I’m going on a big adventure!

After years of dreaming and saving, my husband and I are excited to start our biggest adventure yet: a 12 month round-the-world trip. This Thursday (tomorrow!!! eeeek!!) we fly one-way to Tokyo where we’ll begin 12 months of traveling. Over the next year, I plan to post primarily about food, but also a little bit about our travels and any favorite foods that we come across. First, let me back up a few steps and explain how we decided to do this.

My Life Dream

In college, I spent a year studying abroad in Santiago, Chile. I spent quite some time traveling and staying at hostels during that year. I met many travelers who were on extended travels and I knew right then and there that I absolutely had to do one of those trips. I didn’t know when, or where, or with whom, but I was going to make it happen. There’s something about traveling that makes me feel so alive. I love meeting new people, trying new foods, experiencing new cultures, and just wandering aimlessly in places that are entirely foreign to me. To me, it’s invigorating.

Where are we going?

We have no set itinerary, but rather a list of countries (six continents, sans Antarctica) we hope to visit. We like the flexibility of planning our trip as we go. This way, we can change plans last minute if an opportunity arises, or keep moving if we’re not keen on a particular area. We plan to spend the majority of our time in Asia.

How we prepared for this trip

We’ve spent the last year slowly cleaning out our possessions. We’re storing things we’ll need when we get back (cars, work clothes, minor furnishings and electronics) and have sold or donated everything else.

What we’re packing: we’re each taking a backpack (small enough to be a carry on) and day pack, and that’s about it! I have approximately 10 outfits packed, and strategically coordinated all clothing so that it can pair with everything else. I splurged on travel pants that are functional, yet look decent while walking around cities. Everything we’ve packed was carefully selected. Of course, I’m sure we’ll pick up items along the way as needed.

Clothes take up approximately half of my pack, and the other half is prescriptions/medications (antibiotics, malaria pills, first aid supplies, water filter), electronics accessories, toiletries, a jump rope and wrist wraps for CrossFit, and shoes. That. Is. It. One year, one backpack.

But what about fitness?

Fitness and healthy eating are a huge part of our lives. We currently work out six days per week (CrossFit, mountain biking, and running) and vegetables are a large percent of our diet. Health and fitness is a part of our life that we do not intend to give up. Personally, exercise makes me feel good and keeps me sane.

We plan to eat mostly healthy when possible, but definitely plan on trying all sorts of new foods from the different cultures we experience. We plan on dropping into CrossFit gyms when available, and also going for runs, working out in parks, etc.

Of course, our goal for this trip is not to maintain competitive fitness levels. Our goal is to have a blast traveling the world and living our dream! And when we return and jump back into real jobs, regaining fitness will be a part of that.

What about our careers?

Doing a trip like this is a huge sacrifice. Not only will we have to closely follow our budget, but we also will not be making any money. We quit our jobs with no guarantee that they’ll be there when we come back. We’re giving up a steady paycheck, career advances, and job security. But, we’re also gaining the experience of a lifetime that requires a lot of saving up to have the opportunity to do.

My husband and I have strong work ethics and we are lucky enough to work in industries that we love. We know that a lot can change in a year, and we’re both ready to adapt when we get back. On a personal level, I will be doing continuing education classes while abroad so I can maintain my active CPA (Certified Public Accounting) license. The whole trip can’t all be fun and games, right?

How can you afford a trip like this?

When correctly planned, traveling extensively does not cost as much as you might think. Obviously, some countries are more expensive than others. We plan to spend a lot more time in cheaper areas, and cruise through the more expensive areas. This won’t be the full-time travel blog where we stay at the Four Seasons everywhere. We’re two normal people who have worked our butts off to be able to have this opportunity. We will be eating copious amounts of street food, and staying at mostly hostels and AirBNBs.

What does this mean for Chapi’s Kitchen?

I’ll still be here! And I still have amazing recipes that I’ll be posting all year! I spent this past summer making and photographing my favorite recipes that I’ll continue to post throughout the year. I’ll also be posting updates from the road. There will be plenty of food pictures (because you know, it’s me), but also cool places we stay, things we see, what the heck we’re up to, etc. To stay updated nearly daily about our adventures (and misadventures), follow me on Instagram.

I want to hear from you!

Do you have any recommendations for places to stay, eat, see? Anything unique that you think we should experience? Where did you have the best coffee of your life? (My priorities.) What do you want to hear about the most? Food? (This will likely be the main focus of my posts.) How we attempt to stay fit while traveling? Funny stories about travel mishaps? Please let me know because I’d love to hear from you! You can send me an email here.