How did you decide where to go?
We each made a list of the places we would like to go on this trip. There was a lot of cross-over, which made it easier to try to accommodate both of our “dream destinations” lists into the itinerary. In terms of must-see places for each of us, we were able to include almost all of them. And we feel like we’re hitting a lot of really outstanding places along the way.
Are there places you wish you could have included but didn’t?
Looking at a world map and trying to decide where to go given a fairly open timeframe is really tough. In particular, Scott would have liked to have visited Scandanavia, but it will be extremely cold and dark when we’re in the area (Jan/Feb). Krista would have liked to have included Prague, but we decided to stick to the very southern part of Europe since it’ll be winter then. And we both wish we could have fit in South Africa and the surrounding area, but we had to leave something for our next big adventure!
Are you traveling in the US at all?
Before leaving for New Zealand, we took two weeks to complete a nice East Coast swing from North Carolina to New Hampshire. We saw lots of friends, family and some great places along the way, including both of our alma maters (Wake Forest and Boston University) and both of our hometowns (Potomac, Maryland and Hampton, New Hampshire). We love the USA!
How do your flights work? Are you buying them as you go along?
Outside of leaving great jobs in the middle of a recession, dealing with air travel is probably the most difficult part of the trip. After researching a variety of options, we determined the best way for us to fly from place to place was with a Global Explorer Pass from the One World Alliance. This offered us the ability to fly everywhere we wanted to go, have flexible dates in case we wanted to stay or leave somewhere, fly on reputable airlines, and earn American Airlines miles! Since One World offers a flat rate based on how many continents you fly to, and since we (technically) began and ended our itinerary in New Zealand, the average price of each flight works out to less than $300.
Where will you be staying?
We will be traveling somewhat modestly, staying in private rooms in hostels, mid-range hotels, short-term apartments, etc., all depending on where we are in the world. We also have a host of hotel points from international chains, especially Starwood (thank you, Amex!), so we’ll use these points every couple of weeks to treat ourselves to a very nice accommodation and maybe even catch some American TV!
How planned out are your stays in each country? Each city?
To be honest, our stays are not very planned out at all. We both have ideas in our heads about what we’ll probably do in certain places, but not much of it is written in stone since we will: a) have plenty of time to plan on the road, b) want to gather suggestions from fellow travelers, and c) want to remain flexible and free during our travels. For more “exotic” places, however, like Guilin, China or India, we might hire a guide or otherwise have a plan for what we will do to fill our days there since they are more difficult to navigate than most other places.
What are you packing for 5 months of travel?
Packing for this kind of trip was incredibly difficult, but we’ve gotten some great advice from fellow worldwide travelers (thanks Eryn and Kevin!) and we’ll be bringing clothes that can layer easily and do well in all weather. Think conversion pants, dry-fit everything and awesome socks. As for technology, we each have a point-and-shoot camera, iPhones, and we bought an Asus netbook for the trip specifically.
Krista is wielding a 24” Victorinox backpack with wheels and Scott is taking a 26” Victorinox backpack with wheels. We also have small day-backpacks that attach to our larger rolling backpacks.
Do you need visas for any of these places?
Surprisingly, only a few countries required visas for entry (for US citizens anyway). Australia has an easy electronic visitor’s pass that was completed in seconds online. We sent away for Chinese and Indian visas a month or so before our departure, and we are hoping to get Brazilian visas while we’re on the road.
Won’t you get sick of each other?
Five months is a long time to be attached at the hip with anyone, but we’re excited for the ups and expect the downs and we know we are building the foundation for an awesome life together.
What places are you looking forward to visiting most?
Scott: Buenes Aires (Argentina), Guilin (China), Perth (Australia), and returning to the South Island, New Zealand
Krista: Mykonos (Greece), Amalfi Coast (Italy), New Zealand, Machu Picchu (Peru)
How will you keep in touch?
We will be in touch through this blog, email, phone, and Skype. Please email us at scott.goryl@gmail.com and kristagoryl@gmail.com. You can also reach us on Skype at sqgoryl and knicegoryl.
We are so excited for our adventure and thanks to all of our family and friends for the unconditional love and support.
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