Our Route and Very Rough Itinerary

So we're heading off to traipse around the world soon enough and although we won't be planning everything in great detail (what a daunting task that would be!), we did have to plan a rough itinerary in order to purchase our around-the-world tickets. And it's a good thing we did because the world is just so darn big and we want to do everything!) But here's where we'll be headed for real:

Berlin > Shanghai > Hong Kong > Singapore > Indonesia > New Caledonia > New Zealand > Chile > Berlin

We take off on the morning of July 4, the day after sister and I celebrate (together! woo!) our birthday and the start of a new decade of life. Fitting, no? It seemed like the most logical time to leave (not flee ;).

We'll spend 3 whole weeks in China (in July) with one of my closest friends from high school, Sam, whom I haven't seen in entirely too long. She's been living in China for over three years now and both Micha and I cannot wait to experience a bit of her life there. We'll travel around together for a bit, too, and, as is required in China, a couple 24-hour train rides or so will certainly be part of our adventure.

For the rest of the destinations, we've got various lengths of stays planned:

• 5 days in Hong Kong (July)
• 2 weeks around Singapore (August) - maybe we'll fly to somewhere totally different... Like Cambodia? Or Laos?
• 3 weeks in Indonesia (August) - where two good friends from Germany will be meeting up with us to travel around go scuba diving
• 6 days in New Caledonia (September) - the food there is supposed to be incredible!
• 3 weeks in New Zealand (September) - sister has plenty of tips for us there from her study abroad time in that lovely country
• 3 1/2 months in South America! (October - January) - we want to go to so many places, from Ecuador to Patagonia, so there are some big decisions to make once we're there...

There's not much more that we've planned in detail yet. We do know of a few things that we'll definitely make time for, such as a couple weeks at a language school in South America, (maybe) a home/farm-stay in New Zealand (recommended by another friend), a visit to the Great Wall, penguin-viewing in Argentina, and an overnight campout in beds on the beach on an empty island in Indonesia. Micha also recently read about "tribal stays" in New Caledonia, which I'll probably spend the next few days googling and obsessing over...

Random note to friends: You all know I love sending postcards, so if you'd like some along the way, can you send me your most recent address? I'd love to add some exotic fun to your mailbox!