Six weeks until I get on a plane for the Philippines! I’ve got a one-way ticket and a rough plan. I’ll be traveling throughout Southeast Asia (SEA) for 3 to 6 months then I plan to live in Thailand for a year. I need to tie up many loose ends before I leave, and I’m making progress.

Today I acquired my International Drivers Permit at the local AAA office. Thanks, AAA! I sold my 2007 Mini yesterday to a lovely couple, and I’m generally making good progress.

My tentative plan is to fly into the Philippines, see the country, take some advanced diving classes and do some scuba diving. Then fly to Vietnam, buy a motorcycle in Hanoi, ride to Saigon, and perhaps on through Cambodia. I’ve been to Angkor Waat, but I’ll probably go back again and see the rest of Cambodia. Then on the Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Unless I find someplace, I like better than Bangkok. I’ll probably find a place to live there and find some work. Of course, these plans are subject to change without notice or reason.

I’m stepping back from the “rat race,” as my dad would call everyday life in the US, to chill, swim, ponder, read and discover. Hopefully, I’ll not only be discovering new cultures and places. I hope to make self-discoveries as well. I’ve done quite a bit of traveling, but this is the biggest adventure I’ve embarked on. I can’t wait!