Spontaneous Series Post 5
In a couple of days, I fly to Sri Lanka for what’s the start of a 90-day backpack adventure through Asia.
I started organizing this trip in late November, logging a running checklist in a Box Note. I documented every step of the process, from the visas I needed to secure pre-trip, essential gear I had to purchase, people I should connect with, books I might want to read, etc.
Here’s some information about the trip. The whole process took a lot more preparation then I initially imagined, so If you have plans to backpack in the future, I hope this finds you well.
About The Trip
Where am I going?
I have five countries on the list as “Definitely going” and two countries as “If I have time”. While 90 days does sound like a lot, it’s really not. I fly into Sri Lanka on February 8th and return from Tokyo, with no day to day itinerary mapped out. I’ll plan to spend most nights at Hostel’s & AirBnB’s, using both air & ground transportation to hop from city to city, from country to country.
Definitely going to….
Sri Lanka, India, China, Taiwan, and Japan
If I have time…
Nepal & Myanmar (Burma)
My plan is to use Wikitravel, LonelyPlanet, local travel blogs, and most importantly word of mouth to organize my day to day travel plans along the way.
Why is your company letting you go and not firing you…
Lol. Great question. My company has what called “Excused Unpaid Leave” programs, which for some is a conservative way of saying sabbatical. In order to get approval to participate in the program, I needed a series of approvals from HR and leadership. While obtaining the necessary approvals is generally straightforward, it becomes a negotiation on how many days, will you come back questions, job security, etc.
I put in for 90 days, i.e. 3 months. I knew 90 days was likely enough time, but I do have the flexibility to extend if needed. My current re-start date is Monday, May 7th.
Sure it’s unpaid, but whatever.
The risk. My job isn’t technically guaranteed to me when I return in early May. While I have a good relationship with leadership and I’ve worked my tail off over the last five years, there’s always a possibility of a market crash or a hiring freeze in which I may not be able to return. However unlikely, it’s still a possibility.
Why are you going?
Prior to contrary belief, this isn’t a “find myself sabbatical”
I’m not burning out from work.
I don’t hate my job.
I’m not having a quarter/mid-life crisis.
I’m just backpacking Asia.
I’ll hopefully find this trip to disconnect from daily notifications, regiments, and meeting invites and take longer adventures I always dreamed about, Southern Asia being the first.
It’s quite the opposite actually. I really do like my job. I love User Experience. I love Product Design. I love Service Design. I love my co-workers. I’ve been pretty lucky thus far in my career.
But at the end of the day, a 70-year-old me won’t regret taking 90 days off from work to travel at age 27. On the contrary, a 70-year-old me might regret not doing it.
“If you never did you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.” — Dr. Seuss.
Are you going to write?
I will write while I’m out there, but likely not write about traveling, unless an experience from the adventure really hits home. There are some creative pieces I’ve had on the backlog and would prefer to focus during my leave. I’ll occasionally post to Instagram here and there, WiFi permitting.
I do plan on producing another 1 Second Everyday video. The last one was pretty fun and I received a lot of positive feedback. It’s also very easy in the moment and only requires like a minute a day of work. If you haven’t downloaded the app from the app store, you’re missing out.
What are you most excited for?
Excited? Nearly all of it. I don’t have a country I’m most excited for or a leg of the adventure I’m anticipating most. All in all, having an open mind to each and every experience feels like the most advantageous approach.
What are you most scared about?
Language barriers for sure. Out of the seven countries, only 2 have English as a secondary language. I can speak very light Japanese, zero Mandarin, and zero Hindi. Traveling to the outskirts of various countries will likely be a culture shock considering there’s only so much that Google Translate can do. Simple tasks like ordering a cup of tea or booking a bus pass may prove to be ridiculously challenging.
What legwork did I have to do beforehand
Logistically, there’s a handful of activities that I needed to check off before leaving the US for 3 months. A majority of the activities fall into one of three buckets: Financial, Medical Assurance, and Visas.
Medical
First I had to visit doc to get the prescribed vaccines and antibiotics. My doc gave me Hepatitis A & Typhoid vaccines, Malaria pills for India & Sri Lanka, and antibiotics in case I get sick. Thankfully I get to keep my EY Health Insurance during the leave.
Financial
The hardest part is usually moving out or subleasing your apartment. Luckily I spent the last couple of months vagabonding: traveling to DC for work and sleeping on my mom’s couch, therefore, living quarters were the least of my problem.
I purchased travelers insurance through American Express as an add-on to my flight. I’ve also confirmed and set recurring payments where they didn’t exist for all of my college loans, credit cards, phone bills, etc.
To manages my trip finances effectively I:
Packed a minimal amount of loose cash with me (circa $500 dollars)
Opened an alternate Charles Schwab Savings Account (They reimburse ATM fees globally)
Ordered a Capital One Quicksilver card. $0 annual fees and “No Foreign Transaction Fees” seemed like a no-brainer. No wonder it’s one of the most used backpacking/gap year cards. (Thanks to Nathan Berger for both recommendations)
I’ve set a good sized budget to cover flying (domestic & international). This also includes home expenses (current recurring local expenses like college loans and cell phone bills). I purchased my outbound flight with AMEX points and I have a little over 600,000 Marriott points in the bank in case I get tired of the hostel life and want to cash in on a good nights sleep.
I also have to finish my tax returns before I leave given I’ll be in China during the tax deadline. (Mid editing note: Finished this up yesterday)
Visas
India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, and China require visas for US citizens. Taiwan and Japan do not. Luckily, you can get most of them electronically these days. The Chinese Visa was is a bit more manual and required going in person to the consulate on 42nd St in NYC, but I was able to secure a 10-year multi-entry visa after a weeks worth of work. India has a handful of fraudulent eVisa sites, so make sure you’re using the right eVisa site.
What am I bringing?
The following is a running list of what I’ve bought, packed, and/or downloaded. I’ve read dozens of blogs, and vetted this list with friends who either went on similar trips or lived in countries I’m visiting.
One of my biggest pain points thus far has been the curation of brands. I spent countless hours first identifying what I might need, then sifted through hundreds of Amazon reviews to settle on a specific brand. For instance, microfiber towels. I read more reviews on microfiber travel towels in 3 hours than in my previous 26 years of existence, eventually picking a towel more so on pure exhaustion.
I’ve added direct links for some items in case you’d like to see exactly what I’ll have with me, or if you’re inspired to go on your own personal adventure maybe this will save you a couple of days of life and a couple of grey hairs.
Always remember that you can always buy additional supplies on the road, or so I think.
Clothes
While I’m not fully packed yet, here’s the rough list of things I expect to pack/wear. The weather should be up and down but never too cold so I decided to pack for more of a spring weather. Like everything else, I can (and probably will) buy additional clothes on the road, but this should serve as a good base:
Travel/Hiking Boots. One of my first purchases, this came at the top of the list of things to buy. After trying on like 10 pairs of boots at REI, I fell in love with these Merrell’s. They’re a mid-level boot and will likely my day to day foot blanket.
2 long sleeve shirt, 3 short sleeve shirts, and 1 dress shirt. Picking 1 dress shirt will be tough, but I’ll do my best to pick something tasteful.
A pair of shorts
2 long pair of pants, one pair of khaki shorts
1 rain coat
1 pair of sneakers in case I’m forced to act athletic
As many underwear as I can possibly pack
Socks, lots of socks.
1 flimsy pair of shower sandals
Backpacking Necessities
Farpoint 70L Travel Bag —This came recommended from friends (Thanks, Andrew, Tom, Nathan). I love the detachable day bag and I’m hoping 70L is also more than enough, but I can always ship anything I buy back home.
Packing Cubes — I found out early that you need to keep everything compartmentalized. This way you know how to quickly identify where to find your underwear from where’s your toothbrush. These look like they’ll do the trick, no complaints so far and a good deal for 10 cubes.
LED Flashlight — snagged one of our old shfancy Brookstone flashlights
Headlamp — I didn’t have one of these in Cuba during a hike and really regretted it. I had one left over from the Adirondacks Ragnar
Two .75L Camelbak water bottles
S-Carabiners — to attach things to things
Bungie Cords & Ball ties — Not incredibly necessary, but likely useful
Waterproof Backpack cover — A website said I’ll need a backpack cover in rainy China & Japan, so I caved on this one
Business Cards — Business cards are an incredibly important asset, especially in China & Japan.
Sunglasses — I’m opting for some Warby Parker shades because it’s the cool thing to do these days and I love their brand. Super inspired by their founders too
Cigarettes & bookmarks — I don’t smoke or tend to read physical books, but gifting is a popular in Asia and both came as recommended gifts
Electronics
World Outlet Adapters — Each country has a different outlet so this kits will hopefully be the answer
Personal laptop for writing, including chargers and dongles
Tablet for reading
Solar Battery Bank (Thanks Sergio & Tina for the Christmas gift)
Phone
Wired & Wireless headphones
Instax SP-2 Polaroid Printer— To print and share moments with new friends
Camera for videos & picture (Thanks Assel!)
Security
Multiple TSA locks, including cable locks for backpacks and heavier titanium lock
Hygiene, Nutrients, & Medical
Medical
Malaria Pills & Antibiotics (doctor prescribed)
OTC & Hygiene
Ibuprofen for an occasional headache
Disposable Washcloths — Needed for cleanliness
Cheap Earplugs — To silence the hostel snorers
Toilet Paper — ….
Moisturizing balm — Not sure I’ll use it but whatever
Body Glide & Gold Bond — guys chaff, I chaff, this is the most important travel item IMO
Organic SPF 30 Sunscreen from Soleil Tujours (Travel Sizes)
Bug spray (Travel size)
Deodorant
Toothpaste / Toothbrush
Liquid Soap — I’ll pack it up in travel sizes but this one is pretty cool, you can also use it as laundry soap
Panasonic razor — so I don’t come back looking like Tom Hanks from Castaway
Foods/Nutrients
Some cliff bars and cliff bar equivalents for the trip early on
DripDrop electrolytes in case of dehydration. I also had some Nuun left over from Ironman training
Digital Downloads
Guides
Lonely Planet guides for each country sounds like the way to go so far. I’ll likely buy one for India & Sri Lanka to start and see how it serves me.
Wikitravel has been ridiculously helpful.
Maps.me for downloadable local maps
WeChat & Whatsapp for day to day communication
Google Translate
Entertainment
Various Podcasts
Still working on a list of audiobooks & physical books, but I think I have 5–7 downloaded from the bookstore to start. Feel free to reach out to learn more about what I’m reading.
Spotify Music
This about wraps up my post. If anyone has any recommendations for places to go or items I should pack before I leave, definitely add comments in the field below or reach out to me directly!
If not, I’ll catch you all on the flip
Best,
Bia
“You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.” — Dr. Seuss