As I am sitting here in KUL to meet up with my cousins, Zach, Kelly, and David, I thought I would write a quick blurb of why I am taking a year plus off from work…..my answer….why wouldnt anybody if they had the time and money?

“Why are you taking a year off to travel when you have a great job and get to travel enough already?” Is a question I have been asked in one form or another the last year plus.  It has come from students, friends, family, and especially my mom

Is this career execution for me? (Like Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI below)

Why are a lot of people surprised I am doing this? (Like Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette when the Third Estate started becoming powerful)

Why are people critical of me doing this? (Just like Josephine was critical of Napoleon all the time)

 

Yes it is hard to leave Cairo and my students, but it was three good years and I believe their historical understanding is higher than most students in high school from the United States.  They will give their history teachers next year a run for their money…..Cruz and Negrete, be prepared

There is no easy way to explain why I am taking 14 months off. But my question to anyone: Why wouldn’t you want to take 14 months off to travel if you could?  Take it I am from the USA and the holidays there are slim to none, plus cost of living is very high Wouldn’t this be a great way to divide up your professional career if you could?

Yes I was asked to be an Asst Principal next year at my school which is a major career step for me, but i turned it down.  I am sure I will get a chance at it again and this trip has been so important to me for so long……Money is not always everything!!!

So with money not being important, and me wanting a break…this is the perfect time to globe trot for a bit……

Divided into two legs:

LEG 1

June 19-July 30: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore

August 1-4: Greece

August 4-8: Eugene, Oregon

August 8-August 20: El Paso, Texas

August 20-August 24:  Knoxville, Tennessee

August 24-September 2- El Paso, Texas

September 2-6: Houston, Texas

September 6- September 21: Cairo, Egypt

September 21- September 26: Munich, Germany (Oktoberfest) and Salzburg, Austria

September 26-October 1: Cairo, Egypt

October 1-October 10:  Tunisia (Tunis and Djerba)

October 10-October 14:  Cairo, Egypt

October 14-October 25: Greece

October 25-November 12- Albania

November 12-Nov 15:  UK

LEG 2

 9 month trip overland around Africa (see below map for rough route I am taking).

Approximately Nov 15, 2016 to Aug 12, 2016.  This is an overland route in which I will have no tour guide, just a driver on a safari van.  Cooking our own meals and sleeping where we can.  The best part of this, a lot of it is off the beaten path!!!!!!

Will it be dangerous?  Yes!!!!  Is there a lot of preparation involved?  Oh hell yea…..Am I ready?  More than ever……ARISTOTLE ONCE SAID~THERE WAS NEVER A GENIUS WITHOUT A TINCTURE OF MADNESS…..GUESS THAT IS ME!!!!

Kelly, David, Zach……Im coming……