So, to begin this series of 8 Reasons Why I Love Thailand, let’s kick it off with:

1) Thai Sunsets

Thailand has such an amazing geographical backdrop that it is very rare to view a bad sunset. If I recall correctly, the only “bad” sunsets were when it was pouring rain & the sun was not visible at all. Even after the torrential downpour this evening the sun creeped out just in time to “set.”

The colors of Thai sunsets vary to such amazing extremes that through the course of the same sunset, it can seem like a completely different sunset only minutes after it started (as witnessed in the two photos below).

Blue Sunset on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand

Add a few palm trees and even boring sunsets come alive

Sometimes you see something you have never seen before…

I witnessed my first sunset with visible rays on Koh Phangan

Other times, locals going about their daily routines make the sunset even more special.

A fisherman walking home as the sun sets on Koh Phangan

The bright reds, oranges, and blues seem to pop out more here than elsewhere.

Nai Thon beach, Phuket - the backdrop for another amazing sunset

Even Patong beach on Phuket throws up some radiant colors

After watching over fifty sunsets on Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand, I am never bored. The following sunsets show how diverse it can be from one day to the next.

One of my favorite sunsets at Loh Dalum Bay, Koh Phi Phi Don

A different day, a different color on Koh Phi Phi Don

Even "boring" sunsets look great when framed by mountains

Koh Phi Phi sunsets even look amazing minus the color

When tired of the “same ‘ole” sunsets on Thailand, one only has to change their perspective or vantage point.

Loh Dalum Bay at sunset, but from a different perspective

Playing around with different objects can also be fun.

Even a normal chair can come alive at sunset

Fishing poles can also frame a sunset nicely

Stuck behind a tree? I’m sure you can still find the sunset there somewhere.

Watching the sunset from behind a tree can be fun too

Do you sit in your favorite restaurant night after night? I’m sure you can find a new table with a different window to look out at the sunset in a completely new way.

Sitting inside at sunset? You might still catch a glimpse...

Don’t you hate when you are trying to take the perfect photo & someone gets in the way? Sometimes, people make the picture. Snap away…

People in the way? No cause for concern

Thought you saw the equivalent of a shooting star at sunset? A once in a lifetime sunset? Be patient and you might just see something similar again.

Patience is a virtue... Sun rays appear on Koh Phi Phi also

I have had a lot of time to view sunsets on my trip around the world. However, I think I can safely say that Thailand has been the backdrop of most of my favorite sunsets.

How can you not fall in love with Thailand based upon its’ beautiful sunsets alone?

Stay tuned for part 2 in the series of 8 Reasons Why I Love Thailand: Thai Beaches…

Thailand also has an ugly side

(Edit: Before reading this post, you might want to check out my 8 post series: 8 Reasons Why I Love Thailand )

1) On the 1st day, we almost got sucked into the seedy side of Bangkok in a similar fashion as The Hangover 2, but it could have turned out much worse because we are females & didn’t have trusty problem solver Bradley Cooper on our side. All of which occurred while we were simply trying to be friendly with the locals.

A Thai local who tried to drag us to the seedier side of Bangkok

2) On the 1st day, we did get sucked into the full-moon “trains are full scam” & were charged 3 times the going rate for the bus. ($40+ USD per person for 1 way to Koh Samui is likely unprecedented and they most assuredly had a banquet in our honor later the same evening)

3) On my 3rd day, we discovered several fellow passengers were “separated” from their belongings on that same bus through an inside job.

4) The sheep herder mentality of the tourism industry in Thailand is one of the worst I’ve experienced. Once on a Thai bus or van, you seemingly become their “property” and I felt similar to a victim of human smuggling. Although they speak English well enough, they neither explain or comfort you whatsoever along the journey. Once, we were dropped off at a house in the middle of nowhere for our “connection” and simply told to wait indefinitely. In Phuket, a group of us were abandoned at a remote police station to fend for ourselves in finding a taxi in the middle of the night. (Thankfully the police were awake and made some phone calls arranging three taxis for us)

Typical Thai Bus (aka Sheep Herder Bus)

5) When asking for a specific bank’s nearest ATM, I was told it was a few blocks away and would cost 100 Baht on a motobike (=3.3 USD). First, a dollar a block is outrageous in a taxi, let alone a tuk tuk. Thus, 100 Baht was definitely not gonna come out of my wallet for a ride on the back of a moto. So, I smiled & told the guy “I’m not stupid.” Seconds later I see the ATM for the bank I was looking for at the end of the block on which we were standing. (mind you, I showed them an old ATM receipt with the bank logo – one of the most common banks in Thailand. Thus, no confusion could be had on their part)

6) I have spent a lot of time at BKK airport in the past few months (like 60 hrs 2 minutes & 35 seconds give or take a few hours/minutes/seconds). Last time, I was approached by 4 Indian men who seemed friendly enough. (No offense to Indians, it’s just what sparked the conversation since I’d recently been to India) Within minutes, they were trying to persuade me to ditch my plans of volunteering in Cambodia to join them in Pattaya as if I were a prostitute. And, a very nice Thai lady wanted to take me home with her so I wouldn’t have to wait at the airport until 10am. (could have been innocent enough on her part, but still an awkwardly random experience for me)

7) Phuket deserves special mention:

a) At Patong beach, we almost got sucked into the Absolute Hotel scratch card scam, but thank goodness for Google on that one.

b) You literally cannot walk down Bangla Road in Patong without being accosted by the guys showing nudie cards of ping-pong shows & various other sexual performances available. We tried to avoid running into them several times, but to no avail. (Khao San Rd in Bangkok can’t even compete with Bangla Rd in this regard)

c) Per capita, I truly believe Patong is more overly sexualized than bangkok. At least there are some tourist activities in Bangkok, such as the royal palace or floating markets.

d) Lastly, to Patong’s detriment, there appear to be more visible elderly male expats who’ve set up business for the wrong reasons if you know what I mean. Or, more elderly white men hanging around solo for “no particular reason.”

(So, literally I say fuck Patong beach on Phuket. I’ll sail from your ports, but will not support your economic growth (unless the ferries are harbored due to the weather of course))

e) This list doesn’t even take into account a random shooting incident we witnessed on Nai Thon beach which drove us away and down to Patong to begin with. (an entire post will likely be devoted to that someday since Linda’s not-so-ninja-like evasion moves still cause us to bust a gut)

Phi Phi's beautiful longtail boats & beaches

8) So, on to my beloved Phi Phi & why I hate thee too at times:

a) They collect 20 baht at the pier to keep Phi Phi “Sparkling Clean,” but there are no public garbage receptacles to be found anywhere on the island, let alone on it’s idyllic beaches. I’d gladly give double or more if I knew it was being put to such actual use. (when local businesses host clean-up events with their own time, energy & money, obviously the coin is missing the wishing well somehow)

Sign @ Phi Phi's Pier - Good Intentions or Misleading?

b) Buckets – can I say suck it?

c) Sadly, Phi Phi is overbuilt, overpopulated & overtaxed environmentally. Even more sad is the fact it appears many local residents are more concerned with the instant gratification the island is currently receiving in tourist dollars. They do not seem concerned about sustaining the environmental balance of a world renowned and geographically astounding tourist destination, let alone their children’s future.

Blue View Divers arranged a clean-up in August of this debris and the rest of Loh Dalum Bay

d) The sheer number of men (and probably women) literally pissing in the ocean each night at the beach clubs is definitely cause for concern. At any given time, one might see 10-15 guys peeing at once into the “waters” on Loh Dalum bay, with no respect for tides, sanitation or the unrecovered tsunami victims they may be pissing on. (But you know how you can sober up a pisser really quick? Tell them, the people of Phi Phi consider what they are doing to be disrespecting the dead. I have had many guys apologize to me when completely sober the next day)

After spending over two months in Thailand, I don’t believe a damn word anyone tells me. Unless they are my friends from Phi Phi. And, even then, I’ll half believe them if they are drunk, but if their first name is Mark, well then, they have no chance :)

Phi Phi's de facto trash pit at an abandoned building

(Disclaimer: I have spent about 70 days in Thailand at the time of writing, 2/3 of which has been on Koh Phi Phi. However, sometimes when I hate something so much I have to go back & try again (which also explains some of my failed relationships) ‘Tis the nature of a perfectionist to leave no stone unturned. Regardless, I do love Thailand for many reasons as well and have started an 8 post series: 8 Reasons Why I Love Thailand. My current love/hate relationship)

I wrote my first travel blog yesterday after over 7 months of traveling. Pretty pathetic huh? Oh well! Welcome back to the travel blog world Jenneil!

I realized while writing the post last night that I feel like I just started traveling. Let me explain…

While on the road the past seven months, I lost myself in my head. I had stuff stolen, had a significant computer crash, realized I couldn’t keep up with Nomad Courier on the road, & couldn’t even pay my taxes due to the computer crash. As a result, I felt so overwhelmed with being behind, I gave up since there was no hope of catching up while trying to enjoy the daily experiences of world travel.

I imagine every traveler either loves or loathes Eat, Pray, Love. I originally watched Eat, Pray, Love in 3 installments because I couldn’t really get into it. I finished my third installment last month while on Koh Phi Phi, Thailand on a rainy day. What better to do right? But, watching a movie over the course of a year really doesn’t lend itself to understanding the message of a film, now does it?

When I was on my way back to Koh Phi Phi Sunday, I had a 12 hour layover. Yuck, right… So, with 12 hours to kill, I decided to watch the entire thing from start to finish. In the end, I just had to know what happened between Liz & Felipe. So I ran upstairs and immediately bought both books, Eat, Pray, Love and Committed: A Love Story. I dove immediately into Committed of course. Yeah, do it in reverse Jenneil. Why not? You’ve done much of this trip in reverse anyway…

After purchasing the books, I was walking through BKK in the wee hours of the morning with my iPod buds in my ears as Chasing Pavements by Adele began playing. I suddenly felt alive again. Mind you, this was also the first time I listened to my iPod music since I started traveling. It felt like I was in a movie and the song was a soundtrack in the background. It was as if the music was echoing off the high ceilings and distant walls. At that moment, I finally understood why people walk/run everywhere with music strapped to their heads, it’s as if they are constantly in their own movie. I guess that is what life is really about – living out our own movies, our own dreams.

Tonsai Bay - Koh Phi Phi

Today, on the ferry back to Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, I decided a background soundtrack was again in order for the journey. And, since I quickly destroyed Committed yesterday at the airport, I pulled out Eat, Pray, Love. With tunes in my head & words in my eyes, I was in heaven. While reading Eat, Pray, Love, I was moved when Elizabeth Gilbert said:

“…travel is worth any cost or sacrifice. I am loyal and constant in my love for travel, as I have not always been loyal and constant in my other loves. I feel about travel the way a happy new mother feels about her impossible, colicky, restless newborn baby–I just don’t care what it puts me though. Because I adore it. Because it’s mine. Because it looks exactly like me. It can barf all over me if it wants to–I just don’t care.” ~Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray Love

And, originally, travel did barf all over me in many ways, but volunteering in Cambodia awoke within me a feeling of peace I cannot describe. Helping others in Cambodia healed my psyche I guess. Something clicked… I found my self-confidence again. Mix that with the uncanny ability I have had lately to make friends with nearly everyone I meet. And, all it took was making a conscious effort to wear a smile everyday no matter how much my heart or my head hurt.

Traffic Jam in Pang Na

One day, while riding to the village of Pang Na, it was like euphoria smacked me in the face. Everything made me smile. So much so that my cheeks hurt after the 2 hour ride. I would look at a palm tree & smile. I would look at the family of five on a moto & smile. I would look at the green rice fields & smile… I felt them all smiling back at me and I said to myself life is good… My life is actually pretty damned good.

One would think I would have felt that way when I departed on this world trip in February. One would think I felt I deserved this trip after 2 hard long years of saving and planning. But, I didn’t!

Instead, I’d see pain and poverty as I traveled around the world and think to myself “I don’t deserve more than these people.” And, “What did I do to deserve this ability to travel so much?” All these hard working people, especially those in Cambodia haunted by memories of genocide & continued corruption, deserve this more than I do. It wasn’t until I lived in the village of Pang Na, Cambodia and saw how happy they were each and every day of their lives that things began to click within my heart and soul.

Fresh water well we funded for the 6 kids being raised by their elderly grandparents

In the end, I realized if I wasn’t here, 30 kids wouldn’t learn English this school year, 3 fresh water wells would not have been built providing for about 15 families. For me, giving back everything I possibly could, finally made me OK with splurging a bit and traveling the world. So, for me this trip has really just started.

As the ferry pulled into Tonsai Harbor on Koh Phi Phi today a song by Passion Pit began to play on my iPod. I found it very suiting. Phi Phi is my passion pit! Phi Phi inspires me to write, live, and love. So, stay tuned…

What we had originally planned is nowhere near the reality of that plan 2 years ago, but that is to be expected. However, what wasn’t expected was this wild roller coaster we have been on for the past few months.

This past summer, Linda learned of an opportunity to apply for a stipend program where she commits 1 year of her time, paid or unpaid, to a position within the public mental health system of California. In return, they will pay nearly 20,000 of her student loans. Who could pass up an opportunity like that?

We were going to book our tickets in August or September with OneWorld to guarantee our seat availability. However, this stipend program presented us with an unavoidable obstacle. The application wasn’t due until October and the decision wouldn’t be made until November. So, booking our tickets until we knew the results could have been a $10,000 disaster.

Although our target date of departure had been January 2011 for over a year and a half, in August, we decided to push it back until April. Especially since we knew she had a great chance of being awarded the stipend based upon her lengthy non-profit career history.

We assumed based upon “reliable” information that if Linda was accepted, she would have 6 months from the date she obtains her CA licensing status to begin working in the eligible position. From what we had heard, this could take several months after graduation. In November, we were excited to learn she was granted the stipend and frustrated to discover that she had until June 15th to begin working.

If we left at the beginning of January 2011, we would have had 5.5 months to squeeze in our RTW. However, mind you, that was only 45 days away when we learned this information and we still didn’t have our tickets. Still manageable right?

Well, then came an even bigger curve ball. The stipend program requires that they attend a 2-day training, which was to be announced on an unknown date and could be scheduled anytime between February and April. Ouch.

The little planner in me immediately had a solution… If the training is in February, we will leave mid-january for Mexico and Linda can fly back relatively cheaply to attend this training and then will meet me back in Mexico to continue on with our RTW. If the training was in March or April, well… we could reverse our route and start in South East Asia. Then, we would hop back to the US for two days before continuing on to South America, cutting out Mexico in the process.

In my head, I had all these different scenarios worked out, but was still quite sad that the trip was going to be much shorter and much different from what we had dreamed of. However, we were both determined to make it work.

About 2 weeks ago, Linda received an email advising her that the training was scheduled for the end of January. Sweet! I thought… We could stay in the US for 2 more weeks, get the training out of the way and then travel for about 4 months together.

The day we were ready to book our tickets, she received another email advising her the training date had changed to mid-March. WTF? The worst case scenario I had come up with was now looking to be our only option.

For a few weeks, I was moping around the house, at work, on the phone with my mom. Saying to myself and to everyone that I don’t think it is meant to be. I even pulled out of an awesome opportunity to be interviewed for an #RTWsoon blog post. I couldn’t justify being interviewed if I didn’t even know if the RTW was actually going to happen this year or not.

Then came this wonderful little email… There are two other cities offering the training and one looks like it might work out for us. So, Linda will be attending the training in San Diego on February 3rd and we will be departing the US on the 5th.

Our trip will be a little over two months shorter than planned, but I have been contemplating the idea of traveling solo for a couple of months after Linda flies back in June. How scary and exciting at the same time?

Being the planner that I am, this whole experience has taught me to let go of what I cannot control.

Plus, some positives have come from this roller coaster planning experience. I am actually considering solo travel for the first time in my life which for some reason seemed daunting before. And, Linda is so disappointed that she can only travel for 4 months that we have been discussing doing a full year RTW once her stipend is over. Now, that’s what I am talking about!

Watch out world… “Hello, Meet World” might be doing some extended travel through 2013!

Utilizing only 2 or 3 of these techniques will save you thousands of dollars each year. Keep in mind, a few thousand dollars can cover several months of living expenses in many countries around the world.

So, how did I do it?

15) Sell Your Car

(Average savings nearly $6,000 per year)

I sold my car over a year ago and have saved roughly $5,700 this year in car payments and insurance alone (This does not take into consideration the fuel savings which fluctuate and can add hundreds more in savings each year). Not everyone will be able to justify selling their car and for many readers, selling their car is not an option. However, there are many readers who can likely survive without a car.

The hardest part of selling my car was the idea of giving up my “independence.” I have owned a car since I was 16 years old, about 1/2 of my entire human existence. I could have sold my car 4 years ago and would have survived perfectly fine, but it took a real incentive for me to actually take the plunge. The trip around the world was just the motivation I needed to finally overcome the fear of losing my “independence” and do it.

There are a few things to consider when deciding whether or not to sell your car:

Does your spouse, partner or roommate have a car? If so, can you consolidate into using just 1 car? (Obviously, you must discuss this with them first) Will your roommate let you get groceries and run errands with them? If you paid them each time or helped them with their car payments, you could still save thousands each year.

If you do not have access to another car, are you old enough to rent a car? If you are at least 21 years old, some car rental agencies will rent to you with an added surcharge. If you are 25 or older, you can rent from any rental agency without the surcharge. If you rent a car once or twice a month to run major errands, to stock up on household items, or to take that day trip to the beach, you can still save thousands of dollars each year.

Do you need your car for work or is there an alternate way for you to get to work? Is your work within walking or biking distance? Are you willing and able to move closer to your place of employment? Does your city have fast and convenient public transportation?

Bottom line, if you do not need your car to drive back and forth to work or have reliable public transportation, have a spouse or housemate with a vehicle, or can get by with renting a car once or twice a month, then you can likely survive after selling your car. Is traveling around the world worth giving up your “independence” for 1 year? For me, it was a no-brainer.

14) Brown Bag It

(Save over $2,000 per year)

This is a time-tested savings technique you will find in nearly every “how to save” guide. It is one of the easiest money-savers to implement, but was one of the hardest for me to stick with. I used to eat lunch at a restaurant with my co-workers nearly everyday. This adds up fast when you are spending $7 to $12 dollars each day. I was spending approximately $2,500 each year on lunch. Now, I have reduced that cost to about $2 dollars per workday and will save approximately $2,000 this year. Not to mention, my food choices are now much healthier.

Not only can it be healthier to “Brown Bag It,” but it is an easy way to set aside a couple thousand dollars for your trip.

13) Buy Produce – Reduce Grocery Costs

(Save nearly $2,000 per year)

Fresh produce is cheaper than the prepared/boxed/frozen alternatives, at least in California. It may take more time to prepare, but is healthier in the long run. I know Rammit Sethi will likely disagree with many of my savings techniques, but when I spend 20 dollars a week at the supermarket versus 100 and have good, healthy food, it is worth it for me. So, stop buying processed food for better health and end up saving money at the same time.

12) Skip Starbucks & Buy a French Press

(Save anywhere from $520-1,300 per year)

Nearly every guide to saving money will recommend that you stop buying your daily cup of coffee at Starbucks or similar establishment and make it at home instead. But does coffee brewed at home ever taste as good as your favorite coffee shop? No!

If you are a coffee addict, a french press can end your enslavement to your local coffee shop. Seriously! As a coffee lover, I know nothing compares to a fresh cup of Starbucks, Java City, or Dunkin Donuts (pick your poison). Even when you buy a bag of whole coffee beans from one of those places and grind them fresh each day, it never tastes quite the same. I love the strong, fresh flavor of Starbucks coffee and was never able to replicate it at home in my own coffee brewer.

One day, a friend suggested I buy a french press and promised I would not be disappointed. I spent $12 on a french press at Ikea and was amazed at how much better my coffee tastes. With a french press, the coffee tastes stronger and fresher than in any coffee brewing system I have used. I am currently addicted to “Black Silk” by Folgers and I think it tastes better than Starbucks when I make it in the french press.

If you spend $2-5 dollars on a cup of coffee every work day, you could save $500 to 1,300 per year with a french press. And, in my opinion, it is comparable to, if not better than, a cup of Starbucks.

11) Use your Public Library

(My total savings for #8 through #11 is over $1,300 this year)

It’s free and can nearly eliminate your home entertainment costs. In addition, it will help you achieve additional savings with 9 and 10 below.

If you have a strong public library system, take advantage of it! Our public library system offers current DVD’s, current music CD’s and of course a huge selection of books. Our library allows up to 30 requests in our “que” at a time and we can check out up to 30 books/CD’s and up to 5 DVD’s. With such a huge selection of movies and 3 week checkout periods, we rarely rent DVD’s anymore and never pay late fees. However, if we decide we cannot wait for that new release, we use the $1 per rental Redbox or DVDPlay kiosks and avoid paying exorbitant prices at the theater.

Since I am a huge movie fan, I estimate my yearly savings on DVD rentals at $200-300 each year.

10) Cancel your Cable Service and other Subscriptions

(Save over $840 per year)

If you have high-speed internet service and are able to get current DVD releases at your local library (see above), you wont be missing much in the world of entertainment if you cancel your cable service. We are able to view our local television channels with an antenna, watch movies and television legally online on websites such as Hulu.com and check out current releases on DVD free at the local library. The basic cable package at Comcast is around $70 dollars each month (not considering the introductory rates). If you cancel your cable package, you will save a minimum of $840 dollars in one year.

Cancel your magazine subscriptions and other memberships that you will likely not use before your trip. You will likely be so immersed in travel research and planning that the subscription to Maxim or Vogue will likely sit around unread anyway. If you really need some bathroom reading materials, convert your lifestyle magazine selections to travel magazines which may help you plan your trip and provide some decent budget travel ideas. If you have a gym membership, cancel it. Utilize the great outdoors to exercise, use the community pool, buy a cheap bike, just don’t waste $50-100 per month on something you can easily do at a fraction of the cost.

9) Don’t Buy Travel Guidebooks

(Save from $200 to 300 for an 10-country trip)

I love travel guidebooks, but I only own 1 of them. If I were to buy a guidebook for each of the countries we will be visiting, it would cost me anywhere from $200 to $300. That may not sound like a lot, but that same amount of money can pay for a month of lodging for two people in several of the countries we will be staying. Not to mention, it would be impossible for me to carry 10 guidebooks in my backpack.

Instead, while planning your trip, check out guidebooks from your local library. Our library carries the most common guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, Footprint, Eyewitness Travel, Rough Guides, Frommer’s, Fodor’s and Let’s Go. I personally prefer Lonely Planet guidebooks as a budget traveller, but check out several different types for the country you are researching and see which style of guidebook you prefer.

I use guidebooks as a tool to loosely outline the places I would like to see and to get an idea of lodging, food, and activity costs. Since I do not rely upon them to create a complete itinerary, it is not as important to have them with me as I travel. I generally jot down the main cities we feel we “have” to visit, a few hotels in those cities within our budget range that we can fall back on if needed, and any other side trips that sound fun. Once we arrive at our destination, free tourist maps and internet cafes are everywhere and fellow travelers/locals can help fill in any information gaps.

If you feel you must have a guidebook for each country you visit, try buying one at your destination from a fellow traveler who is leaving the country, from a used bookstore, or buy a new one at each destination and then sell it to another traveler before you leave to help recoup some of your costs.

8) Fulfill Your Entertainment Needs with a Netflix Subscription

I realize this may contradict what I wrote above about canceling your subscriptions, but for less than $10 dollars a month you can stream movies, documentaries and TV shows on your TV if you have a gaming system such as the PlayStation 3. I like to call this “the Cable Killer.” If you find yourself unable to kick the cable habit, Netflix is a great way to fulfill your addiction in conjunction with the suggestions above.

7) Entertain at Home/Avoid Eating Out

(Save 500 or more per year)

Going out with friends always seems to be more fun than entertaining at home. However, if you have your mind set on traveling around the world, you can successfully entertain at home much cheaper and save money over the course of a year for your trip. If you are always the host, the costs can meet or exceed the costs of food at a restaurant or drinks at the bar, so mix it up and ask your friends for support. If you have a group of friends, rotate hosts or host yourself with potluck style dinners and BYOB (bring your own beverages).

I have been out for drinks/dinner approximately 5 times in the past year. I estimate my savings based upon my social level at over 500 dollars this year (minimum 40 dollars per night out and approximately 2x per month is nearly $1,000 per year). How much can you save each year by kicking it at home with your friends?

6) Adjust Your Tax Withholdings

(Savings less than 500)

(Disclaimer: I am not a tax professional. Always discuss tax decisions with a tax professional first)

I refuse to give the government an interest-free loan each year. So, I adjust my tax withholdings accordingly to avoid just that. This enables me to bring home more money each paycheck. This technique may not technically “save” you a lot of money each year, but it can enable you to have the money when you need it or to earn interest in an investment vehicle of your choice compared to earning no interest and essentially giving the government an interest-free loan.

Here is what I have done for the past several years. I adjust my tax withholdings on my W-4 with the intent of breaking even on my taxes at the end of the year. If I rely upon the standard withholdings of 0 or 1 (being that I am single without children), I will get a decent-sized refund at the end of the year. However, I would rather have the money now than later. This past year, I owed a few hundred dollars, but next year I plan to essentially break even.

This is beneficial for several reasons. I can invest the money now and earn interest until I travel. I can pay off some of my debt now and avoid paying interest on that debt. I wont have to file my taxes before I leave and hope that the refund is deposited timely. In other words, I wont be sitting in South America waiting for that deposit to be able to eat. I can file for an extension and not pay penalties when I return from my trip (more about tax extensions/filing while traveling to come).

If you are planning to travel shortly after tax season, getting a decent-sized refund may be an easy interest-free way to “save” for your trip. But “easy” is not always the smartest or best choice. I adjusted my tax withholdings for the first few months this year which also assisted me in paying off 2 credit cards which, in turn, helped me to set aside more savings.

5) Pay Off Debt

(Savings vary)

Although it may not be possible to pay off all of your debt prior to traveling the world, it is the responsible/ideal way to travel. However, if you are like me and are going to travel with debt, pay off as much as you can now and you will free up money in the form of interest savings and smaller/no monthly payments while you are gone. Although I will not be able to pay off all of my student loans or credit cards before I leave, I have already saved a few hundred dollars this year by paying off 2 credit cards which will continue to save me money before I leave and while I am away.

Ideally, you should overestimate your travel budget and then add more for unexpected expenditures/emergencies. Then, overestimate the monthly bills you will have to pay while you are away. After setting aside money for travel and monthly bills, the rest should be put towards your debt.

4) Stop Buying Bottled Water

(Save $150 or more per year)

Buy a water filter system that you can attach to your faucet and save a few bucks this year. In addition, you will be helping the environment. I have the “Pur” filtration system which cost about $20 bucks and each filter costs about $9. For me, each filter lasts a couple of months. Instead of buying a liter of water at the convenience store everyday or buying a 24-pack at the supermarket each week, fill up a Nalgene bottle and take it to work.

3) Bank Online or Use a Local Credit Union

(earn 1-2% more in interest this year)
Although most online savings accounts no longer offer the 3-4 percent interest they did a couple of years ago, they still beat the brick-and-mortar banks by close to .5-1 percent. For me, this is not enough incentive to switch to online banking, but for some readers with larger savings accounts, it may still be worth it for you.

For me, the local credit union won me over. Currently, the Sacramento Credit union is offering 1.76 percent in rewards checking. There are specific conditions that must be met each month to qualify, but my banking habits already meet those conditions. There are no annual fees and there are other incentives such as ATM fees waivers, etc.

Search online for “high-yield rewards checking” and “online savings” and see if making a switch from the brick-and-mortar bank will help you.

2) Enjoy Free & Local Entertainment

(Savings vary)

Fortunately, the Sacramento area offers some decent free events to keep us entertained. Every 2nd Saturday is the locally famous “2nd Saturday Art Walk” which has become a huge monthly event in the Sacramento area. The event used to consist of primarily art gallery showings throughout the Midtown area, but has grown into a semi-street festival with a good balance of art, music and food. Most venues are free and some even serve free wine and beer. Although I don’t attend as much as I used to, it is free and fun to check out the scene every now and then.

Since we are so close to San Francisco, we also try to take advantage of the free events held there. They offer numerous free festivals throughout the summer. We attended the King Tut exhibit in February for free and all museums in San Francisco are free on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Check out the entertainment section of your local Newspaper or search online to take advantage of the free events in your Community.

1) Use What You Have/Sell What You don’t Need

(Savings vary)

If you have an AAA membership, log onto their website where you can have free maps mailed to you for the places you plan to visit, but don’t forget to cancel your membership before you go, unless you plan to stay in lodging that offers a AAA discount.

If you are a best buy rewards member and have racked up points prepping for your trip, redeem them for more travel related gear. If you have a cash back rewards credit card, use the cash back reward for travel related items. If you have old gift cards from holidays/birthdays, use them for travel items. Even if you have a target gift card, you can probably find something that you were going to buy for the trip anyway.

Sell the big ticket items you wont need while you are gone. I plan to sell my PS3 system and games before I leave for a decent chunk of cash. Consider selling those things that quickly depreciate in value that you can probably get for the same price or cheaper when you return (LCD flat screen TV, desktop computer, etc). Both, Never Ending Voyage and Where is Jenny have some great tips about selling everything you own before embarking on your RTW.

Bonus: This is probably a no-brainer for those seriously planning to travel the world, but bank your vacation-time/comp-time earned (CTO). Don’t use it for the entire year. Although policies vary on CTO, vacation time must be paid out if you resign. If you are requesting a leave-of-absence, most companies will require that you exhaust your vacation-time or CTO time before you are officially on your unpaid leave.

I originally planned to request a leave of absence and it would have been nice to see a few direct deposits roll into my account while I was abroad. However, due to unforeseen and unpreventable circumstances, I must resign. Regardless, I will be paid out all of my CTO and Vacation on my last paycheck. This will be a nice chuck of change considering I will have banked around 120 hours of Vacation & CTO. If you are resigning, don’t forget to adjust your tax deductions on your last check (play it safe and adjust them for your last two) so that you aren’t hit with more taxes than normal since your paycheck will be much larger.

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Depending on your lifestyle, there are potentially many other ways to save money in preparation for your trip, like buying off-brand products or buying cheaper wine/beer (i.e. Trader Joe’s 2-buck chuck). But, never forget, one of the easiest ways to save money is to stop buying things unless they are absolutely necessary for your trip.

This is how I saved enough money for my upcoming trip around the world. How do you plan to save for your trip? If you have a unique saving technique, let us know in the comments below.

For now, this is what I have purchased for the trip and will try to STUFF into my backpack (Keep in mind, some of the electronics will likely be carried in Linda’s pack). At the end of the post, you will learn more about why have chosen some of these things.

Since I have included many links in this post, please be advised that all links with an asterisks* are affiliate links

Backpack
A Custom Designed Kamiliun “Flashpack”

(In July 2010, I won Kamiliun Bag’s bAG foR yOUr sToRy Competition & they are in the process
of designing an awesome pack for the digital nomad. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it
will arrive before I depart. Read more about my original entry & the specs I requested)

or

Osprey Atmos 50* along with a laptop/DSLR camera daypack

Clothing
2 Under Armour Catalyst* Tees
2 plain cotton t-shirts
1 Old Navy longsleeve T-shirt
1 pair REI Sahara Convertible pants
1 pair Scottevest travel shorts*
1 pair jeans
3 pair Columbia no-show socks* – Omni-Dry advanced evaporation
3 pair Exofficio Bikini underwear*
2 Bras
1 fleece-lined water/wind resistant jacket
1 pair O’Neill Boardshorts/1 O’Neill Bikini top

Shoes
1 pair Nike Alvord VI Trail* running shoes
1 pair Vibram FiveFingers KSO*
1 pair flipflops

Electronics
iPod Touch* 32 GB
MacBook Pro* 13″
Canon EOS Rebel T1i* DSLR Camera
2 lenses
Panasonic Lumix ZS7* (Point & Shoot + HD Video) ***currently on sale at Amazon for 250 ($100 off)***
6 Lexar TwistTurn USB jump Drives*
8+ SD Cards
Lowepro PixelPak* (Memory Card Case)
500 GB Western Digital My Passport* for Mac
LowePro Volta 30* case for HD
1 Plantronics Audio 646 DSP* (Headset for Skype – it feels awkward so I plan to test it before I keep it)
Griffin Headphone Splitter*
Griffin TuneJuice*
Joby Gorrillapod*

Miscellaneous
REI Multi Towel Lite XL Travel Towel
Eddie Bower micro hand towel w/carabiner
REI Travel Document Organizer
International all-in-one Travel Adapter*
Sea to Summit XBowl* – Travel Bowl
Light My Fire Travel Spork* with cutting edge
Travel wine opener
REI Ducks’s Back Raincover (taking for Osprey Atmos 50 if Kamiliun bag is not ready)
GAP micro shopping bag
Delicates laundry bag to be used as clothing organizer
Embark Inflatable Travel Pillow

Books/Pens
2 Molsekine Journals (1 lined/1 unlined)
3 Mini-Sharpies
2 Pens
2-3 mini composition notebooks
The Art of Non-Conformity* by Chris Guillebeau
You will notice I am not taking any travel guides…
(I did not include an affiliate link for the Moleskines , but they are substantially cheaper on Amazon than in the stores)

First Aid Kit/Toiletries (Still working on)
Neosporin to Go
Coppertone Sport Sunscreen
Target Cotton Swab Travel holder
Colgate Folding Travel Toothbrush*
Sea to Summit Trek & Travel Laundry Wash
Dr. Bronners Organic Liquid Soap
Target Hand Sanitizer Gel

Items I Have Not Purchased (Still debating/researching)
lightweight sports shorts
SteriPEN Water Purifier
A DSLR/Laptop backpack if Kamiliun’s “Fashpack” does not arrive in time
Water/Dust proof mini-bag (For the SD cards/USB Drives)

Although it may seem like I will be hauling around a lot of electronics, Linda & I will likely be splitting the electronic gear between both of our packs. But, if Kamiliun’s “Flashpack” arrives before we depart, I will be carrying most of the electronic gear since the pack will be custom designed to hold most of the gear mentioned above.

We bought the Panasonic Lumix ZS7 after tons of research into HD video cameras. I was talking to Brock Groombridge over at Backpack With Brock about what video camera he uses since he blogs entirely in HD video. When he mentioned this camera, I was a bit skeptical since it is primarily a point-and-shoot camera. However, after intensive research, I decided it was perfect for our needs. As I mentioned before, Linda and I like to have photo competitions on the fly. So, for us, it is mandatory that we each have a point-and-shoot camera in our pockets. If we purchased a standalone video camera, we would be hauling around a DSLR, 2 point-and-shoots and a video camera. With the Lumix ZS7, we can eliminate one of the point-and-shoots from our pack altogether. Plus, this camera has the highest average reviews I have ever seen on every site I have researched… How sweet is that?

As for the USB Drives & SD Cards, Linda will also be packing several in addition to those mentioned above. This is part of our photo/video backup strategy. We plan to leave photos on the original SD card they were taken on, copy them to a USB Drive, copy them to a portable HD and upload the best ones to the cloud. Maybe this is overkill, but I really do not want to lose any photos/video on this trip.

Also, you can see photos and more information about the gear we plan to carry on our Gear page. It is in desperate need of updating, but has some good info nonetheless.
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Am I taking too much? What is the best travel headset for Skype? Do you have any other tips or recommendations for us? As RTW newbies, we can use all the help we can get…

What is the Travel Tweet Roundup?

Over the past few months, I have been saving the funny tweets I have encountered within the Twitter travel community. Although I am sure more humorous tweets have chirped up during my Twitter absences, here are the ones that made me laugh out loud.

1) @Airtreks

“Can you imagine a giant pillowfight breaking out during your flight? It happened, take a look: http://su.pr/22bYIR”

2) @stretchdnick

“You know you have a cool mom when you ask her to edit a post titled “don’t be a hooker” and she doesn’t even flinch.”

3) @TheTravelTart

“Nuns to host annual surfing contest http://ow.ly/18MkRR”

4) @mobilelawyer

“he’d be glad to hear is described that way ;) RT @adventurouskate Pfffft. I don’t need booze to appreciate quality entertainment!”

5) @AliAdventures7

“Someone just found my blog by searching “las vegas strippers” Awesome”

6) @gran_tourismo

“OMG the rain is so loud I can’t hear myself think. I wonder if the sloth in the tree has an umbrella… ^LD”

7) @adventurouskate

“OOH! Someone googled “Carmen Sandiego alcoholic themed drink” and found my site — I want one!!”

8) @melanierenzulli

“How weird is this? My gmail does not recognize the word “google” as a verb! Annoying…”

9) @Ujjwal_krishna

“I’ve found the perfect weight-loss system for Americans. Convert to the metric system and lose half your weight in just seconds”

10) @TrailofAnts

This tweet by Trail of Ants was part of a twitter campaign. Every time a blogger signed up to be listed in the T-Bag Travel Blog Directory he tweeted a uniquely humorous tweet similar to the tweet above. Ant, love your tweets man!

Now, I am not about to go into the “she said, she said” of this Twitter exchange. However, I would like to use it as an opportunity to inspire the travel blogging community to unite more cohesively.

Here are 5 reasons why travel blogging is really not a competition, why travel bloggers should unite and why there is room for us all:

1. Travel Bloggers = More Credibility than Commercial Websites

I am more apt to trust a blog post than I am a commercial website. Why? I can see pics, the nitty gritty, the good, the bad and more. And, if the travel blogger has any dignity, they will be upfront about their affiliate relationships. With that said, I can determine accordingly what weight to give their post/information which is generally more weight than I’d ever give a commercial site (If they are upfront about affiliate relationships)

I find myself inspired after reading a good travel blog. Can you say the same for most commercial travel sites?

2. The Travel Blogging Niche has Many Sub-Niches

There is so much diversity in the travel blogging niche, that we really aren’t competing with each other. We aren’t traveling to the same destinations, carrying the same gear, staying in the same types of establishments, coming from the same backgrounds, or traveling with the same budgets.

Challenge: Name me two travel bloggers that have exactly the same to offer and I will delete this entire post, call it a day, and I will never blog again (this challenge does not count sites that have stolen content and mimicked other sites)

Personal Example: I started Nomad Courier about two months ago and there are no other sites like it that I am aware of (if you know of a micro-team-photo blog that makes digital postcards that flip, please let me know). Similarly, I am a techie and my posts here at Hello, Meet World tend to focus on travel gear and soon will focus on the nitty gritty of Shoe-string travel. Although my posts at Hello, Meet World may be similar to some travel bloggers, I am definitely not the same.

3. Reminder: The launch of a New Travel Blog does not Always = Newbie

Never assume a new launch/re-launch of a blog = a new blogger or a new traveler. You know what they say about assuming…

Personal example: I have been blogging since 2004 (bet you didn’t know that) and I have been traveling to remote destinations since 2007 (bet you didn’t know that either).

This year, I decided to take my blogging to a different level and switched from personal blogging to travel blogging because, ultimately, I want to be location independent and travel blog beyond this short-lived 6 month trip. And, just because I didn’t start a travel blog in 2000, does not mean I have nothing to offer my fellow travelers.

4. The More the Merrier

I don’t know about you, but I regularly follow around 20 travel blogs (regularly follow = read 2-3 times a week, but I follow nearly 100 each month). And, I can honestly say, none of them are alike. Since each has their own writing style, destination, and topical focus, I gain something from each one of them. And, none of them are “competing” for my traffic.

Here are just a few of the 20+ travel blogs I follow regularly (keep in mind some are loosely related to travel). I doubt you will find much in common:

Skool of Life
Where is Jenny
Mars Dorian
Never Ending Voyage
Trail of Ants
Storytelling from an Independent Traveler

5. My Success = Your Success (and visa versa)

If I do well on my site, such success may very well drive traffic to your site. How? Because I link to posts, articles, people, and things I find interesting. So, if my site gets a lot of traffic, your site might just benefit when some of that traffic gets funneled your way. And, I will tell you right now, I am less likely to link to a cocky/arrogant “established” travel blogger than I am to a down to earth “newbie.”

Why has Chris Guillebeau succeeded? In my opinion, it is not because he is trying to visit every country in the world before he turns 35. It is, however, because he is a good guy! His posts emanate that, his tweets steam with genuineness, and his interviews only reiterate all of the above!

Over the past two years, I have followed travel blogging almost obsessively. And, in that time, I have seen some very petty behaviors. Overall, however, I am impressed with the sense of community I feel amongst most travel bloggers. And, I find it telling when some of the “best” interact more with the “newbies” than the middle-fish who think they are “all that and a bag of chips.”

With all that said, I would like to take this opportunity to remind each and every one of us that today’s “pink” could be tomorrow’s “fuchsia.” And, just because you are “established” today does not mean it will be that way in 1, 2, or 3 years.

We all have our strengths and our weaknesses! Let’s help each other by emphasizing each other’s strengths and filling the void in each other’s weaknesses.

Do I really have to remind you: “United we stand, divided we fall” ~Aesop

Let’s not allow unwarranted “competition” to divide and conquer the travel blog community. And, let’s never forget what WWW stands for: the World Wide Web. The web is huge people!

So, what is the underlying issue?

If the new enhanced pat-downs were truly implemented in response to the recent “threats” of explosives and weapons being hidden in obscure places, why weren’t they implemented last year immediately after the infamous “underwear bombing” attempt? Such a change in security procedures at that time would seem more legitimate considering the fact it could have been implemented overnight at very little cost to the TSA.

However, here we are, nearly a year later and they just announced the new enhanced pat-down procedures which “coincidentally” coincide with the roll-out of the full-body scanners at most major US airports. (Updated list of US airports with scanners; Foreign airports with scanners) Do you find it disturbing that TSA screeners have admitted the reason for a more invasive pat-down is to encourage travelers to use the scanners instead? Not only is it disturbing to me, but very telling of the real motive…

As many of you are well aware, the current full-body scanners emit small doses of radiation to capture the image. Considering they are fairly new machines, no one really knows what medical implications they might have over time, especially for the frequent flyer. Thankfully, pilots are now exempt, but airline stewards are not, nor are business men/women who fly several times each week.

With regard to the image capture ability and the concern about images being stored, transmitted, or shared, do you remember how the TSA originally denied that the system had such ability? How is it then that the news media has sample images to throw up on the tele when discussing this issue? Fair enough, those images must be “test images.” However, the TSA now admits, these machines have the ability to store, transmit, and share the images, but this feature has not been “activated” on the scanners that are being installed in airports. Really? If you believe that line of bull, see below.

Scenario: Passenger gets scanned while trying to hide illegal contraband. The scanner shows an odd bulge where it should not be. Passenger is pulled to the side and searched by hand and contraband is located. Passenger is arrested and charged with drug smuggling. Passenger goes to court. Passenger argues that he was subject to an unreasonable search and seizure, so all “fruits” of that search should be inadmissible. Do you really think the TSA is not going to keep images of the person in the scanner to back up the legality of their search? Well, according to the TSA, the image will not be stored, transmitted or shared. Thus, one would think the TSA is setting itself up to lose many court cases.

So, what then is the real underlying issue?

Over the past couple of weeks, I have read many articles discussing Israel’s airline safety record and procedures. Some have argued we should model our airline/airport security procedures after theirs. Others warn that such a shift would be akin to racial/ethnic profiling and is against our rights. Regardless of what side of the fence you fall on, I think the average American can admit that such a quick move towards their “system” would cause, at a minimum, an initial uproar.

So, if you were the TSA or US government, how would you achieve the ultimate goal of implementing a similar system without freaking out the public in the process? Would you launch a profiling database and system mimicking Israel today? Would you roll out biometrics immediately? Doubt it! However, I believe you might just be inclined to jump in the sack with incrementalism and stay for cuddle time.

Have you ever heard of the Frog in a Boiling Pot metaphor? If not, here goes:

“The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. The story is often used as a metaphor for the inability of people to react to significant changes that occur gradually.”

Here is my Prediction: This is all just a chess game…

The current scanners use small doses of radiation to produce a pretty vivid image of the body which is causing valid concern with many Americans. However, a new type of scanner apparently already exists that does not emit radiation and the image does not penetrate the clothing. However, there is a catch: It can also capture biometric data in the process. This new machine presents the perfect “opportunity” for the TSA/government to “cave” to public pressure and offer these alternative machines as a “better solution.” Bam! Now you have “safe” scanners, no nude images, and in the end you have biometrics which is what the government seems to have been pushing for all along. Such an approach is not unlike most negotiating situations…

Scenario: (Haggling for an item at a market) As the seller, you have a minimum acceptable price. You start by throwing out a ridiculously high price to your potential buyer knowing full well the buyer will think the price preposterous. In the end, when the buyer bargains you down near your “already established minimum” price, it appears to the buyer you gave them a really good deal. In such a situation, both of you walk away “feeling” like a winner. But, who really won? The buyer or the seller? Of course the seller always wins because they know the ultimate price they must obtain in order to gain any profit.

If the government had immediately implemented a policy requiring that all passengers submit biometric data in order to fly back in 2001, the flying public would likely have been outraged and the airline industry might very well have tanked. If you disagree with this statement, just search biometrics and privacy and you will see that this topic has been debated long before and now long after 9/11 happened. However, if the TSA implements it incrementally, by first allowing perks to those who volunteer for it (Two government programs Global Entry and Nexus are already in place and one private company offers the““Clear” program – submit your biometrics baby and you are in the fast-pass lane at the airport), gradually turn up the pressure over time (create public outrage at the alternative – the full-body scanner), and ultimately make the public think the “better machine” is what they have been asking for all along, the TSA can achieve the goal in the end. If you can successfully make people think it was their idea in the first place, you can get nearly whatever you want.

The real irony of the current full-body scanners is they would have not prevented 9/11, the shoe bomber, the underwear bomber, the Dubai-US mail bomb attempt, or the NY Times Square bomber. Why? Box cutters were allowed prior to 9/11, the shoe bomber, underwear bomber, and mail did not depart from a US airport, and the NY Times Square bomb attempt did not involve a plane. Furthermore, the current scanner in place at airports cannot detect objects inside the body (which is not a new technique for drug smugglers or terrorists).

In the end, this post is not intended to say who is right or who is wrong: opt-inners or opt-outters. However, it will hopefully open your eyes to the fact this is all really just a chess game. And, as with any game of Chess, the one who can see multiple moves ahead will likely be the winner. In this case, the TSA.

However, I do feel compelled to remind my fellow Americans:

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Although I won’t be traveling this holiday weekend, I plan to opt-out of the scanner on our round-the-world(rtw) trip to avoid any potential health risks since I will be taking numerous flights over a six month time frame? However, If you are still debating the issue, the TSA suggests you should “opt-in” because everyone else is doing it!

Here is a list of nearly everything I brought with me:

On Person
1 pair of jeans
1 pair tennis shoes
1 t-shirt
1 sweatshirt

Backpack
3 pairs of shorts
5 shirts
5 pairs of socks
7 pairs of underwear
1 night shirt/shorts (doubles as sports clothing)
1 board shorts/swim top
1 pair of flip flops
4 books
1 medium-sized notebook/2 pens
Macbook Pro 13”* unibody
Power Brick for MacBook Pro
Neoprene Sleeve for MacBook Pro
Toiletries: toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, conditioner, comb, brush, deodorant, lotion, face wash, extra contact lenses & more.

Camera Bag
Canon Rebel EOS T1i* and 2 lenses
Canon Powershot SD750*
2 battery chargers
iPod touch* with case/cord/earbuds
Various cords

Do you have any tips to help me master lightweight packing? If so, share them in the comments below.