Trip rules | the world is your oyster
If you had roughly one year to do anything—no obligations, no deadlines—what would you do? Perhaps more importantly, how would you make it happen?
Well, I’ve decided to travel the world.
Starting in March 2025, I’ll visit as many places as I reasonably can, meet more people than I can unreasonably imagine, and experience a life beyond the one corporate America has shown me since I graduated college.
One of my biggest inspirations for this trip? A book I read at 12 by a little-known French author—Jules Verne. Jokes aside, Around the World in 80 Days sparked my imagination, showing me what travel looked like before a brilliant, tinkering Brazilian, Santos Dumont, invented the airplane (no, it wasn’t the Wright brothers—if you catapult something, of course it flies!).
For those who haven’t read it (or are too lazy to Google—yes, I see you), Around the World in 80 Days follows Phileas Fogg, a wealthy Londoner who bets he can circle the globe in 80 days. Along with his aide, he races against time, collecting stamps and tickets as proof, determined to return to his starting point before the clock runs out.
They then travel by every means imaginable—trains, steamships, and even elephants.
If someone in the 1800s could logically rush around the world in 80 days (or could they? Read the book and find out), then surely, in the 21st century, I can take my time—exploring new places, immersing myself in different cultures, relaxing on the occasional beach, and squeezing in a hike or two in about a year.
Well, you’re probably thinking, 'Duh, just hop on a plane!' Unfortunately, money is tight so I’ll have to cut a few luxuries to be able to afford this trip, even after dipping into my savings.
The first luxury to go? Flying. It’s convenient, sure, and I’ll take the occasional flight, but for the most part, I’ll be traveling by train, bus, or ferry. I’ll fly to get to my first destination, Portugal. Then, I’ll only fly if required by law (did you know the Azerbaijani sea and land borders are closed for entry and you can only fly into Baku?), if I’m really going backward on my trip, which I’m hoping to keep to a minimum, or if a friend is joining me for part of my trip during their limited vacation time.
The second luxury is comfort at night. I’ll be staying mostly in hostels throughout the trip, for a couple of reasons. The first, and most obvious, is that it’s the way I can afford to visit so many places. The second, perhaps more subtle, is that hostels are a good way to meet like-minded travelers.
This will be a mostly solo trip, but I’m not quitting society. At least not yet…
But where in the world will I go? Well, the short answer is everywhere, but the long answer is a bit more detailed.