Count down - 5 more sleeps!

Well, I just finished compiling my blog posts from my trip around the world with son number one - into an easy to read format for my sister who has dial up internet and had trouble accessing the blog because of picture download times. As I was rereading it, I was reminded of a great number of details of my trip that I had long forgotten. The chronicle made me cry and laugh, and I am so very glad I kept a journal of that trip...and so, I will again.

This trip feels different. I am heading off with son number two - but this time am a little wiser for having already travelled so much. First of all, I am not heading off for 4 months. That was - for me - just too long. So this journey will see us travel for 7 weeks and only 4 countries. My mammoth trip of 19 countries in 4 months last time, taught me that the best intercultural experiences were in those places where we stayed the longest. So I took my own advice, and the pace of this trip shall be a little slower.

I have even learned not to book every minute of every day in advance. I have left much of our trip up in the air...forcing us to wing it. That goes against my type A personality, however, from experience I have learned that just winging it can be equally delightful, and it allows you to take advantage of things that happen that you could never have planned.

So, for now, our itinerary looks something like this:

April 25th departure

Chicago, IL
Istanbul, Turkey
Cappadoacia, Turley
Somewhere else in Turkey
Somewhere else in Turkey
Mumbai, India
Kochi, India
2 week Gap Adventure of Southern India
Chennai, India
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Hanoi, Vietnam
Cat Ba Island, Vietnam
Somewhere else in Vietnam
Somewhere else in Vietnam
Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam
Tokyo, Japan
Somewhere else in Japan
Somewhere else in Japan
Calgary, AB

We will end out journey in Calgary where I will spend a week house shopping, as I will be moving there at the end of June to take a job working with First Nations and to run for the Wildrose Alliance nomination in the new riding of Calgary-Killarny.

I hope you will follow along with Nathan and I, and enjoy our tales of discovery. We love you and will miss you! Stay tuned...