Around the World in 101 Days

Today I am announcing my most ambitious travel adventure yet: a 101-day journey around the world. 

101 days, 10 countries, 5 continents. I have been craving adventure and I am going to go for it. 

I spent 15 months going through IVF, it didn't work, and now I just want to reclaim my life. The uncertainty surrounding the direction of my life frustrated me, and I didn't like having my life dictated by doctors appointments and medication protocols. We plan to try IVF again, but Charles and I realize that I need a break.

I had some sleepless nights during the two-week wait after the embryo transfer, mostly because I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep. As I was lying in bed doubled over in pain, coming to the realization that the embryo transfer probably didn't work, I brainstormed about what to do with my life next.

I started to think of all the places that I want to visit. Having things to look forward to if the embryo transfer was unsuccessful seemed like a way to ease the disappointment. I dreamed about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. I received an invitation to a press trip to Italy. I used Instagram to closely follow my sister's trip to Peru and my friend Dan's trip to New Zealand. 

One of the biggest luxuries of my career as a blogger is that I have the option to preschedule content and then take time off. Since I was stuck at home for two months preparing for the embryo transfer and waiting for the results, I worked hard to write extra blog posts. I planned to use them to take maternity leave and to cover any time I might take off if I wasn't feeling well. Writing and recipe testing gave me something to focus on. By the time I learned I wasn't pregnant I was 40 blog posts ahead. 

I hadn't been able to travel or make any future travel plans. And I didn't feel like shopping. The payments for my Q4 2018 ad earnings (the biggest paychecks I have gotten in my life) came in and just sat in my bank account. 

What would you do if you found yourself in a situation where you had money in the bank and were months ahead at work?

I decided that I would book an around the world plane ticket. I would climb Mount Kilimanjaro. And see Machu Picchu. I said "yes" to the press trip to Italy. I booked flights to New Zealand. I made a reservation for a safari. I see a window of opportunity and want to make the most of it. 

I am not running away from my life or leaving Charles. But after a long and painful IVF journey and plenty of disappointment, I have felt physically and emotionally drained. For 101 days I will be an ocean away from the IVF clinic and in a position to focus on myself for a while. It's hard to explain, but Charles and I know that this is just what I need to do next.

How to follow my trip:

I spent a good amount of time trying to figure out how I am going to share this journey with you. I will be checking in here on Fridays to tell you about my week. I will be sharing detailed location-specific travel guides, it takes a little while to fact check and edit photos, so these guides won't be happening in real time. Lastly, I am starting a podcast. I think that this will be an easy way to keep you up to date on my adventure in real time. And of course, I will be posting on Instagram and Instagram Stories when I have WiFi access.

I am so excited to share this adventure with you.

Let me try to answer the questions that might be on your mind:

Where are you going?

I am going around the world in 101 days. I will be stopping in Peru, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, Italy, Tanzania, Portugal, and England. I picked the destinations based on places that I have always wanted to visit, and I tried to break up the trip so that I would be able to spend about 10 days in each destination.

How are you packing?

Very lightly. I will share a complete packing list... once I have packed.

When are you leaving?

April 11th.

What will happen with The Kittchen?

I have prescheduled 3 recipe posts per week and I will be writing travel posts on the road. Readers can expect the same mix of recipes and travel content!

But how are you paying for this?

I unintentionally saved up money while I was stuck in Chicago for IVF treatments. Plus, I structured my business so that the majority of my income is passive income from ad earnings. I will still be receiving my ad revenue as usual while I am traveling. I am VERY debt adverse and pretty frugal, so I am not going to be living off credit cards. I just want to make that clear.

What about Charles?

We are two very independent people who just happen to be married to each other. We both feel good about this trip and are excited about it. Yes, we will miss each other, but considering the fact that we have committed to spending our lives together, we aren't worried about some time apart. I know that might seem super weird, but it works for us. And we will meet up towards the end of my trip (after the portions involving camping are over).

How do you book an around the world plane ticket?

There are a few different ways but I used a company named AirTreks to do my booking.

If you have any other questions, just let me know in the comments! And if you have been to any of the destinations on my itinerary I would love your recommendations.