Here is the outline of my epic journey.
I’ve left room for plenty of detours.
Oh, how I love when a plan starts to come together! Unemployment has given me adequate time to do some in-depth research. I’ve been pouring over TripAdvisor forums, loads of blogs and good ol’ travel guides for weeks now and here’s what I’ve come up with so far.
#1-Japan
I’ll be flying into the Narita airport, north of Tokyo and connecting with a YMCA Camp Jeweller, Matt Allan, who is stationed in Yokosuka with the US Navy. I plan on hopping the bullet train to Mt. Fuji Nat’l Park and contenting on to Kyoto and Osaka. I’m only there 6 days but I intend to live it up!
Next up, I’ll fly in to Bangkok (the star in the map below) from Tokyo and then start traveling counter-clockwise and then head down the peninsula to Singapore!
#2-Thailand
In Bangkok, I’ll be met by Bryan- a friend I met through a St. Michael’s connection who works for the US Government. Bryan transferred to the Bangkok branch on August 8th and since he’s new in town, he’s going to be the perfect sightseeing buddy! After a few days of eating amazing Thai food and wandering through markets & temples, I’ll fly out of Bangkok and into Cambodia.
#3-Cambodia
I’ll enter the country at Siem Reap, a town made famous by the temples at Angkor Wat. I’ll buy a 3 day pass in order to take my time & escape the heat when I need to. Then, I head down to Phnom Penh (PP) to meet up with Meaghan T. (a 20 yr + friend from Camp Gordonwood)! I am a lucky girl ~ Meaghan is letting m come to her school for a day!
#4-Vietnam
I’ll cross this boarder by land- after securing a visa in PP and continuing on to Ho Chi Mihn City (HCMC) where I’ll meet up with another Camp Jeweller- Troy Jankowski from Sydney! We’ll take the train to Hoi An and then to Hanoi. The rice terraces of Sapa and the rock formations of Halong Bay are on our itinerary. Hopefully, we’ll find time to take a cooking class too! (Photos by vietnamtravelsonline.com)
#5-Myanmar (Burma)
Troy & I will arrive in Yangon for the Festival of Lights! Then, we’ll travel to Bagan, Inle Lake and fly out of Mandalay at the end of the 2 weeks. For more photos of Myanmar, check out this book by Scott Stulberg.
There will be another few days in Bangkok as Troy flies home and Laura Johnson flies in from Nashville!
#6-Malasia
In Malaysia, Laura and I plan to laze around on tropical beaches, wind our way through Kuala Lumpur and end up in the sovereign city-state of Singapore!
#7-Singapore
I won’t arrive in Singapore until December, so it I haven’t made many plans. It’s a big city (and it’s own country!) so I hoping to meet up with fellow Masonite Heather Klepper Roddocker while I’m in town. This is the last stop in my travel adventure… I’m already feeling nostalgic.
