Gradually ...

“How did you go bankrupt?” “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

― Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

As a child, I learned how cheat at school. Don’t be shocked! Everyone knew I was doing it. Even praised me for it. You see, if you read ahead you can totally find out the topics before the teacher even gets to them. You can practice. Then you can relax because you don’t have to pay as much attention.

So it is with my big travel plan. I want to read ahead, to practice a bit. And so with immense help and encouragement from M — who frankly was just as eager to find an excuse to practice travel: even experts need to hone their craft — we went on many little adventures together and I took a few solo between the time of the layoff in late September to the time of the flight to Bangkok in early December.

Sayulita Mexico

By far the biggest trip, involving iTravex home exchanges and buddy pass tickets donated my M and daily coffee and huevos con chorizo provided by me. Practiced taking a local bus from the airport in Puerto Vallarta to Sayulita, rather than some kind of AC taxi minibus. 70 pesos instead of the equivalent in dollars. The home exchange was plush, though. Not really the backpacker experience. Especially not with the included golf car that we gringos used to run around town. But sleeping under a rooftop pallapa while the storm winds raged all night was awesome, as was the beach and the surf and the food.

• Length: 1 week
• Backpacking experience: minor
• Overall: Wonderful

Vancouver, BC

Next, Vancouver. This was planned hastily after I rented my own home out from under me via AirBnB. So we went up to Vancouver and stayed in an AirBnB and took city buses around. Took the Amtrack Cascades train up and the Bolt Bus back and used city buses to get around. Had my first long walk in the pouring rain to the wrong bus carrying a heavy pack. So a little backpacking experience.

• Length: 3 days
• Backpacking experience: minor
• Overall: Great

Portland, Oregon

Another weekend of self-inflicted homelessness! This time solo. This time on a greyhound bus (M calls these the ‘Dirty Dog’ but they weren’t so bad) to a hostel. Now we’re getting somewhere. Going down there on a bus with only a backpack. Taking the city busses and walking. Staying in a dorm. Meeting interesting travelers with great stories. This is more like it!

• Length: 2 days
• Backpacking experience: medium
• Overall: Great

Orcas Island, WA

For our final sojourn together before my flight to Thailand and her family Thanksgiving in Hawaii, M and I went up to Orcas Island to the Doe Bay resort. This turned out to be good travel practice only in the sense of being almost entirely disconnected from electronics. The weak and slow WiFi was only available in the cafe. Somehow I held onto my sanity thanks to the hot tubs and the yoga and M.

• Length: 3 days
• Backpacking experience: minor
• Overall: Beautiful

Gold Bar, WA

My final place to stay was Gold Bar. Hunkering down near to the ski resort in the hope that they’d open for the season before I leave. It could still happen, but the temperatures haven’t been very encouraging. It’s been warm. 15C/60F warm. And pouring with snow-melting rain. Colder in the mountains of course, but still not on the fun side of freezing.

Then last night it got cold and started snowing — but will it be enough?

Still, it’s a great experience. My host is an amazing lady named Barb. A truly wonderful character. And I’m getting the space to write and spend time with at a local yoga studio. It’s a “warm” yoga at 80-90F, so maybe this is good climate practice for Bangkok. I know, it’s a stretch¹.

• Length: 7 days
• Backpacking experience: meh
• Overall: Restful

Map

Courtesy of mapcustomizer.com.

¹ C’mon — admit it. That’s a great pun. You love it.