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Rating:  (5.0) (3 Votes)
Nicosia, Cyprus
10th May 2005
Pros: Leaving the island
Cons: None
After resigning my position, I needed a logical place to begin my trip and that is Cyprus. After about 3 years, I am ready to leave the island but was pleasantly surprised by the good times had and friends made. I must say that I fought tooth and nail to stay off the island. In the end, I found love and friendship there in a laid back environment which suited my heavy travel schedule. I’ve attached a few pictures of my favorite places on the island.
I’ve always wanted to backpack around the world and this was the perfect opportunity. I shipped my 1.5 square meters of possessions to Houston and am free to hit the road with no attachments. Taking advantage of a taxman’s gift to those working abroad, I’ll have the money to fund the trip for 12 months rather than 6. That is, if I live cheaply. An uncle once advised me to not get used to the nice hotels and lifestyle of business travel and I have tried to heed his advice.
My trip will take me through all the cities I countries I have lived in my life- Houston, Washington DC, Bishkek, Kuala Lumpur, Nicosia and, unofficially, London. That was not the initial goal but it works out that way. Friends and circumstance attract me back to those places. I am thankful to have so many friends scattered around the world and look forward to visiting as many as possible. They have enriched my life in unimaginable ways.
From Cyprus, I will travel to London for my final week of work and organizing. London is an excellent place to plan one of these trips and I have the benefit of free housing and food from my grandmother’s kitchen. From London I will travel back to the US (Houston) to see family and friends. From there its back to London then Kyrgyzstan. I’ll spend the summer volunteering with my old employer, visiting with friends and trekking in the mountains. From Kyrgyzstan I’ll travel to Greece via London for some rock climbing with friends on the island of Kalymnos.
In October I should hit southern India followed by Sri Lanka. Vietnam and Laos are next. All places I did not get the chance to visit while I lived in Kuala Lumpur. After New Years, hoping to avoid the rush, I will make my way down to Thailand for another spell of rock climbing at my favorite spot, Rai Leh beach. Six weeks should give me the time to understand the limits of my ability (which I know from now are not great).
From Thailand, I will zip down to Kuala Lumpur to visit friends and catch a plane to Australia. After 3 weeks in Australia its off to New Zealand- a place I have wanted to visit for years- for up to a month of touring and trekking. After such an exhausting schedule, its only right that I take a week off in Fiji to recharge my batteries before returning to the US to look for a job.
I’ll first visit San Fransisco to visit with friends and check out a city I would consider living in. From there its back to Houston then New York for some preparation and job hunting. From New York I will travel to New Hampshire to attend the wedding of two good friends, Steve and Olga, in the company of all my old university friends. Finally, back to London to pick up whatever I left behind and return to New York to look for a job.
Needless to say, this itinerary is flexible. I’ll see what way the wind blows and will invariable take a few side trips along the way. Some places may not be as interesting as I thought and others may grab my heart and demand I stay longer. Thankfully, I have the opportunity and freedom to make this journey my own. |
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