Be sure to wear sunflowers in your hair

Well, we're back in the land of the free and the home of the brave (and loud people, and sales tax, and tipping, and workaholics) after a lovely week in French Polynesia. Flights in and out of Tahiti, as it's more commonly known, tend to arrive/depart at all hours, so we actually got to spend a good amount of time in the Faaa international airport. (Sidenote: if two consecutive vowels are collectively called a dipthong, what are three consecutive vowels called?) We hightailed it to the island of Mo'orea, which is a tiny, volcanic island paradise, and spent six days hiking, biking, swimming, snorkeling, and sunning. Magnifique, as the French would say.

Our descent into LA, in which our view of the city was significantly obscured by the brown haze of smog, needless to say provided a healthy dose of culture shock. However, we have been taken in by our friends in San Francisco, which considerably lessens the blow.

I'm glad that (some) commenters enjoyed the 'lessons learned' post, however pompously sentimental. Pictures are forthcoming when we can get our poop together.

You were warned

I woke up in the middle of the night in a room with six sleeping strangers. Pondering how I've arrived at a point in my life where this situation is normal, I also began to consider the stuff I would have done differently if I had it to do over again. While Bob and I have had a great time on our travels, and while we won't be coming home broke, maimed, or with intestinal parasites (I hope), we have made our share of rookie mistakes along the way. Most of these could have been avoided if we had heeded the advice of any travel book, but I think we believed ourselves immune to certain pitfalls along the way. Maybe if you hear it from a friend you'll be less likely to make the same mistakes when planning your own long-term trip (at the very least, I'll get the self-righteous gratification of saying I told you so). So here it is, in list form. Take heed!

a) Saving too much is better than planning too much.

I'll admit, we were both a little tweaked out when it came to the prospect of being gone for seven months. That, and there was considerable pressure to have an itinerary. I think it would have worked out better in some cases if we had bought a one-way ticket and taken it from there. If you have enough money, you can arrange onward travel if you must (or bribe immigration officials for the visas you need). So save your hard-earned moolah by not buying an 'around the world' ticket. (And don't use a company called Airtreks.com. They rip you off!)

b) Don't go 'around the world' at all.

It's tempting, but the around the world trip really isn't all it's cracked up to be. Better, I think, to spend significant time in a few countries, or to get to know an entire continent (there's also an opportunity to save some money on expensive plane tickets if you stay in one area).

c) Choose your destination(s) wisely.

The US dollar goes further (farther?) in some places more than others. India, for example, will give you the biggest bang for your buck as well as amazing fodder for your travel book (ha ha). It'll depend on what kind of traveling you want to do, but if you want to be gone for a long time on a little cash, avoid places with stable governments, modern plumbing, good roads, etc., etc. Australia and New Zealand certainly are not as cheap as they used to be.

d) Choose your travel companion (if any) wisely.

I am lucky to have a travel companion who is fun to be around, intelligent, kind, a good problem-solver, physically intimidating, fiscally responsible, willing to drive on the opposite side of the road, and a cullinary genius (funny, I don't know what he gets out of the deal). Since Lt. Bob probably won't be available for another big trip for a while, simply look for someone who embodies some of these qualities.

e) Document.

The blog has been tons of fun for us as well as a good way to keep in touch without intruding into people's inboxes. Keeping a journal is not for everyone, but I've found it to be an incredibly valuable experience, as my memory is not what it used to be and shows no signs of improving. Also, while I don't buy the concept of 'finding one's self' during a vacation, I acknowledge that travel can be a time for great personal growth and development, which is worthy of documentation.

f) The US State Department doesn't know everything.

If you read a travel warning for any country, you won't want to go there, as you'll walk away convinced that the country is filled with thieves and hijackers. New York City is still probably the most 'dangerous' place we visited. Far better to take the advice of locals and other travlers. We were terrified of Zimbabwe but managed just fine on a bus trip through that country. Just because people are poor doesn't mean they're out to get you. The State Department is merely covering its bases.

g) Buy a small bag and fill it halfway.

If you overplan (see 'a') you'll be tempted to take everything you might need. Not a good idea, as it's much worse to lug a huge pack around than it is to risk buying foreign shampoo. I brought WAAAY too much stuff, and ended up hating it. In a best case scenario, you'll even get to dress like the locals. But remember your earplugs, because those are impossible to find.

h) Diversify your finances.

Travelers checks seem antiquated, but damn if they didn't come in handy in Africa and India, where reliable ATMs haven't yet come into vogue. US cash, for now at least, is still quite handy in a pinch.

i) Leave home at home.

I think it's best, if you can swing it, not to have responsibilities to attend to while you're on your journey. This last bit of the trip has been a little tainted for me because of deadlines from UAB, which have involved a good amount of international phone calls, time spent at computers and away from the road, etc.

j) Go now.

Enough said.


Sooooo, I hope that this diatribe has shed some light either on planning your own long-term travel or on how pretentious I am. I'd like to thank Diane Averyt for the inspiration. I'd also like to thank Shannon Shipley and Matt Kolsky for answering a question of ours, which is whether avocados are being processed for their oil.

And, as the Kiwis say, Sweet As!

Everywhere you go, you always take the weather with you

It's been a while since the last post, for no real reason other than laziness. Not surprisingly, we made it safely to New Zealand, Bob skating through Australian immigration yet again. (I guess they're not running a real tight ship when it comes to linking unpaid parking tickets with tourist visas.)

Having only a week in lovely Middle Earth, we opted to spend all of our time in the 'Birthplace of New Zealand,' the Bay of Islands just 4 hours' drive north of Auckland. Unfortunately, as I now remember from my last visit, NZ is the land of package tours, with the type of party-hard travelers that invariably come along with them. In typical Mel-and-Bob fashion, though, we've managed to keep ourselves well entertained with the area's free activities, such as nature hikes and kayaking trips (we found a hostel that not only has free kayaks available for use but also an extensive DVD collection).

As fall is, well, falling in New Zealand, however, the weather has been predictably unpredictable. Halfway through our kayak trip yesterday to a nearby waterfall, the rain started to fall. It didn't stop for the rest of the day, which made the remainder of our water voyage rather unpleasant. The overcast weather has continued to today, effectively cancelling the one (1) sailing excursion we had booked. So it goes.

Our last days in Australia were a good time, with Miss Sophie Tyner proving to be a most excellent hostess, even inviting us to a Mother's Day/Birthday Party Extravaganza for a little family time (good for two people experiencing mild homesickness). We were also quite lucky to attend a lecture by the current international president of Doctors Without Borders, and to witness a near-catfight between two women on the train. Fantastic.

In the next few posts, readers should expect some fairly sickening entries rife with nostalgia and advice, e.g. 'What I learned on my travels and am now passing on to you.' It has to be done. If you tend to detest these types of pontifications, I suggest you take a week or so off from reading the blog.

Cheers!