As soon as I announce this intrepid adventure to friends, family, and coworkers, the immediate response I get is "so what's the plan?" Great question. In point of fact the plan is that there is no real plan, and that is by design. It may seem ridcubsurd to many but to me the main point of this transient retirement is to get out there and just wing it. Let the cards fall as they may so to speak.
So it's pretty hard to let the cards fall as they may if you've rigged the deck. That said, it would be somewhat foolhardy to charge into foreign countries without at least a little planning- not to mention the potential visa issues one could run into. This is of course magnified if you are, say, me, and are thereby known for spending a considerable amount of time rabble-rousing at the international watering holes and mixing it up with the locals for better or worse.
With that in mind, I've done some nominal research and decided that for the first stint (April 4 - June 25) I am going to prioritize Spain, Portugal, and France. I could be tempted to head to other countries or perhaps even dip into Northern Africa (always wanted to wash up in Tangier), but for all intents and purposes the "plan" is to cover those three countries. As far as what I am going to do, that is also more or less up in the air at the moment. I do have a few set places/dates in mind.
1. Starting in Madrid on April 5 and, after touring the city, working my way northwest into Portugal and then more or less counter-clockwise through Portugal and Spain until I reach Barcelona.
2. The weekend of the 27th of May I plan to attend the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo.
3. The weekend of the 16th of June I plan to attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France.
Anyone who would like to accompany me for the second and third options (especially the third which should have an Oktoberfest-esque feel to it) are free to join! As for the rest of the time it will be spent split between being a tourist and volunteering through helpx.net. The ratio of which will depend upon several factors including what I'm in the mood for and how the cash is holding out.
For those interested here is a rough (hand edited!) map of where I may travel.
So it's pretty hard to let the cards fall as they may if you've rigged the deck. That said, it would be somewhat foolhardy to charge into foreign countries without at least a little planning- not to mention the potential visa issues one could run into. This is of course magnified if you are, say, me, and are thereby known for spending a considerable amount of time rabble-rousing at the international watering holes and mixing it up with the locals for better or worse.
With that in mind, I've done some nominal research and decided that for the first stint (April 4 - June 25) I am going to prioritize Spain, Portugal, and France. I could be tempted to head to other countries or perhaps even dip into Northern Africa (always wanted to wash up in Tangier), but for all intents and purposes the "plan" is to cover those three countries. As far as what I am going to do, that is also more or less up in the air at the moment. I do have a few set places/dates in mind.
1. Starting in Madrid on April 5 and, after touring the city, working my way northwest into Portugal and then more or less counter-clockwise through Portugal and Spain until I reach Barcelona.
2. The weekend of the 27th of May I plan to attend the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo.
3. The weekend of the 16th of June I plan to attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France.
Anyone who would like to accompany me for the second and third options (especially the third which should have an Oktoberfest-esque feel to it) are free to join! As for the rest of the time it will be spent split between being a tourist and volunteering through helpx.net. The ratio of which will depend upon several factors including what I'm in the mood for and how the cash is holding out.
For those interested here is a rough (hand edited!) map of where I may travel.
As far as what the "plan" is for stint two (July-November), that remains even more vague but there is a very reasonable chance I may make it to the 2012 Olympics in London. Aside from that, I'll post updates as I acquire items for the trip and the "plan" further materializes. Have courage dear reader(s).
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