25 Days and Counting

How am I going to make it for 25 more days? 25 days feels like an eternity! I feel like a kid waiting for Santa. I'm totally consumed by "the trip"!

I purchased my traveler's insurance today. The most important coverage for me right now is medical coverage but I'm happy to have trip cancellation too. As always with any insurance, it's good to have but I hope I don't have to use it. It's strange to think that I'll be medically covered in Thailand for 30 days for only $65 (which also included a whole host of other coverage too) where as here at home I'm not covered at all. I'm better off, financially, getting sick in Thailand then here at home. It just doesn't seem right but I'm thankful to have the coverage abroad.

There will be a little issue with unemployment. I have to get some more facts before I decide how to proceed while I'm there. But the good news is that I have the cash reserves to cover me nicely if I'm unable to claim for a month.

I also called the UW Travel Clinic today. Unfortunately they are closed until tomorrow. Maybe they are traveling. Any ways, I need to get more information on Malaria and Typhoid.

The other big thing I'm working on right now is purchasing a netbook for my trip. I don't want to spend much more than $300, but I want a reasonably good machine, with decent battery life (longer than 4 hours). I'm completely undecided on if I should get Windows XP or Windows 7. Any one have any advice about that? Other than the price, operating system, and battery life... they all seem to be basically the same. I can pay a little less and order through Amazon with free shipping but Amazon's return policy SUCKS! I can pay a little more and go through Costco with a killer return policy but their selection is quite limited. I could go through Best Buy pay a little less than Costco but a little more than Amazon with a mediocre return policy with a pretty good selection. I think sometimes it's a disadvantage to have too many options to chose from.

Our itinerary is coming together nicely however. Looks like Aaron and I will spend the first few days in Bangkok then head up North to Chang Mi for a few days then head South to Phuket and vicinity for the majority of the time. This will give me a change to get the lay of the land and decide where I'd like to spend my remaining 2 weeks once Aaron leaves. It's really between Chang Mi, somewhere South on the beaches, or East to Vietnam.

Looks like we'll also be seeing some friends while we are there. Our friends Mark and Sara will be in Thailand the same time as Aaron and I so we'll meet up with them at least once. My dad and Sandy will be in the South for our second week. They are taking a sailing vessel cruse leaving out of Phuket the week of the 13th so we'll meet up with them for at least a drink. And then Mary may have a work trip to India and be forced to stay in Bangkok for the final weekend of my journey.

Finally, I started a PM class at Bellevue College. It's a 5 week course and it's one of 3 I plan to take. The good news it that I went onto Indeed today and there seems to be a few Junior PM positions open. Not that I'm applying to any right now but it's good to know they are out there. I think I have a better chance of getting a junior level PM position than a mid level HR position. And I've said from the beginning, I don't mind starting again from the bottom if it's in a new career.

Other than that, it's life as normal... minus good skiing or any skiing for that matter.