Between Trips

I’m back for a week and a half. That’s it–just ten days. I have lots to do before I’m off to the U.K., and later Africa, on the biggest adventure of my life. I know I won’t be able to get everything done.

The week before leaving, and week after travel has commenced, are always busy–full of meetings (personal and professional), packing (and unpacking), jet-lag, etc. This week is unique in that I’ll have both weeks condensed into one–I’m coming back, and heading out, which equals twice the workload.

I just spent the last couple months in Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand. I attended the Rotary International Convention in Bangkok, afterward giving a mini-tour of the country to professional speaker and friend Michael Angelo Caruso. After he left I met up with my sister and her friend to show them around Bangkok, Koh Phangan, and Kanchanaburi for a couple weeks (first time I had ever traveled with her internationally). Next I flew down to Melbourne, eventually meeting up with my father for a three week cross-country tour of Australia (MEL-ADL-ASP-CNS-SYD) and New Zealand (AKL-CHC-ZQN). After that I hung out in Queenstown for another week, just barely catching my flight back to the U.S. (which was canceled/delayed because of weather). The next morning I was up at 7:00am to do an interview on the local Fox affiliate regarding the trip I was starting in seven days. The following day I hosted an all-day BBQ fundraising event for the trip at Hostel Detroit. That was yesterday. I leave in seven days. I haven’t unpacked yet.

Yes, soon I’ll be heading over to the U.K. to meet with the other members of Team Shoebaru, pick up our shoe-cars from the port, and start our 13,000 mile charity drive to Cape Town. We’re scheduled to finish in mid-October (probably won’t happen, taking into account prior rally experiences), and I’m scheduled to return stateside in mid-November (at which point I’ll be off on a separate trip to Baja California, but that’s a story for another post).

Please note that most of my updates in the coming months will be written over at Shoebaru.com, so be sure to check that blog out while we make our way to Cape Town.

Now, speaking of packing…