So you came back for a second helping of this nonsense. Okay then, better strap on the feedbag.
Here’s some more things to know about me:
Travel is one of my favorite things – other likes include birds, hiking, nature, wildlife, old books, microwaving CDs, denying all involvement with moon catastrophes, and posting absurd biographical claims while drunk.
My influences include influencers, my mom, your mom, and that one slightly erotic cartoon character that I grew up watching on Saturdays. No not that one; the other one.
As previously mentioned, I quit my job to travel the world in the new year. Here’s some more deets about the Master Plan:
I’m still working on the Master Plan (and freaking out a little about it).
My last day at my job is January 2, 2024. After that, I’m planning to take the month of January to pack up my apartment and put everything in storage. I will be selling a lot of stuff so please check Facebook Marketplace for hastily-listed, desperately-priced household objects. Everything must go! Except for a lot of things that will stay!
And then in February I’ll be leaving the country. I’ve had some good travels and some good adventures over the years; I’ve currently been to over 30 countries on four continents – not that I’m counting, since that would be gauche. But one thing I’ve always wanted to do was actually live abroad – and, spoiler alert, I’ve never done it. That’s the whole point of this Epic Expat Adventure (still workshopping that name . . . help me out here?).
I want to stay in a place for a couple months, I want to feel like a local. I want to have a favorite coffee shop, or a coffee shop that I hate because all the baristas are snobby and wear mullets ironically.
Other goals include:
· Learning something new
· Making new friends
· Challenging myself
· Going on some truly epic hikes
· Seeing some new (to me) birds
· Re-learning to ride horses
· Having some new stories to tell
It looks like my first stop will be Argentina. This checks a few boxes: it’s a country I’ve never been to, it’ll be warm in Feb, it’s cheap, it has epic hikes and interesting birds and horseback riding opportunities. I recently looked up “gaucho” – the Argentine equivalent of a cowboy – on Wikipedia and it said that gauchos are famously brave and unruly. I want to be brave and unruly! Up to this point I think the two adjectives that could best describe me would be “cowardly” and “ruly.” Hopefully if I spend some time in gaucho-land I can change all of that.
When the weather in the northern hemisphere becomes more agreeable I’ll likely be heading to eastern Europe – possibly Albania? Romania? Slovenia? One of those “-ia” countries probably. Those are all options with, again, good hiking, beautiful scenery and low cost of living which will allow me to stretch my adventure funds further.
You want to help, you say?
The most helpful thing you could do would be to send me some words of encouragement! The other most helpful thing you could do would be to put me in touch with any contacts you have overseas, particularly if they happen to be in Argentina or eastern Europe. I would love to have acquaintances that might be able to advise me on good neighborhoods, interesting sites, and mullet-free coffee shops in the places I’m headed.
The other most helpful thing you could do (are you keeping track of the superlatives?) would be to subscribe to my page here, and share it with your friends. Share it with your enemies too – and since you hate them so much, go ahead and subscribe them against their will. It’s all good for me; a hate-subscription is still a subscription!
And the other most helpful thing you could do would be to teach me how superlatives work. An equally most helpful thing you could do is to help me come up with a good sign-off phrase.
Stay wild, stay weird, stay wanderlusty. (What do we think of that one?)
Great list of goals, Angie. I have faith that you'll accomplish all of that and more, all while have wonderful (and sometimes terrifying) adventures. Remember: churches and other religious places are not generally safe. Just ask any cardinal.)
Have fun, stay safe, and keep in touch.