30 days left and counting

Say hello to my empty, trusty backpack. It's always ready to go wherever I go. 30 days left, and counting. Can you tell I'm anxious? I've watching reruns of the lonely planet. My condo is full of guidebooks on various countries. I've been shooting up on various vaccinations for the trip. And, I constantly daydream of white sand beaches, and a dip in clear blue water.

Alas, I don't have to wait too long. I'm leaving on Jan 7th. The flight is long, and I have several stopovers. The first stopover is in Seattle, then onward to Seoul and finally Bangkok where I'll meet up with fellow friends and travellers, Dan and Harvey.

I only have a few things I want to accomplish overseas. Nothing too major. For one, I want to climb a mountain. I know I've climbed Grouse several times (853 metres), but I want to climb a large mountain. So, my travels will take me to Borneo in Malyasia where I will summit Mt. Kinabulu, the highest peak in SE Asia, at 4095m. I also want to finish my PADI open water license in Phuket. I'm only two ocean dives away from finishing and I've only been putting off getting my license for two years now! Lastly, I want to run the Temple Half Marathon in Southern Thailand in March. Other than that, everything else is game. I'll keep an open mind. I'll eat whatever, go everywhere, and do anything.