As 2012 draws to a close, I am looking to make my plans for 2013 and the year is already looking very exciting. As those of you know that follow me along, I try to avoid winter as much as possible. One bonus to being on the road basically year-round is that I can try to move around to avoid winter as much as possible. It is hard for me to overemphasize how much I hate the cold.
My travels this year are going to end with a trip I am currently on in South Africa, then some time back in London to get some work done, then home to see my family for the first time since January. Its been a whirlwind of a year and frankly, I am eagerly anticipating it coming to an end. There has been too much work and not enough fun this year.
So I need to come up with a plan to rectify that for 2013, don't you think?
Going to be heading to Asia for some interesting things I am working on in Thailand and that area, but while I am over there, I am finally going to try to hit a major country that I haven't been to at all yet. I have had many friends tell me how interesting and exciting the Philippines are, but I have been limited in my previous travels by my overland travel goal to even find a way to get there. This time, I believe that I can find a boat that will manage to get me over there because I am going to have the time on the ground to finally do the entire legwork needed to find the proper passage.
The logistics aren't easy at all, but that is partly what makes the entire thing worthwhile to me!
One place I have been already, but will be heading back to for sure, is China. Trying to explain the vastness of China to people that haven't been is most simple when you put it in terms of the United States. Its roughly the same size. Translation? I've been there twice before for a couple weeks each time, but that is barely enough to scratch the surface. Imagine trying to tell someone that you can "do the U.S." in a couple weeks. Laughable. There are so many amazing things to do in China, but I am going to center my attention in the south and west this time. Yes, that does have a lot to do with the warmer weather, but also because the pace of life down there (and the food) is much more to my liking.
The other country I am going to hit while I am over there is Indonesia. It is one of the most misunderstood and underreported upon countries in the world. The largest Muslim population in the world. Top 5 in size and population overall. Hundreds of islands and languages. It is one of the cornerstone countries in the region and frankly, no one in North America thinks about it at all. Like most other places in that area, there are a wide variety of great things to do there, but high on my list is lots and lots and lots of scuba diving.
In fact, now that I think about it, 2013 might need to be the year that I get serious about my diving. If I am going to be in SE Asia a good bit of the time, the locations and costs would tell me that should be a goal.
You see, writing does focus the mind.