Too much to see

With a huge event on the horizon I am taking some time over the holidays to do a little planning. Trip planning that is. Other events should be well planned at this stage are so I am trying to get organised before that other event starts.

Travel planning is an art and not suited for someone as neurotic as I am. I have spreadsheets and bookmarks, cost versus countries visited analysis, and lots of information/opinions from friends that have done a lot more traveling than me. This is probably the first time I have had this much freedom, and time, to plan for a trip. I'm not bound by a limited amount of vacation time or geography. The only thing holding me back are the seasons and my budget. I'm okay with getting rained on but not sure I am up for living like a backpacker on $25 a day.

Other things to consider:

Accommodation - I don't need to stay in the Four Seasons but I would like to have my own room and bathroom if possible. I just like the idea of locking my stuff up, not listening to someone else snore, and not waking someone else up with my snoring. And...I'm 32...I'm over sharing a room. If I was to stay in hostels I bet I could travel for 12 months and see 20 or so countries. A friend of mine travelled for 12 months on 10k. Said she had a wicked time and was paying between $1-5 a night for accommodation in Central America. But she is a braver soul than me and has admitted she sleeps like the dead.

Organised vs. Solo - I really enjoyed my tour in Morocco with Gap Adventures. I paid extra for my own room, which was worth it, but really enjoyed that someone had planned out the route and I could follow along, picking and choosing which activities I wanted to join in on. And as an introvert, it was great to easily meet people. I hate having to make small talk over and over again. While I wouldn't want to do a Kontiki tour (no name badges and big buses) I do like being in a group of 8 to 12 people where there is flexibility to stop at the smaller sites along the way. Gap Adventures, Intrepid and Exodus all have this type of format. Gap offers the option of paying extra to have your own room. I could easily make up a tour of these trips but the challenge is the cost and the fact that there is little spontaneity. It is end to end organise. No stopping for a week on that beautiful beach, or cutting out that big city tour because you're not in the mood.

Roughing It - Having very limited experience in camping I am a bit scared of Oasis. I met two Aussies on the Morocco tour that had just been through Africa with them. They loved it. It was super cheap and they covered off 10 countries in 2 and a half months for about 3k. As it was all overland, they felt they had seen it all, up close and personal. The bargain makes it super tempting. The equivalent trips with Gap are closer to 6k and are also 'participant camping'. They also do tours through South America.

Where to go - I've seen bits and pieces; some of Europe, some of Asia, Costa Rica, but not really all of something. Do I take this time to fill in the missing pieces? Or am I okay with not seeing Laos? Really enjoyed Vietnam and would love to spend more time there; is now the time to go back? Or do I start a new continent? All of Africa or Nepal and a beach tour of Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore? Do I even bother stopping in Europe? I will be flying through on my way to Nepal; do I sneak in 3 days in Paris? I'm sure I'm going to have a great time wherever I go, but still debating over whether I should focus in on one area or jump around. I was going to do a theme trip of all trekking; Annapurna, Kilimanjaro and Mount Blanc. Asia, Africa and Europe. But added together they make for a very pricey trip and me not actually seeing that many new countries.

Break it up? - My other debate is if I should do two trips and come home to catch my breath and enjoy summer in between. Head out for Nepal etc. for April through June, enjoy July and August in Vancouver, then head to South America or Central America or Africa for the fall. Risk is that I will come home, get a job and not finish my travels. Or that I will blow my travel money living it up in Vancouver.

I think I've spent about 8 hours today researching for my trip. Might be time to shut down the computer and work on something else.