Pre-Travel Assesment Part 1:

1. Decide what kind of a trip you'll be taking: Ethical travel? Pilgrimage routes? Cooking schools in Europe? Travel to trace family roots? Just plain wonderlust? Unusual travel destinations?

This trip is mostly just to satisfy my insatiable need for travel. However, I would like to take a language course in Japan, Korea Thailand and China, along with a cooking class, preferably in China, and some sort of martial arts, Tae Kwon Do in Korea, and a dance class in korea so I can learn a kpop dance.

2. Check your employment options: Can you get a leave of absence or will you have to quit?

Even if I did get a leave of absence, I would still quit. I'm ready to move on and change careers. I'm going back to school to study International Relations and this trip will also be a transition into that career. As far as schooling goes, I'm looking into online courses and universities.

3. Begin budgeting for your trip and start saving money:

In 2 weeks I will be taking my mom on a cruise for her 50th birthday. So I won't really be able to sit down and make a budget until after I come back on October 10th. And all the money I'm saving now will probably be spent on the cruise.

4. Decide whether you'll be keeping your living quarters if you're renting or what you'll do with your home if you own it:

I moved in with my aunt to save money, so that's all set!

5. Start thinking about where you'll go and checking out potential travel destinations:


Definitely: China, Japan, South Korea
High Possibility: Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Macau
Maybe: India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, Vietnam
If I don't run out of money or I can make some money in my travels: Sky's the limit!!

6. Begin to tell your friends and family:

I only told my closest friends and family I was thinking about it. I'm not ready to tell them yet how serious I am. I mean, I didn't tell my mom I was going to Korea until after I bought the plane ticket, lol.

7. If you're planning on traveling in a single region, start looking into how to learn a language:

I will be im Asia, but that encompasses so many different language. I can speak a little Korean. I will look into learning Chinese and Japanese, and maybe just a few phrases for the other countries I want to go to.

8. Decide whether it'll be solo travel for you or whether you'll want travel companions:

SOLO!!! I want to get up when I'm ready, go where I want to go and do what I want to do. I figure, from reading other peoples blogs, that I will probably be meeting people along my journey and we may in fact travel for a while together, I don't mind that, but I don't want to be with someone the WHOLE entire trip.