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Introduction to Planet Aurora

I leave in 3 months.  There is so much to do in that time – bags to pack, shots and meds to be taken, bank accounts to be sorted out, sell my car, pack up my stuff.  Sometimes it is a little overwhelming pulling together all the details.  But then I think – oh yeah, in 6 months, I will be climbing Aconcagua.  Or maybe, in 3.5 months I will be trekking in Nepal.  And the stress and anxiety fades into the background just a little.

So, here are the details….

I leave on August 28th and fly to Nepal.  There I will meet up with my good friend Lisa from college who lives there and my good friend Katherine will be arriving the next day.  Katherine and I plan on trekking while in Nepal.  Right now, we are deciding between the Annapurna Circuit or the 3-passes trek.  Both sound amazing.  Maybe we can do them both….

Katherine is in Nepal for 6 weeks and I do not have a set itinerary other than flying out of Delhi, India on December 18th.  At some point, I will make my way to India.  After spending a month there a few years ago, I know I want to go back and explore more – though hard to choose where!  Varanasi, Calcutta, Rajasthan, Chandigarh…. the list goes on and on.

But, on Dec. 16th, I will fly to Thailand for a 5 day lay-over on my way to Vietnam.  I know it is super short – but I bet I can eat a lot of really good thai food in those 5 days.

Then I arrive in Vietnam for 2 weeks.  I plan on going to the Mekong Delta, Da Lat for the mountains, Nha Trang for the beaches, and Hoi An.  New Year’s on the beach?  sure, sounds good.

Jan. 6th I depart for Buenos Aires, Argentina.  I arrive on the 7th to meet up with friends in order to attempt a climb of Aconcagua (one of the 7 summits).   Between traveling to Mendoza for food, supplies and permits and then being on the mountain – our hope is to be back in Mendoza in late January/early February, drinking fabulous Argentinian wine, celebrating our successful and safe climb!

From there, I plan to head to Patagonia for some trekking and more climbing.  And here is where the plans start to get a little up in the air….  I know that I want to travel north up the Andes, eventually to Peru.  Somewhere in there I hope to volunteer and go to language school.  And lots more climbing and trekking.  And Salar de Uyuni.  Huayhuash Circuit.  Cordilla Real.  The list goes on and on….

I don’t have a return ticket yet, though I will be making that decision sometime in the next few months.  Most likely the end of May, beginning of June.  My budget is tight for next year and I will need to return for work (school?  Outward Bound?  World Challenge?)

So, there you have it friends….  that is the plan.

2 Comments Post a comment
  1. Dave Viale #

    Sounds pretty awesome to me. If I weren’t so psyched for you I’d be really jealous:) Cheers to you for making it all happen – it’s inspiring to know that these types of adventures are really possible if we put our minds and hearts to it. Safe travels – I’m looking forward to following your journey and drinking some beers when you return.

    Peace,
    Dave

    May 30, 2011
  2. Erica #

    You are an inspiration, Aurora! Many would only dream of doing a trip like this. Like Dave said, congrats on making it actually happen!!! Can’t wait to follow along and live vicariously through your adventures around the world.

    May this next year be everything you’ve dreamed of and more! Safe travels to you!

    Erica

    June 7, 2011

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