Following the wind

A wise man once told me the best time to travel is during a recession. So here we go. In a few hours I head out of LA with a one-way ticket to Auckland, New Zealand in hand. It feels like ages since I've written in a blog, and damn does it feel good. Along with chronicling my (bound to be) adrenaline-filled adventures abroad, I'll also be tracking my somewhat daunting efforts to keep under budget. Don't worry, this is mostly an attempt at oversight (aka shame) in a more public sphere. My aim is to keep my budget down to about a month's rent, plus utilities and supermarket food in LA. No small amount of cash. I put that figure at a semi-haphazard $1,500, which leaves me with $50 a day. This will definitely be tough to keep to at my two initial big stops (New Zealand and Australia), but significantly easier once I get to Asia. I will also give myself a bit of breathing room. This figure won't include major transportation costs or activities (such as sky diving, etc). Given my budget, I may see Asia sooner rather than later.

With bags still left to pack as I write this entry, I'll do a quick forward-looking itinerary. I can't wait to get "to the land Down Under" so that I can rest up a bit. (And now I have that "Men At Work" song stuck in my head...)

Oct. 21-23: LA to Nadi, Fiji to Auckland, New Zealand

Oct. 23 - ?: New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and a lot more of Asia...

Stay tuned.