Hello Unemployment, Goodbye BBBSofSDC

I can’t believe my last day of employment for 6 months, maybe a few more maybe a few less, has happened.  I believe the longest I have gone since I started at 15 ½ was three months and it was because I had knee surgery.   Not having an income and living off my savings / what people have generously giving me as going away and graduation gifts will be a new thing for me.  I just keep telling myself it will be worth it, and it will pay for itself in different ways. 

That being said I want to thank everyone who made my employment at Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County so special, so much so that I hope to return to the States and work at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago.

It all began when I heard about my cousins having Bigs and how much this person meant to them and to my family.  This small seed lead me into being a Big Sister, joining the YPC, and applying for numerous positions I was not qualified for.  Finally a position that was a perfect fit for me opened up, I promised the HR director I would quit applying for everything and annoying her if she allowed me an interview.   She says it was just because I was qualified, but the story isn’t as fun without the other information.  I started in September 2007 to the best 1st month for any new employee.  My first week I participated in a Total Team Retreat as part of the “Bee” Team racing around San Diego, my second week I was helping to give a presentation on a cruise ship, and it was finished off with watching a Padres Game from a private box.  To my last month of pranks, including autocorrect, fun calendar reminders, my car being tagged with my “BBBS” mask, a recording breaking Golf Marathon thanks to Jimmy Langley, memorable and racy talks with the cube crew in front of Kim’s, to a final goodbye lunch at Chick-A-Fila. 

 I can only hope my next job brings as amazing people into my life.  Thanks gang!

1st Volunteer Application Submitted

Part of my dream of traveling around the world is do volunteer while I’ll do it, ideally getting free accommodations and free food, so I can stretch my budget even further.  Some people are surprised you have to pay since you are doing free labor and others think of course you have to pay you do not want to take anything away from the people you are helping.  It is the double edge sword I live with every day in my field, and all I can say is for me it all evens out.  I’ll work hard and make sure the money is used right. 

After some research I stumbled upon All Hand Volunteers.  All Hands Volunteers is a US-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization, that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world, with maximum impact and minimum bureaucracy.  They support  volunteers with housing, meals, tools, and organized work at no charge we are able to provide free and effective response services to communities in need. Our programs are directed by the needs of each community in which we work, ensuring a timely, relevant, and culturally sensitive response. 

The project I applied for is Project Tohoku in Japan. 

On March 11, 2011 an earthquake and tsunami damaged Ofunato and Rikuzentakata, Japan, an estimated 2,400 people died and 7,200 houses were destroyed.  All Hands was invited to help, and has extended the project to September 2011 to keep working on debris removal and home rehabilitation so that families can return home.

If accepted it will be dirty and physical work and I will be outside for most of the day. I would work six days a week with each Tuesday off roam the area.  I would be living in an office building or rehabilitation center that has been converted to base camps.  Basically a large shared spaces with over 40 people sleeping in one room with a 10pm curfew.  I will be using Asian style toilets (which I can’t wait to find out what that means) and living as the Japanese do where shoes are not worn in the house so plan to have designated house-only slippers.

Keep your fingers crossed that I'm accepted :)   

Rang De Basanti makes me want to add India to my list

After a long day at work, missing my Zumba class for my last vaccine, I decided to hit the library and check out a couple of books and movies.  Rang De Basanti captured my attention for some reason - a God Wink maybe, since I was actually looking for Step Up 3D.  

The story is about a British documentary filmmaker who is determined to make a film on Indian freedom fighters based on diary entries by her grandfather, a former officer of the British Indian Army. Upon arriving in India, she asks a group of five young men to act in her film. They agree, but after they begin filming a friend of theirs is killed in a fighter aircraft crash, with government corruption appearing to be the root cause of the incident. This event radicalizes them from being carefree to passion-driven individuals who are determined to avenge his death. (Thanks Wikipedia).


In this movie there is just enough Bollywood songs and dances, to keep the story a light hearted even though it is often dramatic sad.  Yes, I cried if you were wondering.  


Here are the lyrics to  Khoon Chala that put to words and music the feelings I felt while watching this movie. 


Translation from Hindi to English, from http://venkythinky.blogspot.com/


kuchh kar guzarne ko khoon chala khoon chala
Our blood is raging ... It is flowing through the streets But It wont go in vain

aankhon ke sheeshe mein utarne ko khoon chala
Our eyes are blodshot for a purpose ... A cause we will attain

badan se tapak kar, zameen se lipatkar
It fell from our bodies ... Embraced the earth

galiyon se raston se ubharkar, umadkar
Went winding through the streets. A river of courage ... it surged and swept

naye rang bhar ne ko khoon chala khoon chala
It flowed to make a new beginning

khuli-si chhot lekar, badi-si tees lekar ahista ahista
From gaping wounds, and gashes large ... it oozed slowly and steadily

sawaalon ki ungli, jawaabon ki mutthiWhile the pointing fingers, got fists in reply

sang lekar Khoon chala
yet, our blood was raging. It flowed not in vain but with a reason

kuchh kar guzarne ko khoon chala khoon chala
A cause we will attain

aankhon ke sheeshe mein utarne ko khoon chala
Our eyes are blodshot for a reason. A cause we will attain

badan se tapak kar, zameen se lipatkar
It fell from our bodies ... Embraced the earth

galiyon se raston se ubharkar, umadkar
Went winding through the streets. A river of courage ... it surged and swept

naye rang bhar ne ko khoon chala khoon chala
It flowed to make a new beginning ... Yet, our blood was raging

khoon chala
Yet, our blood was raging

Shots, Shots, Shots, Shots, Shots - $870 worth

With the joy of traveling to exotic places come with a bit of pain in the form of vaccines both orally and injectable.  For my travels to SE Asia and S America with the help the International Travel Clinic in San Diego, I decided six that will hopefully keep me safe.  

Four shots one day, no biggie. 

Here are there names, how long they last, the cost that I paid, and a link to CDC: 

Tetnus Diphtheria Pertusis - Good for 10 years -  insurance or $45

Hepatitis A - good forever if one gets 2nd shot 6 months later -  $90 

Yellow Fever - Good for 10 years - $100 

Japanese Encephalitis (lxiaro) -  2 years - $570 

Typhoid (oral) - good for 5 years - $80   

Influenza - good for a "year" - $10

I also had the following already:

Hepatitis B

Meningococcal

MMR

Polio

And I decided against Rabies, because the preexposure vaccination only is decrease the number of vaccine doses needed after exposure and it costly at $225 per vaccination.

Now I only have to wait four weeks for my second Japanese Envcephaltis vaccines, and then I'll have all my painful shots out of the way for this trip so I can have all the fun ones. 

Money Matters – What Have You Done?

Every day my trip gets closer, the more I worry about money. I have always had this worry since I opened a savings account when 10. I will find a balance, but the post found below provided some needed inspiration. And, now I can't wait to write my own response.

Money Matters – What Have You Done?

By: John at http://wanderinground.wordpress.com/

One time I was talking to a very rich man.
His bank account was huge. He knew it.
He was a banker on wall street up in NYC.
He asked me about my finances. I told him I was broke.
He asked me what I’ve done with my life.

I told him:

I’ve seen the Taj Mahal.

I’ve walked the steps of Lawrence of Arabia through Wadi Rum.

I’ve seen Petra, the Pyramids of Giza, the temples of Angkor.

Walked the plains of Bagan.

I’ve been through the great mosques of Istanbul.

Seen the gingerbread city of Sana’a.

Sat with Sadhu’s on the ghats of the Ganges.

Watched bodies burn on the funeral pyres of Pashupatinath.

I’ve scaled the Himalayas.

Crossed the Sahara …north to south, than east to west, than back up south to north.

I’ve stayed with Bedu in the Rub al-Khali. Had tea with Tuareg outside of Timbuktu.

Seen slaves bought and sold.

Men whipped for nothing more than being alive.

Been through and seen the true faces of war in Afghanistan.

Been scared by the child soldiers of Sudan.

Walked over the bones of the not so fortunate in Mut.

Went down the Nile …all the way.

Up the Niger by pinasse.

Seen the riches of the church in St. Marks Square.

Sat on the throne of Genghis Khan.

Walked through the markets of Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Cairo,

Addis Ababa, New York, Seattle, London, Madrid…

Christmas at Lalibela.

The Stella fields of Axum.

The great castles of Gonder.

Walked the Bandiagara Escarpment.

The monday market at Djenne.

Swam through the humanity of western Africa. …Lagos, Jos, Cotonou, Lome, Accra.

Swam with Hippos, slept with warthogs, fought with baboons…

I asked him what he has done. He said he saved his money.

…never left the states. Too dangerous.

First big purchase, Women's REI Grand Tour Travel Pack.

After much research, price comparison and deciding I need a "chick" bag, I finally found out what I was looking for with Women's REI Grand Tour Travel Pack.  
Here the down and dirty of my new pack:

Detachable day pack with hydration pocket and hose port (now I can sell my old packs on craigslist, and have more money for my trip)

66.5 liter capacity

Fairly light at 4 lbs. 8 oz. - but we will see after I pack

Adjustable suspension to customize fit

Extra compression straps above shoulders help secure your load

Lots of compartments both inside and outside (6 pockets + 2 main compartments)

Lash points to attach gear and compression straps to snug loads

Bottom area can be sectioned off from the rest and can hold a shoes and dirty clothes - or someday a sleeping bag

All straps can be zipped up for storage on planes, buses and cars (see pic). 

Best part it was only $130 (on sale from $189) and in mallard a fun green color. 

Now it's time to try it out and see if I like it as much when it's on my back full of all my stuff :)   Or should I say half of what I plan on bringing if I follow everyone else's advice.  

To Do List

The reality is starting to sit that I will be traveling around the world in less than 6 months. Along with that comes the anxiety. I'm hoping that a to-do list will help me to stay on track and easy the pain. I found some help courtesy of TwoBackpackers.com. I started with their list and added a few of my own.

Backpacking Around the World To-Do List

1.      Sell Your Stuff on Ebay

2.      Create a Budget

3.      Purchase Backpacking Gear

4.      Purchase Camping / Hiking Gear if appropriate

5.      Purchase Camera Equipment

6.      Purchase iTouch

7.      Create a Skype Account

8.      Tell Your Families

9.      Notify Employers

10.  Check Passports

11.  Notify Landlord / Sell or Rent House

12.  Create a Twitter Account (cool travelers on there)

13.  Create a Facebook Account (global address book)

14.  Create a Couchsurfing Account

15.  Are Going to Play Fantasy Leagues on the Road?

16.  Create a Rough Itinerary

17.  Check Visa Requirements for Each Country

18.  Choose a Departure Date

19.  Get Required Immunizations

20.  Put Remaining Stuff in Storage (don’t store old photos in hot attic)

21.  Purchase Travelers Insurance

22.  Change Auto Insurance

23.  Open Travel Friendly Checking Account

24.  Open Travel Friendly Credit Card Account

25.  Change Address or Set Up Mail Storage

26.  Cancel Cell Phones or Consider Global Phone Plan

27.  Practice Packing

28.  Break in Boots or Shoes

29.  Set Up First Aid Kit

30.  Purchase Lonely Planet Guides (if needed)

Ones, I added.

31. Breathe

32. Make 4 copies of all travel documents (1 at home, 1 on person, 1 in carry-on, 1 in suitcase) and put in dropbox

33. Put all files I want to have in Dropbox (a file hosting service which uses cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders with each other) and share with parents

34. Get immunizations

35. Order enough contacts to last the trip

36. Fill all my prescriptions to get me through the trip, and make sure all countries will allow me to have them.

37. Back up all cell phone numbers on a file in dropbox

38. Make sure I can pay all bills online

39. Set up cell phone

40. Print or transfer to device local area maps

41. Key phrases in local language