Around the World in 1998-99
Welcome to one of the longest continuously running travel blogs on the internet!
It all started right here in 1998 when we left Los Angeles on a 9 month trip around the world. We planned, we scrimped, and we saved for more than two years before we left. People were shocked that we would quit our jobs, take all that money and spend it all “just to travel.” Why would we not settle down and buy a house? After all, we were almost thirty!
I’m here to tell you it was the best thing we ever did and we don’t regret it one bit. We did come home and “settle down and buy a house” but as you can see we are still traveling as often as we can. I encourage anyone who wants to do this to plan for it, save enough to have a cushion of cash to return home to, and then go!
Our around the world trip, albeit two decades ago (20th-anniversary post here) is still available to see online. Yes, travel has changed quite a bit since then, and yes, the photo quality is not as good as now (what do you expect from a first-generation digital camera?) but it’s still fun to peruse the destinations.
Links to our travelogue and photos from the journey can be found below. Please forgive the ugly formatting on those pre-blogging pages. Those pages are being updated slowly into the latest blogging format.
KRISTINA’S PRE-DEPARTURE JOURNAL:
Updated in 2018:
FEBRUARY, 1998 Preparation or Obsession? – Updated in 2018
MARCH AND APRIL 1998- Do Your Homework and The Big Computer Debate (or, Sometimes Size Really Does Matter)– Updated in 2018
MAY, 1998 Fear and Loathing in L.A, Part 1 – Updated in 2018
JUNE, 1998 Too Much to Do, Too Little Time – Updated in 2018
JULY, 1998 Mexico, No Problema and later, Nuns Who Drink Beer. – Updated in 2018
AUGUST, 1998 Fear and Loathing in L.A., Part 2– Updated in 2018
Our Around the World Trip Starts!
AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1998
HAWAII–
FIJI-
NEW ZEALAND
- Auckland-Updated in 2018
- North Island: Traveling around the North Island in a Campervan-Updated in 2018
- South Island; Traveling around the South Island in a Campervan--Updated in 2018
OCTOBER, 1998
AUSTRALIA-
INDONESIA-
MALAYSIA-
NOVEMBER, 1998
THAILAND
- Southern Thailand-Koh Phangan and Diving Koh Tao-Updated in 2019
- Bangkok, Part 1-Updated in 2019
- Northern Thailand, Visting the Hill Tribes, Village Life and Cooking Classes-Updated in 2019
- Bangkok, Part 2-Updated in 2019
DECEMBER, 1998
NEPAL
- Kathmandu and Planning a Trek in the Himalayas-Updated in 2019
- Jomsom Trek in the Annapurna Range- Updated in 2019
- Back in Kathmandu-Updated in 2019
THAILAND
Bangkok For Christmas- Updated in 2019
JANUARY, 1999
HONG KONG/MACAO
Hong Kong/Macao-Updated in 2019
MAINLAND CHINA
Beijing, China–Updated in 2019
The Forbidden City, Mao, Temple of Heaven, The Summer Palace, The Great Wall and the MingTombs.
TAIWAN
THAILAND
Thailand, One Last Time…(includes visit to Ayuthaya and Khmer Ruins)–Updated in 2020
FEBRUARY, 1999
ENGLAND
London, England- London; Stones and Bones and Talking Birds.-Updated in 2020
HOLLAND –
Holland-Amsterdam and Leiden–Updated in 2020
FRANCE
France-Paris, Mont St Michelle, Bordeaux and Burgundy–Updated in 2020
SPAIN
Northern Spain- San Sebastian, Leon, and Santiago de Compostella– Updated in 2020
MARCH, 1999
PORTUGAL –
Portugal-Porto, Lisbon, Alvito (in a castle), and more…Updated in 2021
SPAIN
South of Spain and Barcelona-Updated in 2021
MOROCCO
Morocco- Tangiers- Updated in 2021
FRANCE
Another Visit to France– Updated in 2021
ITALY
Tuscany Italy– Updated in 2021
APRIL, 1999
ITALY
Sicily- Updated in 2022
The Amalfi Coast and Pompeii- Updated in 2022
MAY, 1999
SWITZERLAND
Champery, Switzerland
Photos of Switzerland
GOING HOME…..May 20, 1999
Culture shock and what happened next.
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Planning Information (keep in mind, this is how it was done in 1998)
BUDGET:
The question on everybody’s lips…just how much did we spend?
PACKLISTS:
Here’s where you can see just how much stuff we brought, what we wind up sending home, and what we have to buy…
KRISTINA’S CLOTHES
DAVID’S CLOTHES
OTHER STUFF
FAQ:
Read more about who we are and what we’re planning on our
frequently asked questions page
See some of the answers to our “other questions” on our answers page.
LINKS:
Go to our links page for lots of great travel-related web sites.
RECIPES:
Great recipes that Kristina collects and creates from all over the world.
READER’S COMMENTS:
This is where we unabashedly toot our own horn with
some of the nice comments people have sent us via e mail.
TECHNICAL STUFF:
Computer stuff, digital camera, accessories, in essence, how we do it
TIPS AND TRICKS:
Helpful hints we learned along the way.
