Pre-departure

Our names are Becca and Matt and we recently graduated college with a desire to explore the world. It was a little over a year ago when we began discussing the possibility of traveling. It took much resolve and determination since those early brainstorming sessions to arrive at this point - the eve of our departure. Over the course of the past year, we have both graduated, worked, saved and researched the many details of travel and countries we had next to zero knowledge about.

How did we choose the countries of India, Nepal and Thailand? This is a frequent question we both have received from incredulous friends and strangers. The reasons are many, but the main two are: one, we both have never been to this region of the world and two, the prices made sense for extreme budget travelers such as ourselves.

We both have traveled before. Becca has seen England, Ireland, Italy, Israel and New Zealand. Matt has visited Mexico and the South American countries of Chile, Peru and Argentina. As we scoured the map, our eyes were both drawn to the expanse of the Asia world which we were both very unfamiliar with. We then quickly checked into the prices of touring various countries and realized how cheap it is to travel there! We made our decision and have stuck with it.

The eve before our departure, we rest one more night in a comfortable bed at Matt's parent's house in Baltimore. We reflect back to the last month of incredible change in our lives. Less than one month ago, Matt was finishing up with his job as a research assistant at the University of Arizona while Becca was busy as could be selling and donating most of our possessions. We jammed the remaining essentials into Becca's car, returned our house key to the landlord, and drove across country for the temporary stay here in Baltimore.

During our trip, we will be immersing ourselves in various cultures while experiencing a completely foreign lifestyle. Beginning in India, we will struggle through the masses where over a billion humans are jammed into a country that is about a third of the size of the US. From there we will travel north to the majestic Himalayan Mountains of Nepal where we will attempt the trek to Base Camp of Mount Everest which sits at nearly 18,000 feet. Finally, we will end in the beautiful country of Thailand that is just as rich in ancient history as sandy beaches and clear blue waters.

Just like our previous travel experiences, we know that this trip to foreign lands will expand our cultural savvy and will introduce us to ideas, customs and convictions that will undoubtedly shape us into a better and more understanding people.

Wish us luck.

We stand above in the Baltimore Harbor with our packs ready to go.