Q: Okay, but how are you paying for all this?
A: In short, a series of fortunate and unfortunate events. Tom and I decided we wanted to take a big trip shortly after we started dating. We skimped and saved during summers, where we worked fairly lucrative jobs in Jackson Hole. (Fortunate) I also sold my beloved VW Bug and put the profit into a CD.
In October of 2008, just after moving to Missoula, Tom was hit by a car while riding his bike. (Unfortunate) Luckily, Tom was not seriously injured. A few months later, an insurance company gave a us a hefty check - without us even asking! (Really fortunate) While we don't officially endorse getting hit by a car as a way of funding one's travels, it sure helped us hit our target!
We have budgeted $28,000 total for both of us to last from late June 2010 to late March 2011 - including flights, travel insurance and per diem expenses. If you are planning your own trip and are curious about our budget breakdown, feel free to e-mail us at weddingsandwhitewater at gmail.com
Q: Where will you sleep?
A: In an effort to gain skills and challenge ourselves in new ways over the course of the trip, we will frequently be volunteering with WWOOF and Help Exchange. These organizations offer searchable databases that connect potential volunteers with hosts. In exchange for help on a farm, in a hostel, or with a family, the host will provide free room and board. Pretty sweet, huh?
We also hope to utilize Couchsurfing, a database of generous hosts worldwide that are willing to give up their couch for the night to travelers passing through their area. The hosts and surfers are peer-reviewed by previous guests/hosts to encourage safety and transparency among users. It sounds like a great opportunity for cultural exchange!
When we are simply traveling, we will be staying in hostels, pensions and other budget (read: hippie backpacker) establishments that can cost as little as $4/night. Some nights we might just be sleeping in a hammock!
We are also grateful for the advice, referrals and hospitality provided by our family and friends. In many of the countries we are going, we will be staying with friends or friends of friends (and probably friends of friends of friends). You will be hearing a lot about them on this blog. They once again remind us of the generosity and kindness of the human spirit. A: Tom and I priced out our trip on Airtreks, a travel agency specializing in round-the-world airfare. Glenn, our trusty Airtreks rep, helped find us piece together the lowest fares between the places we wanted to travel into a full itinerary. There are a few exceptions: our Central America leg was paid separately since we found a screamin' deal before we purchased our RTW tickets. If you ever want to kill some time at work, go to the Airtreks website and play with their interactive TripPlanner function.
