Upcoming Travel Plans

Evening everyone! So I've spent a good portion of today putting together a tentative route for the remainder of my trip. I was thinking I'd be back in the states around June but it just doesn't look like that's gonna give me enough time to see this part of the world - although in reality an entire lifetime wouldn't be enough time to see this part of the world! Below you will see a schedule of what I'm thinking my trip might look like. If you know anyone who lives along this route or anyplaces I should stay/eat/play please let me know!

December 12: Travel by Plane to New Zealand - spend 2.5 months working in Coromandel Town
Mid/Late February: Travel by Plane to India - spend 3 weeks in Bangalore with weekend trips around India
Mid March: Travel by Plane to Nepal - spend 2 weeks in Kathmandu and surrounding area
Beginning of April: Travel by Plane to Thailand - spend 1 week in a beach resort area then travel by train or bus to Chiang Mai for 1 week
Mid April: Travel by bus to Laos border then by boat down Mekong to Luang Prabang, Laos - spend 2 weeks in Luang Prabang
Beginning of May: Travel by Plane to Ha Noi, Vietnam - apend 2-3 weeks traveling Vietnam by train/bus with stops in Ha Noi, Halong Bay, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City
Mid/Late May: Travel by Plane(?) to Siem Reap, Cambodia - spend up to 1 week exploring ruins at Angkor Wat and the area
Beginning of June: Travel by Plane to Myanmay - spend 3 months at a monastery
Beginning of September: Travel by Plane home to Minnesota

Obviously these are rough dates but I plan to lock things down at least 1 step (if not 2) ahead of where I am. I would like to enter each country knowing how I'm going to leave - and I'm sure most of their customs agents would like me to do the same.

So that's what I've spent most of my day doing. Outside of that we spent a bit of time at the beach this morning and then went out for Vietnamese food for dinner at a local restaurant, Miss Chu. They were selling a Vietnamese beer at the restaurant for $5/can if you bought 2. The beer is Bia Ha Noi. I will be very interested to see what it costs in Vietnam - probably $0.50/can if you buy 2. Australia is just so expensive!

That's all for tonight. Nothing too big on the calendar for tomorrow. I'll probably head into town to get a souvenir in the afternoon and then I'm going to dinner with Gardi. No specific plans for the daytime.

A quick reflection - today I was feeling a bit off. I think it may be hard traveling by myself. There is literally nothing I would rather be doing right now - I can't think of a single thing that would be a better use of my days than seeing the world - but it would be very nice to be sharing this experience with someone else. I am happy I didn't let this feeling keep me from starting this trip by myself, and I definitely am not going to let it keep me from continuing my travels, but it would be nice to have a companion for the trip. I think not having everything planned out would be a bit less stressful if there was someone else who could help with making reservations, research activities, understanding visa regulations, etc... I guess this is just the position I'm in. I am so very lucky to be traveling the world I shouldn't even by thinking about these things.

Okay, that's really it for tonight. Hope y'all are staying warm back in the states ;)

Best!