, flip flops and 2 cool hats (check! - he says clothing is overrated anyway ...)
• no idea how to reduce 4,5 months worth of personal belongings to 15kg (todo! - she says that she might be able to leave those shoes at home ...)
• visa for China, Australia and Vietnam (check!)
• unlocked mobile phones, multiple ipods to choose from, 2 cameras (so one can be stolen), waterproof videocamera, gps, ... you name it, we have it (check!)
• an ongoing discussion around a plb (his) and a small notebook (her's) (todo!)
• cancelled all unneccessary insurances (check!)
• copied all important documents but still need to scan them (todo!)
• bought all necessary insurances (check!)
• scheduled fare-well parties in Frankfurt, Walchsee and Munich (in the order of appearance - check!)
• received all necessary immunization (check!)
• a sufficiently stuffed bank account (todo! - that is always a todo!)
• and, ah, flights, right, ... nearly forgot (check!).

Apart from that we do not have any route, no pre-ordered hotel reservations, no cars or campers booked, no idea what we will do on New Year's Eve or at X-mas. We will work it out when we get there. We have some friends that live along the way, who we will visit for sure. And we hope that with backpacking, geocaching and couchsurfing we will find some new ones.

Didn't they say all you need is a bathing suit and a VISA? Et voilá ... nothing can go wrong. Unless Philipp actually plans to wear the bathing suit ... different story ...

So far for preparation - back to packing moving boxes ...