A couple years ago Kate and I decided we would take some time off after Twitter. We didn’t know when that would be or how long we would take off, but we knew we wanted a break. Eventually we decided to do a full year.
Once we decided how much time we were going to take off, we started creating a bunch of docs and spreadsheets. We listed out everywhere we want to go, what time of year and for how long, and ranked them. Then we plotted them on a calendar.
We have a few fixed dates (a couple weddings and a safari) but otherwise we’re trying to be flexible. We didn’t optimize for traveling the shortest distance, but for being in the right place based on weather.
We also optimized for seeing lots of animals and drinking good wine :).
We rented out our home, I sold my car, and we packed our bags. Here’s what we’re roughly planning on doing:
East Asia
We are starting off in Asia before the weather gets too warm (after a quick stop in Hawaii). We’re planning on visiting Japan, South Korea, China, and Hong Kong.
Europe
From Hong Kong we’ll jump over to Turkey, Greece, then France. We want to spend a lot of the year in Europe, but we’re limited by the visa situation (90 days per 180 days). We’ll spend a bunch of time in France (Paris and also wine country) and travel to other European cities as well (Brussels, Amsterdam).
Iceland and Buffalo
In August we’re heading to Buffalo for a wedding and to visit family. We’ll stop in Iceland on the way, one of the top places on our list of places to visit. Super excited.
More Europe
After the wedding we’ll head back to Europe. So much more we want to see there! This time we’ll focus on Italy: Rome, Modena, as well as wine country. In early September we’ll be in the UK visiting family.
Africa and the middle east!
After some peaceful time in England, we’ll swing through the middle east and Africa. We’ll do quick stops in Jordan and Egypt before going to Kenya for a Safari at the end of September. After Kenya, it’s South Africa (Cape Town and more wine country, of course).
India and Southeast Asia
Things get a little fuzzier after Africa. We want to visit a bunch of Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc) and we have a wedding to go to in Delhi in November. While in India we want to visit family in Lucknow, and then travel through the south (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, wildlife sanctuaries).
Down Under
We’ve been to New Zealand and it’s our favorite place in the world. There’s so much more we want to see there. So we’ll spend a few weeks driving the islands (and drinking wine). We haven’t spent much time in Australia and we’re really excited about driving the coasts and patting some animals.
Back to Europe
In early 2017, with a fresh Schengen visa, we’ll have another stint in Europe. We want to see the Northern Lights, and then head to Spain and Morocco.
Home
Eventually we will have to return home, probably in April 2017 :).
We’re booking roughly a month ahead of us. If you have recommendations on places to visit and things to see, please let us know. And if you are planning any travels, we’d love to meet you somewhere!
♥, Sachin and Kate
Kate & Sachin: follow us on our adventures! 