Three weeks until I leave for India

Exactly 3 weeks from now, all my plans, thoughts, nerves and dreams of the last 5 years will come to fruition, when I touch down in Delhi and at last, begin my long term round-the-world trip!

The next three weeks will probably shoot by, and what has been a dream for so long is starting to feel very real. I’ve caught myself feeling slightly naïve and equally overwhelmed by the long list of tasks to complete!

The last 3 months:

I’ve looked like (THIS) a lot of the time! Laptop open, working from home, hair in a bun and Dave chilling on my arm!

So, what have I been up to…?

1. Bought a backpack

It took over a month of deliberating, but I’ve pulled the plunge and finally bought a backpack! I’ve had an ongoing battle in my mind between the Osprey Kyte 66L vs the Osprey Fairview 70L. Finally deciding on the latter!

2. Decluttered my life

I’ve started clearing my mountain of clothes! And recycling, selling & shifting all the bits & pieces that has collated over the years. I’ve donated 3 recycling bags full of clothes so far, and it feels like I’ve barely scratched the surface. 

No mind, the packing itinerary has a few more refinement stages…

3. Vaccinations

I knew I had to pay for vaccines, but woah little did I know how much they’d cost! Despite being pretty covered from my Colombia/Brazil (insert) trip in 2019, I’ve spent £440 on vaccinations to protect me on my trip. They’ve included:

• Japanese Ensphyilitys (£95 x 2 shots)
• Rabies (3 shots x £75)
• Hepatitis B (3 shots x £35)

4. Invested in travel gizmos

I’ve had to restrain myself here, but luckily, I’ve been surrounded by great family and friends who thoughtfully also had my trip in mind over Christmas! My favourite… These Gonex Compression Packing cubes… Now I get the hype!

5. Visas

Given that I will be in India for the first 7 weeks, followed by Sri Lanka and Thailand. So far I’ve secured my India visa. Which of course, tested my patience… However, this article was much appreciated throughout!

6. Decided on a route

I’ve done plenty of research on overland itineraries over the last few months, and how I can carbon offset by taking as few flights as possible.

Over the next 3 weeks?

1. See my peeps!

Leaving people is always hard, so making the most of the next few weeks to see my loved ones as much as possible. My grandma and my dog especially!

2. Country-specific activities and food

While I regularly jot down notes in my extensive travel excel sheet. I need to create a dedicated food and activities section and write these down before I get caught up in the travel buzz.

3. Buy a travel laptop

Leaning towards the surface book pro 2- any other (non-apple) suggestions are appreciated though! Update- I bought a Microsoft Surface Pro 4. Review pending…

4. Sort out onward travel (requirement to enter India)

Alongside fixing and selling my bike tomorrow, I need to figure out where my next stop after India will be (maybe Nepal, maybe Sri Lanka?!) Proof of onward travel is required, so I need to figure out some dates ASAP!

The best is yet to come and I’m soooo here for it! 😀