Hi there,

Ok, here it is. Fate has led me to a very pivotal place in my life. I am currently serving my 2nd tour in Iraq with the US Army. During this time I am planning a years worth of travel for myself and friend whom I grew up with. The idea for this trip came to fruition because we are both about to finish our contracts with the military, graduate from college and have few if any real commitments. So, we said "lets be vagabonds for a year and traipse the world".

Here's where it gets tricky. We are very ambitious folks. Since childhood, we've always challenged what others thought couldn't be done.

So our goals are these:

-One year plus or minus a few months

-Visit 57+/- different countries
(S.America,Europe,Africa,SE. Asia,Australia)

-AND try to spend $20,000 or less

So, here I am halfway through my deployment and struggling to really get our plans laid out. We dont need to plan everything as we thrive on spontaneity. However, I realize that certain things cannot wait until the last minute.

I've purchased Rough Guide's "1st Time Around the world" and several Lonely Planet "Shoestring Guides". Its looking to be a very daunting task. Organization not being my strongest quality Im struggling to figure out where to start.

Questions:

-Can such a trip still be done for less then 20k? Frugality is not a problem but gas will eat a large part of our budget away. Working along the way would also not be a problem.

-Am I being unrealistic to think this could be done, at a somewhat leisurely pace, within 12-14 months?

-Which country do we start in and at what time of year? My thoughts are South America around Dec/Jan. Then Europe, Northern coast of Africa, SE. Asia, Australia, then back up through the rest of SE. Asia.

-We would prefer to go without a RTW ticket and buy along the way. Would this be cheaper? We arent in a rush.

-Both my travel buddy and I are mid 20's and more then up for the discomfort of a bus/moped/feet as opposed to unnecessary air/train expenses. Is this feasible in most countries?

-Alternate means of travel. By this I'm mainly speaking of the long hauls which would usually be taken care of with a airplane. Is it simply much easier to stick to flights as opposed to trying to find room on a boat? If it would save us a fair amount of cash I'd be up for putting in the legwork.


I've read through countless posts on world travel until my eyes hurt. Lots of great advice out there. Seem to be more folks starting from the UK then anywhere and traveling for shorter periods of time. We would like to dive into as much culture as possible while still taking our time. This will be my first trip outside of the states without Uncle Sam pulling me back on the plane and taking me to a war-zone. Any hints,tips, or suggestions would be an unimaginable help.

Happy travels to all,

SSG Craft
US Army
Baghdad, Iraq

Hello there, what about chasing the sun! Europe in Jan will be very cold, so why dont you travel the world but always making sure you get the summer months? Or at least some sunshine. Enjoy!