Packing Out My Trash

Possessions

I've decided to store all of my worldly possessions at my parents while I travel. One of my bros (Alex) is at uni in Lincoln freeing up most of a room.. the task now is to once again move all my stuff from A to B and i have until mid January to do that! So the boxes are out and the sorting has begun! Constantly reminding me of the epic adventure and challenge that lies ahead.


Ever Closer

Now that Christmas has passed and I have time off from work to breathe its beginning to feel like a daunting countdown to a jump into the unknown world. Though I don't think thats what I find daunting, I think that feeling comes from the fact I'm doing it alone... leaving behind everyone and everything I've ever known. For a whole year. But this is whats behind the excitement too - that builds up inside. This is the price of freedom - in it's most extreme form!

Fifty-three days... less than two months!

I can't wait to sleep in random hostel rooms, savor the exotic foods, breathe in the humid sea breeze, try and snap dangerous wildlife, exchange perspectives and opinions on the world with locals and strangers, I can't wait to tell people about my home.


Countdown List

So For January I have an extensive list of things to do and buy...

- Visit family
- Complete paying for round the world trip at STA (£820 to go)
- Extra passport photos
- Open Nationwide account
- Finish transferring stuff to mp3/media player
- Buy accessories for mp3/media player
- Buy final pieces of kit
- Scan and email vital documents and information to self
- Buy some good reading material ( Sophie's world by Jostein Gaarder,
Chariots of the gods by erich von daniken)
- Buy Malaria drugs
- Hand in notice at work :c(
- Complete CV
- Move possessions
- Have medical check over
- Buy world sim card
- Write to student loans company
- Return library travel books... ehum..
- Learn some Spanish and Thai?
- Organise some form of leaving par-tay!


Medical

Due to an excessive amount of iodine tablets/droplets for christmas (used for water purification in sounth america and Thailand) I'm going to take back some of them to the Castle Mountain Moor hiking shop and exchange them for the neutralising tablets. I've also had to work out the amount of water, on average consumed by a human - to work out how many tablets are required!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

So, on average it'll be 2 to 3 litres a day... for 1 month in Thailand and 2 months in South America thats 90 days... about a max of 270 litres of water. So thats at least:

- 1x Iodine droplets, 1x Iodine tablets
- 4x Neatralising tablets
- 4x Chlorine tablets

http://www.cmmonline.co.uk/departments/default.asp?catL=3760&catH=3769

Suspected Hippie In Transit....

Medicals

All my jabs are complete! I'm immune to the evils of Hep B (booster required in a year), Yellowfever and Rabbies! Hardly any noticeable side effects, at least not on the 2nd and 3rd visits. All recorded in a small yellow book of 'International certificate of vaccinations or Prophylaxis'.

http://www.touchnottingham.com/business/list/bid/5726952 - Travel doc clinic
http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/tips.htm - Travel doc home page

Just the Malaria prophylaxis drugs to decide upon... The travel doc - Bobby recommended Doxycycline. Where as i was going to go for Mefloquine.

Also after great discussion over a drunken poker game i think a full medical check over at my NHS clinic is a good idea...


NZ Visa

Forms have been filled out for my 1 year NZ working visa and I'm still waiting o a response... Posted it about a week ago, special delivery. Tho i've just checked the status - using the online global visa tracking system - it shows the application has been 'completed'... !
:cD


Singapore

Lazy reading sessions in the festive Alley cafe with many a hot chocolate have revealed i maybe labeled a S.H.I.T. - Suspected Hippie In Transit... - upon entering Singapore. This is what has been printed in many male travellers passport pages... This is a country where freedom of speech and freedom of press are still tightly controlled. Better keep that hair trimmed...

~Top things to do in Singapore:

- Visit orang-utans in Singapore zoo
- Watch an international film with crushing amounts of movie goers at a cinema
- Visit Asian civilizations museum
- Muscle my way to bargains through throngs of night shoppers in China towns market
- See a Chinese opera....
- And of course.... Have a Singapore slinger cocktail