If someone ever tells you that a world trip is easier said than done, then trust me, it would be one of the biggest understatements you’ll ever hear.

The amount of planning and research that goes into such a project is phenomenal. It is such a daunting task, that one can get discouraged easily. There’s a lot to be done; and like all big projects, things have to be taken care of one-at-a-time without losing focus of the big goals. The main areas that I need to work on are:

• Get this website up, and ensure that it’s updated regularly
• Buy/borrow travel-the-world books and find time to read them
• Look for potential sponsors
• Get my finances in order (because I’ll have to continue to pay my home loan even when I’m not earning)
• Plan a tentative route
• Research about places along the route and choose the one’s that simply cannot be missed
• Start applying for visas
• Arrange for all vaccinations needed
• Start contacting couchsurfers or look for other accommodation
• Start looking for volunteering work/part-time jobs
• Start looking for Spanish language classes (both here and in South America)
• Start looking for conveyance options
  
  

My initial plan was to start in Thailand, cover SE Asia, fly to Mexico, cover Central America, the Caribbean Islands, then several countries in South America and finally end up in Brazil. Looking back upon it now, what a pipe-dream that was! But one has got to dream big, right?