I’m past the 7 month mark on this trip. I’ve seen so much, done so much, and experienced so much – that sometimes it has been easy to forget how fortunate I am to travel for an extended time. Lately, I’ve thought a lot about what it means to be fearless. As some people know, on my right calf, I have a tattoo of the Chinese Characters for fearless. The literal translation of this means “Nothing Fear”. There’s been times on this trip where I’ve doubted if I could live up to my tattoo and the meaning behind it, but many other times I have lived up to its meaning. For me being fearless is more than just conquering fears, it’s about improving and growing as a person, changing perspectives, experiencing new things, and achieving success.

Being fearless is knowing that it is OK to go out on your own and have a good time.

Being fearless is eating in a restaurant alone.

Being fearless is going to a movie alone.

Being fearless is knowing when to take breaks.

Being fearless is bungie jumping, scuba diving, and sky diving.

Being fearless is quitting your job, leaving your comfortable life, and traveling the world – by yourself.

Being fearless is having the right support from friends and family.

Being fearless is knowing that even when things don’t work out, everything will be alright.

Being fearless is admitting your mistakes.

Being fearless is living in a city where English is not the most common language.

Being fearless is learning a new language.

Being fearless is having the guts to admit you’re homesick and fight through it.

Being fearless is trying new things and food even if you don’t want to.

Being fearless is displaying extreme confidence even when you’re in doubt.

Being fearless is running marathons.

Being fearless is doing the right things at the right time.

Being fearless is overcoming your own doubts.

Being fearless is completing what you’ve started.

Being fearless is never giving up.

Being fearless is conquering what you’re afraid of.

In a few weeks, I will return to the U.S. for a much needed short break. This break has always been included in the trip. I will enjoy the relaxation, the sights and sounds of the city, and most importantly catching up with the people who I have missed seeing the last 7 months. After the break, I will spend a short 12 weeks completing this trip – fearlessly.

Due to boarding pass concerns with this entire itinerary, I decided to arrive at the airport 2 hours early. My first surprise is when I had to clear security before reaching an airport check in country. This is about one of four airports in the world that I have been in where you have to clear security before reaching the check in desks. I proceed to run both my carry on backpack and 2 checked bags through the machine. I make it through security and immediately one of my checked bags is flagged for additional screening. I’m not entirely surprised because in the checked bag are 3 souvenir Bedouin knives. The knives are examined by the security officials and we discuss how I will not be carrying the bag on the airplane. The discussion then turns to the bottles of wine in the bag.

Security: “How many bottles of wine”

Me: “4 bottles”

Security: “And no one is traveling with you?”

Me: “No, I’m by myself”

I was then informed that I could only take 1 bottle out of the country with me, but if I could get the Turkish Airlines manager to come over and take possession of the bag, I could keep all 4 bottles. After waiting some time (a good 10 or 15 minutes), the manager was nowhere to be found. I decided that it was more important to board the flight and I guess I would was going to give up the bottles of wine.

I actually had 5 bottles of wine, but it was early in the morning (around 6am) and I incorrectly told security that it was 4. When I realized it was 5 while I was waiting for the Turkish Airlines Manager, I decided it was better to stay at 4 and play dumb if they decided to search the bag themselves.

After some more discussion with the Security officials, it was determined that an exception could be made and I would only have to give up 2 bottles of wine. I agreed to this as I really wanted to make the flight and continue on my journey. My question, which I did not verbalize, is why they couldn’t make an exception for all four bottles of wine? I’ve made it a rule not to argue with security or border officials because life can become difficult very quickly in those cases.

In the end, I gave up 2 bottles of Jordanian wine, but I ended up with 3 bottles left in the bag. Unfortunately, the Jordanian bottles were the last two bottles to be packed so they were the most accessible. Rather than fidgeting around, I decided it was best to be quick.

I think this situation illustrates some of the cultural differences between the Middle East (Islamic countries in particular) and the West. The Bedouin souvenir knives were OK because they were going to be checked luggage aboard the aircraft. The bottles of wine were not OK even though they were also going to be checked because of the perception that alcohol has in Jordan (and other parts of the Middle East) and that “4 bottles of wine is too much for one person”.

I’m a little past the half way point of my trip. I’m on my way to Istanbul for 2 days and then onto Hong Kong and Shanghai, but I wanted to share my evolving perspective after 6 months of travel. I’m finally used to arriving in places that I have no idea where I’m going, negotiating discounts with unscrupulous taxi drivers, sleeping in different beds every couple of days, and connecting with new people.

When I first started this trip, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what traveling for more than a couple of weeks would be like. After all, this was not going to be my first time outside the U.S – I had been to India, New Zealand, the Philippines, Guatemala, China, and Western Europe. I had experienced the culture of hostels and the movement of travel – I thought I knew what to expect, but I admit that I still learned some things along the way these last few months. I received a new appreciation for traveling by myself, constantly sleeping in dorm beds, living out of a back pack (and always feeling like I had too much stuff), not working out, watching my travel dollars, making new friends, and appreciating this once in a lifetime opportunity.

One of the things that surprised me is how much it now takes for me to be impressed with something I’ve seen. (I want to write a “top 5 sights” post for you in the near future) I’ve seen a lot these past 6 months, and while I haven’t regretted any of the places I’ve been, there’s “nice” places and then there are amazing and inspiring places. You won’t see me post many photos of these “nice” places on facebook because they just aren’t that impressive. The last six months of travel have also taught me of the things I truly appreciate like meeting new people, experiencing amazing things, and staying connected with my friends back home. Doing this solo has given me a level of confidence in my abilities to adapt; however, I admit that I wouldn’t be as successful if I didn’t have the awesome support of my friends and family back in the U.S.

There are things that I would have done differently, but they are minor – such as spending more time in certain places and less time in others, but that always gives an excuse to go back to the places that deserved more time.

Finally, these six months of travel have helped me focus on determining the things that I want (and what is important) when I return to the U.S. I have learned that it is only when you step away from the things that are most important to you, only then do you truly begin to appreciate them. For me some of those things include friends, working out, sleeping in the same bed, and having a routine.

Although, it has taken me 6 months to get used to extended traveling, it has been truly rewarding and is something which I do not regret.

Jordan so far has been nothing short of incredible. First, it’s an Islamic country, but with a few elements of the West. It is possible to purchase alcohol here, but drinking in public is frowned upon. Some women here wear the full Muslim dress while others choose not to. It’s a personal choice of each individual. The food has been fantastic and the hospitality is nothing short of legendary. I think Jordan has been the most hospitable country I’ve been in so far. Everyone is extremely friendly and offers of tea and coffee are daily occurrences. I’ve even had the opportunity to stay with a few people living in Jordan. Jordan has definitely been a very safe country as well.

In the past few days, I’ve been to Jaresh and the Roman ruins in the north, the Dead Sea, the supposed baptismal site of Jesus,Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba on theRed Sea, and now Karak. I’m sorry I don’t have photos posted to the photo site, but I encourage you to look on my facebook page for photos.

My favorite so far has been Petra, but that’s the whole reason I choose Jordan in the first place. Swimming in the Dead Sea was fun and seeing some of the biblical history was amazing.

I really wish I had more time in this part of the world –Jerusalem is about 75km from Amman and Cairo and the Pyramids are so close, but I just don’t have the time because in just a few days, I’m off to Istanbul, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.   I’m really excited about returning to the Far East. A friend from the west coast will be in Beijing and I’m going to try and meet up with him. I’m also looking forward to being able to slow down a bit (and maybe catch up???).

I’m really glad I came to this part of the world if only for 10 days. More time in the future is required.

Experiences like bungee jumping, sky diving, riding an elephant bare back, driving the Great Ocean road, summitting Kilimanjaro, trekking the Inca trail – the list could go on…

These experiences and the people I have met along the way have constantly reminded why I’ve chosen to do this. At the same time, I have to admit a bit of weariness and worn-down-ness. And that’s probably putting it kindly – (if you’d ask a few of my friends, they probably have more choice words to describe this).  I have seen and done a lot in a pretty short amount of time and I have to admit that unless an experience is really memorable or impressive, it’s fairly hard for me to be “awed” by a new city or location. Even though I had been on many trips outside the U.S. before this, this was something I did not anticipate or be prepared for. Dealing with constant information overload, meeting new people, learning new cities, planning and logistics for future destinations, and constantly running #’s are things that are wearing me down which leads me to why I can’t wait until Shanghai…

Shanghai is where I’ll be able to have a routine for a longer period of time. It’s where I’ll be able to relax. It’s where I’ll be able to have a “home” for more than a couple nights. It’s going to be great to get back to working out, training, and learning how to speak Chinese again. Shanghai is also the last major destination before my 2 week return to the U.S. and that’s probably why I am most looking forward to it. Before that though, I have Vietnam, Hong Kong , and Jordan to absorb. I am most looking forward to Jordan where I am interested to experience the Middle East culture. There will be very little rest in the next 4 weeks and that’s a compromise I’m willing to accept.

One of the best pieces of advice I received before this trip was that even the bad experiences will be good in the end; and I am slowly coming to realize the meaning of this.

- Remain calm – It’s way easier to think clearly when you are calm

- Review your options – Ask a lot of questions, determine the best choice to solve the problem, and then roll with it

- Communicate – Tell someone back home the issue and how it is being resolved. If your plans have to change (change of cities, dates of travel, etc), let someone know those changes

- Where appropriate, have a back up plan in place – Could be in the form of backup credit cards, travel insurance (highly recommended), or being able to ship something to a trusted person

Turning back the clock to last week (March 6th) , when I was getting ready to leave Kuala Lumpur and head to Cambodia. All of a sudden an email with a voicemail from my cell phone comes across….I start to read the transcription…

“It’s XXXXX from Chase Fraud Services…”

Right then and there, I knew I had to drop what I was doing and give them a call. I thought to myself a few choice words and something along the lines, “This should be interesting because I have the card right here”

Chase had me verify recent charges. Unfortunately, there were two charges I was unable to verify. Leading Chase and myself to determine that the card had been compromised. Fortunately, for me, Chase said they would ship a replacement card overseas. (Ha, more on that in a second)

It’s everyone’s worst case scenario that they have to deal with a crisis while away from home. So far, I’ve dealt with a lost ATM card in Africa, a finger injury in New Zealand (completely my fault too), and now a compromised credit card in Asia. What I’ve learned is that by remaining calm, reviewing your options, communicating, and having a backup plan in place many of these situations can be handled without ruining a trip.

Resolution Notes: 

After speaking with Chase and arranging for a new card to be sent to Cambodia, I waited it out in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. I kept tracking it, and the package never left Singapore! I called Chase back and arranged on for a new card to be sent to Bangkok, Thailand. On March 16th, my new card finally arrived in Bangkok and was in my hands. Chase really took care of me on this one. I’m not sure why UPS lost the first card, but I’m grateful to have my primary credit card back in my hands because it charges me no foreign transaction fees.

I spent a total of 6 non-consecutive days here and enjoyed just waking around and chilling out. There’s a ton of different cafes and restaurants – although I never found one with biscuits and gravy, which I had been craving during my time in Melbourne. I did get a chance to try waffles with ice cream and bannas on it though!  I think the Aussies have gotten it right with that.

Another cool part of town was Chinatown. It wasn’t incredibly large, but there was a ton of restaurants and shops packed into the area. I’m a huge fan of Chinese food and appreciated the restaurants in Chinatown.

Some of things that I remember from my visit to the city:

-        Old City Gaol (yes, that is how they spelled the word jail)

-        Docklands / Harbor area

-        Night life

-        Yarra Valley Wine tour

Something fun to do right outside the city ofMelbourneis doing a few wine tastings at vineyards in theYaraValley. The region is known for its pinoit noirs.  This was another spot where I splurged and ended up sending home 6 bottles of wine. (I won’t mention that shipping was expensive, but I made sure to buy bottles that weren’t available in the U.S.) Most of the vine yards do not charge for tastings although some might if you don’t order anything from there.

Night life, while fun, is extremely expensive. (10-12 USD for a pint of beer!) The night life goes from about 10pm to well past 5am. It seems that the U.S. is different in this respect from many parts of the world where, for the majority of the country, the night life stops at 2am.

One of the other things that impressed me was the amount of festivals and out door activities. You have things like the Queen Victoria market, but also when I was there I counted at least three different cultural outdoor events celebrating Greek culture, Egyptian culture, and a free classical music concert.

Overall, Melbourne is a place with a good laid back vibe to it. I can see why many people prefer Melbourne over Sydney. I have to agree.  There are tons of different restaurants, cafes, and bars to try out here (there should be no reason to go to a chain restaurant). I consider Melbourne to be an extremely livable city and definitely added it to my own personal “livable cities” list. That said, my impression of Melbourne(and Australia in general) is that it’s much more expensive than the U.S.(The minimum wage is also much higher at 15AUD/hr).

Even with it being more expensive, Melbourne instantly reminded me of my home city, Minneapolis, and maybe that is why I like it so much.

Haha, alright, that’s not entirely true.

-        Walked around the city a ton – mainly in the Orchard Road area.

-        Became really familiar with the city’s MRT. (Side note: Singapore has some of the best public transportation that I’ve seen and fairly cheap taxis).

-        Visited the Sentosa resort area (beaches, universal studios, casino area)

-        Checked out the numerous malls and food courts

-        Experienced the Singaporean night life

-        Watched “Act of Valor” at the movie theatre

My first impressions of Singapore were something like – “Man, there’s a ton of malls here”. Yes, this is Asia and Asians love to shop, but even then, I wasn’t expecting quite the number of malls. It felt as if every other major building complex was a mall. After getting used to the number of malls there, I started to enjoy the food. This seems to be what Singapore is well known for. I’d particularly liked some Indonesian BBQ, which not surprisingly, I found in a food court at a mall.

I do want to comment on the night life of Singapore. The night life here starts at about 10pm and does not stop until after 5am. (Some places are open even later). In this sense it reminded me of Melbourne. One of the downsides of having such a vibrant night life is the cost of alcohol. It’s expensive here – $22 SGD for cocktail plus cover charges (ranging from $20 – 30 SGD) for various clubs. One thing that Singapore does have over Melbourne is the fact that most places with a cover charge do include a drink with the cost of cover. It was pretty cool checking out a club located on the 70^th floor of a high rise though. Even with the expensive drinks, I’d give the night life a grade of an A-. Just be prepared for the hit on your wallet.

Overall, I think that Singapore was a good city to enter Asia. The night life was outstanding; I do think it was easier since I had a couple of local friends to meet up and show me around. I did find the city to be a little too sterile from a tourist perspective. One of the things I didn’t realize was to enter a casino; I needed to have a passport on me. I typically do not carry my passport when I am out exploring.

Would I add Singapore to my list of livable cities? Singapore certainly has great public transport, a vibrant night life, and good food, but for me it’s a toss up – I think it could be added if I had the right job and could get used to the rules/regulations.

I’m going to define the “bad” of travel as one of the following: those things that one does not think about before the trip, those things that are underestimated, or those things that make you grow to appreciate what was left behind. Don’t misinterpret this as complaining – my point here is to try and give a more complete picture of traveling.

The “good” of travel is just that. It’s everything you see on your friend’s facebook wall, the photos, the laughs, the experiences, and the sights and sounds of it all. I’m going to start off by listing some of the “good” because it’s easy and fun to think about:

“Good” of Travel:

• Meeting new people
• Seeing amazing sights and cities
• Not working at a job
• Trying new food and alcohol (massive amounts of both)
• Getting up whenever you want (for the most part, having no set routine)
• Having new experiences in other countries
• Trying to follow the warm weather
• Figuring out where your next destination is

Now let me list some of the “bad” of travel:

“Bad” of Travel:

• Information overload (you’re constantly processing new things, cities, situations, people, etc)
• Getting sick on the road (you think getting sick at home is bad, wait till you’re hacking a cough, dealing with a cold, and flu in a shared dorm room with 3-7 others)
• Missing friends and family (it’s ironic – it only took me 7 years of living in the same city and a trip around the world to realize what I have for friends and family  and how cool a city I actually live/will live in). I will also add here missing events like birthdays, random nights out, promotions, etc.
• Lack of privacy/space/living out of a backpack (I’m a “uniquely” organized person, not having a lot of personal space has been challenging at times)
• Having no set routine (what?? Yes, I listed this as a “good” part of travel as well and it is. What I’ve come to realize is the value in having a set routine of getting up, going to work (earning a living), coming home, working out, going to same local restaurants and bars, hanging out with friends, etc)
• Not sleeping in the same bed (I’d even settle for the same floor and/or couch)
• Constant planning – (Choosing your next destination is fun however planning how to get there and what to do is another story. Now some travelers claim that they don’t plan at all, but even then I firmly believe that there is some level of planning that goes on especially if one needs a visa to enter a country)
• Having the same conversations over and over again (Well, I’m guilty of this and I need to get better at it. You better be prepared to answer the following questions over and over again: 1) where are you going 2) where have you been 3) how long are you going to be traveling 4) how long have you been traveling 5) where are you from. All of that without asking for a name. I gotta get more creative here and ask what is your name before asking all those other questions. Honestly, I think this is a rut that most travelers fall into and have a hard time getting out of. I just hope when I return to the U.S.that’s not the first set of questions I ask of a girl on a date.)
• Lack of Reliable internet/unlimited data/electricity/hot water/flush toilets* (Only applies to some parts of the world, I’ve added it to the list only to point out the things which are available in the U.S.and not necessarily readily available elsewhere)

I addressed some of these “bad” in my pre-trip fear article. However, some of these things I didn’t realize and have come to appreciate much more. One of the things I am coming to realize about this trip is that while I appreciate the opportunities and the things I’ve done so far, it won’t probably be until some time after the trip where I can sit back and truly understand the impact of the trip.  I do hope this gives you a little bit more perspective on traveling and you come away realizing that traveling is much more than sight seeing.

Current Location: Picton, South Island, New Zealand

About this Photo: Machu Picchu is a place in Peru that was recently discovered in the early 1900s. According to my guide, it was a place for the “chosen” Incas. In other words, the best of the best (e.g. farmers, warriors, priests, etc) were selected to live in the city. The city was never finished due to the Spanish invasion. Sadly much of it was also pillaged. What does remain is a truly beautiful city built perfectly to blend in the mountains. There are multiple ways to get to Machu Picchu, but I choose to trek the Inca trail which is an amazing journey by itself and deserves its own post.

Check out more Machu Picchu photos here!