Two weeks and counting...
In two weeks from today I will be on my way to the other side of the world! The excitement, nerves, stress, and adrenaline are all kicking into high gear. It seems as the day gets closer and closer, the reality of what I'm about to embark on, is sinking in deeper and deeper.
Last Friday was my last day at work. A co-worker had asked if I was sad about it and barely finished asking when I enthusiastically said, "No, the word I'd use is excited or thrilled." Sure, I will miss working with some amazing and talented people, but in all honesty, my mind is already on this trip and I'm ready for a change in my life.
I'm in the process right now of trying to declutter my belongings. 4 bags of donations went to Easter Seals this morning, while I'm still trying to sell a few other items like my car and dresser. I will say I feel as if I'd had a bit of an edge on this because I've been purging things I really don't need over the past couple of years.
I've been busy packing away what I do want in large storage totes. I think I'll be able to get most of my life into 3 or 4 of them. The idea in my head is that when (and if) I come back, I'd like to live in a tiny home. And 3 or 4 totes should be enough to fill it.
Anyways, enough rambling. Let's talk about the trip! So the Philippines is strict about showing proof that you will be traveling on to another destination. In fact, there a lot of countries that tell you that you must provide proof of onward journey before you arrive. It's an effort to deter anyone from overstaying and becoming an illegal immigrant. From my research, most immigration agents in SE Asia are fairly lax about showing proof, but I hear this is heavily enforced for the Philippines.
As an American, I'm allowed to be in the Philippines for 30 days without a visa. I had debated whether or not I should file for a visa because I know a month is not long enough in a country with more than 7,000 islands. But I have come to terms that it's ok to leave something behind to explore for next time.
With that said, I had been debating where my onward journey should take me since I bought my ticket to Manila a few weeks back. One of the places that kept popping up on my search was Hong Kong. I found one fare for $18, what a steal! While it is a place I want to visit (and I will), I felt like it wasn't the right destination for my second stop of my world tour. Maybe it's because it's a large metropolitan area, and I want to experience places away from large cities and that are off the beaten path.
So the other two places that kept drawing my attention were Malaysia and Indonesia. I don't know much about either, but having watched TheLifeofJord, I had become somewhat familiar with Indonesia. From the busy streets of Jakarta to the rice terraces and sunsets in Bali, I cannot wait to explore the country, it seems incredible. But that will be for another time.
Today, something inside of me said, "go to Malaysia." I don't know what it was that finalzied that decision but my mind was made. I quickly hopped onto SkyScanner and found the best fare was to Kuala Lumpur and immediately booked it.
September 5th. That's the day I'll arrive. I don't know much about the country, and I don't have the slightest idea of what's there other than Kuala Lumpur, but there are lands to explore and we shall conquer them together.
According to the Malaysian Government, I can be there for 90 days (that's about 3 months) without a visa! Plenty of time to explore more lands. I feel that in that time, I'll make my way down to Singapore, and we'll see what happens from there.
Let the countdown continue!
If you've been to Malaysia or have idea of where I should go and what I should see, email me please!