The start of this project was delayed, as I waited for my car to sell. I finally got started on July 2nd, 2003.

It is difficult when considering a trip this extensive, to establish a realistic timetable in advance. There are just so many variables. It is the nature of this project that I don't plan to sit around in any one place for very long. I will be constantly on the move, meeting new people, and seeing new places. Having said that, I certainly will not be 'rushing' to meet any deadlines. It is difficult to say how fast or slow my travel will be, or how much there will be to slow me down in between places. For this reason, I have been hesitant to put forward any type of schedule.

However, for those of you who are interested, this is the rough - read very rough - itinerary that I have sketched out for my own purposes. If you are one of the many kind people who has invited me to spend a night at your home, this schedule will give you an approximate timeframe for my arrival. I will or course be in touch with more specific details, as that date draws nearer. I wouldn't just land on your doorstep :)

JULY
->Vancouver->Alaska
AUGUST
->Vancouver
->Washington->Oregon
->Oregon->California
->California->Nevada
->Nevada->Colorado....a big month, I know!

SEPTEMBER
->Colorado->Texas
->Texas->Tennessee
->Tennessee->Kentucky
->Kentucky->Ohio.... I've realized it just won't be practical for me to be in New York for September 11th. It's a shame, but I just don't think it would work out.

OCTOBER
->Pennsylvania->New York
->New York->New England
->New England->Nova Scotia, CANADA
->Nova Scotia->Ontario...from there it's a bit vague, but at some point I'll be trying for another stay in the States, taking in the east coast and the far south, then across through Arizona to California and down to Mexico and beyond!

FLY TO LONDON, THEN EUROPE

Everything takes longer than you'd expect. I didn't end up leaving North America until December; didn't even make it any further south than the Mexican border town of Juarez! I was so broke when I arrived in England, that I had to work for the first three months solid, often up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week. The good news is that I escaped the winter, and did manage to pay off some serious credit card debts. The bad news is, it's just not going to be possible for me to make it to Turkey in time for Anzac Day.(Below)

To spend Anzac Day 2004 at Gallipoli, Turkey. Anzac Day is April 25th, the comemoration of the day in 1915 when Australian troops commenced a bloody campaign to take Constatinople- now Istanbul. Over 8000 Australian soldiers died on the beaches of Gallipoli by the end of the unsuccessful campaign.

I will definitely visit Gallipoli, but at a later date. From England in April, the projected itinerary could look something like this:

MAY 04 - England to Morocco via Spain
JUNE 04 - Morocco
JULY 04 - Spain
AUG 04 - Western Europe
SEP 04 - Western Europe
OCT 04 - Western Europe
NOV 04 - Western Europe
DEC 04 - Eastern Europe
JAN 05 - Russia
FEB 05 - across Russia to China
MAR 05 -> ?????????????

Since I've been delayed in North America and also England, the updated itinerary above now has me crossing Russia at the height of winter. Obviously, this is not ideal! We'll see how that all works out, eh?

In the spring of 2005, I plan to hitchhike Italy and continue on to Turkey, Syria and Jordan in the summer.

If you have any advice, tips, or suggestions for any aspect of this trip, I would welcome the input. If you think you could help out in any way, please let me know. I will need all the help I can get, and I'm not too proud to accept help from strangers. Anyway, don't they say there's no such thing as strangers; just friends you haven't met yet?

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