Our trip hasn't technically started since we are still in the US and in Boston but we aren't really living here either. Tonight is our last night in the apartment we've been living in for the last 3 years but it's empty and echoing and we are sleeping on an air mattress. I still have one more week of work but I will be living on a friends futon and out of my backpack. It is a strange extended transition time.

Tonight Andy and I went to Harvard square to eat Indian food and find free wifi. For the last hour we have been sitting in a Starbucks, drinking coffee and surfing the Internet. It is the beginning of many days spent in coffee shops surfing the Internet. The couple next to us isn't even speak English.

I am so excited and sad and terrified all at once and I don't think it's going to stop until November.

Picture of everything

This is everything we are bringing (minus the backpacks), laid out on our queen sized bed.  Everything here has been accounted for in our previous two posts (our packing lists).  But if you have a question about anything here, leave a comment!

Andy's Around the World Packing List

Here's my packing list. Most of the stuff is similar to Katie's, but mine includes the digital SLR camera and MacBook Air. We'll write another post at some point listing all of the stuff we're bringing as a medical kit, but first we have to pay a visit to Nurse Jane (my mom).

Clothing:

• 1 REI Sahara long-sleeve button down
• 1 long sleeve synthetic shirt
• 1 REI Airflyte Hoodie
• 3 ExOfficio Exo Dri Tshirt*
• 4 ExOfficio Men's Boxer Brief*
• 3 pairs of smartwool socks
• 1 pair wool hiking socks
• 1 pair Garmont Trail Hiking Shoes*
• 1 pair flip flops
• 1 pair of REI Adventures pants
• 1 pair of REI Sahara convertible pants
• 1 Sierra Designs Men's Microlight Jacket*
• 1 pair of running/sleeping shorts
• 1 brimmed hat
• 1 pair of sunglasses
• 1 bathing suit

Gear:

• 1 Osprey Porter Backpack 46*
  
• 1 waterproof Sea to Summit Deluxe Pack Cover*(small)
• 1 luggage lock for main zipper (TSA approved)
  
• 1 Cocoon Silk TravelSheet*
  
• 1 camp towel
• 1 head lamp
• 1 inflatable neck pillow
• 1 Lip Balm Spf 30 Vanilla*
• 1 Platypus Big Zip 2 L* 
• iPhone 4
• 11" Macbook Air
• Apple World Travel Adapter Kit*
• World Travel Adapter Plug Set* (I have no bearing on how good or bad these things are, the only thing we need them for is the camera battery chargers)
• Nikon D3100 with Clik Elite Chest Pack*, extra battery, battery charger, many SD cards and Nikon 18-105mm zoom lens
• GoPro HD Hero 960*
• 70 Doxycycline pills (malaria)
• Multiple ziplock bags
• Ear plugs

Paperwork:

• Passport (and photocopy of passport)
• 6 Passport sized pictures for visas
• List of vaccinations
• List of electronics we paid for before we left the US (maybe)

*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you are going to buy something on our list, click the link to help support our travels.

Booked... AAAHHHH

Yay!  Just booked our flights through the One World airline alliance.  Our general itinerary is:
 
New Zealand - Australia - Singapore - Malaysia - Thailand - Laos - Cambodia - Hong Kong - China - US - Spain - London - Scotland - France - Switzerland - Italy - Greece - Hungary - Croatia - Slovenia - Austria - The Czech republic - Germany - Denmark - Finland - New Zealand again!

Our dates are flexible for the plane tickets, so if we like something or hate something we can easily change it, no penalty.  These are the countries we are planning on visiting, but won't discriminate if another unplanned country pops up on our way.

It was surprisingly nerve-wracking to commit to buying these tickets, even though we've known for months this is how we want to do our trip.  But it's done.  We are going.

Around the World Packing list

A very popular question is about what we are bringing on our trip. Here is my list of everything. Note - the links provided are not endorsements, they are simply what we bought so you can see a picture of it. I tried linking to the manufacturer's page instead of where we bought it, since we bought most everything at REI.


Katie
Clothing:

• 1 long sleeve t-shirt*
• 1 long sleeve button down shirt
• 1 short sleeve button down shirt (quick dry)
• 2 short sleeve t-shirts (quick dry)
• 1 pair of LL Bean hiking pant
• 1 pair of North Face hiking pants *
• 3 pairs of exofficio underwear* 
• 1 underwire bra
• 1 sports bra
• 3 pairs of smartwool socks
• 1 pair of Salomon Women's XT Wings 2 Trail Runner*
• 1 pair of sandals
• 1 Sierra Designs Women's Microlight Jacket*
  
• 1 running/sleeping pants (polyester)
• 1 tank top for running/sleeping/layering
• 1 brimmed hat
• 1 pair of sunglasses
• 1 bathing suit

Supplies:

• 1 Osprey Porter Backpack 46*
  
• 1 waterproof Sea to Summit Deluxe Pack Cover*(small)
• 1 luggage lock for main zipper
  
• 1 Cocoon Silk TravelSheet*
  
• 1 camp towel
• 1 head lamp
• 1 inflatable neck pillow 
• 1 Lip Balm Spf 30 Vanilla*
• 1 bar of soap with container
• 1 Platypus Big Zip 2 L* 
• 1 box of Chlorine Tablets* 
• Duct tape
• iPod and headphones
• iPad 
• Apple charger and power converters
• Cannon Powershot camera and case (with battery charger)
• 1 Dry Sack* (medium)
• 70 Doxycycline pills (malaria)
• 7 months Apri pills (birth control)
• 14 Azithromycin pills (antibiotic)
• 14 Fluconazole pills (yeast infection because women are more prone to them when on Doxycycline)
• Multiple ziplock bags
• Extra string/shoelaces
• Ear plugs
• 1 sleeping mask
• 1 watch
• 1 "medical" kit (yet to be assembled)

Paperwork:

• Passport (and photocopy of passport)
• 6 Passport sized pictures for visas
• List of vaccinations
• Copy of marriage certificate

Not included in this list: toiletries (shampoo, toothbrush/paste, pads/tampons, insect repellent, laundry detergent, etc.), OTC drugs, contents of "medical" kit (bandaids, anti-itch cream, tweezers, etc.)

I've included some of our joint supplies so Andy's list may have duplicates or may look like it's lacking but it'll all be accounted for before we leave.



*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. If you are going to buy something on our list, click the link to help support our travels.