One Month Until I Leave For My Trip Around the World

Last Updated on March 25, 2021

With only a month left until I leave to begin my journey around the world, I have been busy getting things in order in preparation for my departure. The last two to three weeks have been more hectic than you could ever even begin to imagine. I haven’t had much time to blog lately because I have been so consumed with running errands, picking things up, selling a ton of my belongings, and sorting out which items I will be taking and leaving behind.

I’m realizing as the departure date nears, my anxiety grows exponentially. I am trying to keep myself calm but I can’t help but feel some nervous energy within me from all of the uncertainty that goes along with the decisions I have made.

It’s Not Goodbye – It’s See You Later

One thing I am making a point of doing is trying to coordinate plans to see as many of my friends and family as possible before I leave. Obviously, I don’t have a time span for this trip. I could be back the following month after I leave… but what if it turns out to be longer than that?

I just don’t know yet. What if my trip actually DOES turn out to be as long as I originally had planned for it to be? I need to see my friends and family before I leave just in case. Regardless of what happens, I want my friends and family to know how much I love and care about them.

Preliminary Packing

Now that my departure date is getting closer, I am starting to take packing more seriously. I am slowly transitioning into getting my life to fit inside of a backpack. What I can tell you so far is that it is anything but easy. I have a toiletry bag that takes up roughly 1/3 of the space in my backpack. I have to make big adjustments to figure out how much of everything is going to be enough.

Selling Things Online

Since time is running low, I am thinking about having a garage sale at my house so I can just unload some of the stuff that has been more difficult to sell online. I have routinely been listing things on eBay. Whatever can’t be recycled or listed for sale and isn’t necessary or important gets thrown out. Purging so many of my belongings has been a therapeutic process.

Vaccination Update

I survived the week-long Typhoid vaccination process at the end of May. My experience was mostly asymptomatic, thank goodness! Now I am 80% protected from Typhoid for up to 5 years. ?? Still, it was weird knowing I was voluntarily swallowing attenuated colonies of live salmonella. *throws up*

Regarding Yellow Fever, I haven’t gotten that shot yet and I am still debating whether or not I should.

Read this post for more vaccination information.

Anxiety About the Greek Alphabet

I have no idea how I am going to understand anything once I get to Greece. ? I memorized the name of the letters when I first got involved in gay Greek Life but I don’t think that will really help me much once I am living in Greece and need to understand what I am reading.

Learning About Budget Airlines

I didn’t know my budget ticket to Greece didn’t include a checked bag. So already, I needed to pay $100 to check my backpack which obviously will not be a carry-on bag. Since my flight has a layover, I am praying the bag makes it all the way to the final destination. I thought that was a standard feature with flying but apparently, it depends on the budget airline. -.- I think I have enough time to exit the airport, get my bag, recheck it, and go through security again if need be but I would really prefer to not have that stress.

Studying For an Important Exam

I need to pass a very important exam THIS MONTH for the future of my business. I am on a super tight schedule to master the material. Come October 1st, the Financial Industry is changing the entire structure of how their exams work across the United States of America. Since I am leaving to travel in July, I only have the rest of June to learn everything I need to know so I can pass the exam. I took a 3-day class which helped a lot so now I just need to perfect my skills, take the exam, and pass! The more licenses I have, the stronger my business will become.

Altering My VIPKID Work Schedule

VIPKID has a system in place where parents can book teachers two weeks out in advance. Naturally, as time passes, we are quickly approaching the time when parents would normally book me and will likely try to do just that. The difference is that I definitely can’t teach while I am going to Greece so I am going to have to deny the bookings and keep my time slots empty. There are risks in doing this and I pray I won’t lose or upset my regular students. I want to wait until I am settled and know that I have a reliable WiFi connection and workspace before opening time slots. This will probably be the most stressful aspect of my trip.

Summary

Things are getting real REAL FAST. June has been and will continue to be an action-packed month for me. If you don’t hear from me for a little while, it is most likely because I am working extremely hard to learn a lot of technical jargon so I can pass an important exam in the financial industry. I need to do that, finish packing, and then before you know it, I’ll be on my way to Athens!!! ONE MORE MONTH UNTIL I LEAVE – THAT IS IT!

17 Comments

    1. The Rocky Safari

      Thanks so much, Lois!!! ? Your support means everything!! I will do my best to pass that test and get the financial license ASAP!! Then I can focus on whatever is left to do before my trip to Greece! 🙂

  1. Michael Perry

    Hey Rocky. Read with interest and some memories about going through the same stuff. I packed a weeks worth of T-shirt’s, socks, etc and jeans. The jeans were a mistake in Vietnam. Too hot. So I bought some shorts and lightweight pants here. If I were you take a critical look at what you are taking and try to do less. I got rid of the toiletries here and bought soap and shampoo here for cheap. Shoes were another thing. Shoes in the bag will weigh you down but I prefer the Merrill’s to flip flops here. Finally what about electronics? The stuff like charging cables, adapters, laptop, phone all have their needs and requirements. I feel still like I overpacked and I’m gone forever. Now I leave for Hong Kong in two days so again am getting rid of stuff. Take care and I bet the month flies by until the last few days ?

    1. The Rocky Safari

      Great advice, thanks Michael! Packing is a whole ordeal on its own. I am still determining what will work best for me but once I have a better idea of what I intend to bring, I’ll share it on my blog. If something is easy and inexpensive to purchase abroad, it probably doesn’t make much sense to pack it. I’m thinking I might go that route with heavier items like jackets and jeans. Ill play around with my backpack and see what I can manage. Thanks again for the guidance! Looking forward to hearing about your experience in Hong Kong. That’s another place I would love to visit!

    1. The Rocky Safari

      Thanks, Ortensia!!!! Absolutely, we all have joyous days to look forward to. Hoping my trip gives me new perspective on some things that have been on my mind. Can’t wait!

  2. First: relax. You aren’t the first English speaking person to visit Greece. Many Greeks have a working knowledge of English (at least in the urban areas). Then, remember the alphabet you posted is in all capital letters. Each letter has a lower case equivalent (some more than one).

    Don’t throw any of your clothing away! Donate to a thrift store or a homeless shelter. There are many people living in the USA who would be honored to own another pair of jeans/pants/shirts/etc. Make it worth your while. Naked hugs!

    1. The Rocky Safari

      You’re right. I’m not panicking about the language aspect as much as I may have made it sound. I mean it is definitely a concern but it is not one that I don’t think I am capable of handling (not saying I think it will be easy either though.) Greece is probably one of the less worrying places, in that regard.

      As for the clothing, don’t worry! I’d never throw away wearable items. I only sell, store, donate, or give things away. Refusing to throw away (+delaying donating/gifting) clothes that are all in good shape has caused the accumulation I now have. I just keep everything in the closet thinking I’ll eventually wear it, give it away, or sell it. Well, the time has come to decide and find each item a better home. Thanks for mentioning that though. I am a total advocate for donating and repurposing as well!

    1. The Rocky Safari

      I’m not sure! I certainly would like to! It was a destination I brought up at my travel medical doctor appointment. I still need to get my Yellow Fever vaccination for Africa/South America. There’s absolutely a possibility it could happen!

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The Rocky Safari