Leaving Lotusland

“I told the rest to go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus and leave off wanting to get home, so they took their places and smote the grey sea with their oars.”

Homer, The Odyssey

 

 

 

For four years, I’ve been staring at a large mural map of the world hanging just outside my kitchen. I guess its message finally sunk in. I will leave Vancouver by ship at the end of October. My vessel won’t be a Greek galley, but a container ship headed for Shanghai. From there, I plan to go overland to Europe. At some point I will return to North America. My stuff is here, and so are most of the people I love.

What’s this all about? I’ve been periodically nomadic for almost two decades now, and I enjoy big journeys. After high school, I worked in Germany and travelled through Europe for half a year before university. While doing my M.A., I spent six months in Slovakia on internship. After six years working in Toronto, I went to India for three months. And then I came to Vancouver. Crossing the world’s biggest ocean, and all of Eurasia, is an Odyssey worth doing.

No, seriously, what are you running away from? I suppose it’s the ultimate insult. “Vancouver, sorry, it’s over. I’m leaving you. For Siberia.” Well, Vancouver’s got a lot going for it but it’s no big secret that I haven’t worked much (for money anyway) since the 2010 Games. Sailing off across the Pacific isn’t going to solve that problem, but it should help me regain some momentum. If this counts as a career setback, I’ll take it.

What will you do? Where will you go? I’m getting visas for China, Mongolia and Russia. Beyond that I could go anywhere that allows Canadians in without a visa. Here are a few places I’m thinking about (subject to drastic change): Shanghai, Beijing, Ulan Bator, stops along the Trans-siberian route, Moscow, eastern and central Europe, Hamburg, London. If you have suggestions/contacts for any of the above (or if you will be there between November and February), I want to hear from you!

How can you afford this? Are you going to be working? No car, no mortgage/rent, no dependents, no worries. I play my cards right, I’ll get back a little poorer, but still debt free and with retirement savings untouched. I’ll be on the ship purely as a passenger, and have no work planned during this journey. But some of the destinations listed above will be great for networking.

How are you preparing for the trip? What about your stuff? Moving won’t be a big deal. My belongings will fit inside a 5×10-foot storage unit in a facility less than one kilometre from where I live. Visas, vaccination, insurance are all dealt with, and I’ve given notice to the landlord. There’s not too much I need to buy – perhaps some small gifts and a few books – and I’m shopping for a laptop (see below). Bearing in mind that I’ll be going through a Russian winter, I plan to travel light.

Are you going to write about this? I enjoyed blogging about my journey through India, and will do so again this time. Connecting to cyberspace might be difficult along parts of the route (especially mid-ocean), but I’ll find ways to post news regularly.