WHERE WOULD YOU GO?

Today, Matt's high school French teacher (Hello Mme Brubaker!) asked for more information about our plans.  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we will keep this post brief and let the above graphic do the talking.

We have not created a set agenda for our adventures.  Our approach is to remain flexible and avoid over-planning in an attempt to retain a reasonable level of spontaneity.  Have you ever wanted to go to a train station or airport and choose an unfamiliar destination from the departures board?  We hope to do that on this trip.

Now that you have an idea of the general geographic regions we intend to visit, please comment and let us know if there are "must see" sites, cities or experiences that we should pencil into our informal itinerary!

Departure Preparations - Travel Insurance

Most traditional insurance companies do not extend coverage to overseas locations, so a supplemental travel insurance policy is highly recommended and can be sourced at a reasonable price.  We researched this topic and recently identified a website that provides convenient side-by-side plan comparisons.  Entering basic information at http://www.insuremytrip.com/ identified InsureAssist as a quality insurance provider to fulfill our needs.    

We secured the InsureAssist TripMed Multi-Trip policy which covers a full year of world travel.  The following convinced us that this was the right plan:

• $500,000 medical coverage cap (many plans cap at $50,000 or $100,000)
• $500,000 emergency medical evacuation cap (more than sufficient)
• A+ rated insurance underwriter – Nationwide (an insurance agency we used in the past)
• Additional coverage for things like trip interruption, lost / delayed baggage, accidental death, etc.
• Very competitive price ($496 total for two people for a full year of coverage)

It should be noted that this policy contains a unique clause limiting each trip outside of the United States (and US territories) to no more than 90 days.  This is not a problem for us; we intend to return home to see family and friends every quarter or so.  While back in the United States, we will be covered by our traditional insurance provider.

It is comforting to know that we will be covered in the event of accident or illness no matter where we are in the world.

7 Weeks Until We Leave!

Implementing this 10-year goal brings back memories of planning our wedding in Hawaii.  There was a bunch of planning upfront, a lull in the middle when things just happen, and final preparations kick-in as the goal nears.

The latest activities included purchasing quick-dry clothing, new hiking boots, and travel-sized health / beauty items.  We met with our financial advisor, tax account, insurance agent and doctors; we are now fully vaccinated!  Our old 2001 Jeep is road trip-ready and we are preparing to sell the 2012 Jeep.  Our coup de gras was securing Global Entry passes to quickly maneuver through TSA and customs.

There is still more to do including scanning documentation, reserving hotels for the start of our trip, and ensuring phones are travel-ready.

It’s fun to know travel adventures are just around the corner!