My 9-month solo journey on Star Alliance, ATW. Flights were obsessively planned, nothing else is.

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About this blog

Two years of oscillatory business travel has left me in search of change and with airline awards to burn. I quit my job, moved out of my 3 apartments, and packed a bag. This journal will tell the tale of the rest of my 2005: 9 months, 5 continents, ~25 countries, 24+ flights, and a whole lot of patience. Play along with the home version of the game, come visit, or heckle from afar. Just stay in touch.

• 1

  Ticketed. Booked. In the bag. Out the door.   Dulles, United States on Mar 19, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 2

  The longest day.   Chicago, United States on Apr 1, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 3

  Has it been 4 days already?   Bogota, Colombia on Apr 5, 2005 9 pictures 0 comments
• 4

  Chao to Bogota   Bogota, Colombia on Apr 7, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 5

  Feel the heat   Cartagena, Colombia on Apr 9, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 6

  Lichen and tiger-fish and octopus, oh my!   Taganga, Colombia on Apr 12, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 7

  The Yellow Fever   Parque Tayrona, Colombia on Apr 16, 2005 7 pictures 0 comments
• 8

  Layover to Quito   Bogota, Colombia on Apr 18, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 9

  Viva Quito, Viva Ecuador!   Quito, Ecuador on Apr 20, 2005 5 pictures 0 comments
• 10

  Volcanoes to Eden   Otovala, Ecuador on Apr 24, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 11

  Wrapping up Quito   Quito, Ecuador on Apr 24, 2005 4 pictures 0 comments
• 12

  Iguana   Galapagos, Ecuador on Apr 28, 2005 10 pictures 0 comments
• 13

  Moving right along   Cuenca, Ecuador on Apr 29, 2005 5 pictures 0 comments
• 14

  Aloha, Loja   Loja, Ecuador on Apr 30, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 15

  Not so fast or furious   Chiclayo, Peru on May 1, 2005 3 pictures 0 comments
• 16

  We named the dog Indy!   Trujillo, Peru on May 3, 2005 10 pictures 0 comments
• 17

  Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.   Lima, Peru on May 6, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 18

  Thinking back to Lima OOO   Lima, Peru on May 7, 2005 7 pictures 0 comments
• 19

  Machu Picchu OoO   Aguas Calientes, Peru on May 10, 2005 5 pictures 0 comments
• 20

  Ruined in a Day   Cusco, Peru on May 12, 2005 5 pictures 0 comments
• 21

  Uros Floating Islands   Puno, Peru on May 14, 2005 4 pictures 0 comments
• 22

  Isla del Sol   Copacabana, Bolivia on May 15, 2005 6 pictures 0 comments
• 23

  Bolivian   La Paz, Bolivia on May 17, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 24

  Late bus   Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 18, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 25

  The model city   Curitiba, Brazil on May 18, 2005 8 pictures 0 comments
• 26

  Taking the fall   Foz do Iguacu, Brazil on May 19, 2005 28 pictures 0 comments
• 27

  Beautiful People   Porto Alegre, Brazil on May 23, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 28

  Brazilian beach life   Florianopolis, Brazil on May 27, 2005 6 pictures 0 comments
• 29

  Sugar Loaf and Jaws   Rio de Janerio, Brazil on May 30, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 30

  Corporeal   Sao Paulo, Brazil on Jun 4, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 31

  Matador   Madrid, Spain on Jun 9, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 32

  I'm good at planes and buses, but trains are new.   Madrid, Spain on Jun 10, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 33

  What happens in Barcelona...   Barcelona, Spain on Jun 11, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 34

  Layover in Munich   Munich, Germany on Jun 14, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 35

  Little Idiot   Prague, Czech Republic on Jun 15, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 36

  Night-life OoO   Prague, Czech Republic on Jun 20, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 37

  Konsulates   Vienna, Austria on Jun 25, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 38

  Donauinsel   Vienna, Austria on Jun 26, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 39

  Vienna is almost history   Vienna, Austria on Jun 29, 2005 0 pictures 1 comment
• 40

  Leaving home again   Aviano, Italy on Jul 6, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 41

  A sea of beach umbrellas   Lignano, Italy on Jul 6, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 42

  Adriatic Sea salt   Koper, Slovenia on Jul 8, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 43

  Senior citizens and rave clubs   Izola, Slovenia on Jul 10, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 44

  Cute town you've got there   Ljubljana, Slovenia on Jul 13, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 45

  Three interesting people   Bled, Slovenia on Jul 16, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 46

  In the clouds   Kranjska Gora, Slovenia on Jul 17, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 47

  ABCD   Moscow, Russia on Jul 21, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 48

  Beat down   Moscow, Russia on Jul 25, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 49

  Spasiba   Moscow, Russia on Jul 25, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 50

  The customer is never right   Vladimir, Russia on Jul 26, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 51

  My first pangs of homesickness   St. Petersburg, Russia on Jul 31, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 52

  Third time's a charmer   Vienna, Austria on Aug 11, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 53

  Acropolis gazing   Athens, Greece on Aug 11, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 54

  Certifiable   Lagana, Zakynthos (Zante) Island, Greece on Aug 16, 2005 4 pictures 0 comments
• 55

  Let the games begin   Olympia, Greece on Aug 19, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 56

  Athena, take 2   Athens, Greece on Aug 21, 2005 3 pictures 0 comments
• 57

  Big Boom   Perrisa, Santorini Island, Greece on Aug 25, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 58

  Raffles   Singapore, Singapore on Aug 27, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 59

  Sling   Singapore, Singapore on Aug 29, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 60

  National Day   Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Aug 31, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 61

  Fore   Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia on Sep 3, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 62

  I'm surrounded by KenResers   Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia on Sep 4, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 63

  All smiles   Hat Yai, Thailand on Sep 6, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 64

  Tsunami country   Koh Phi Phi, Thailand on Sep 7, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 65

  Same Same, but Better   Koh Phi Phi, Thailand on Sep 10, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 66

  Just one drink you buy me.   Patong, Thailand on Sep 11, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 67

  Ground zero   Hat Khao Lak, Thailand on Sep 12, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 68

  Flying solo   Chiang Mai, Thailand on Sep 15, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 69

  Multi-modal transport   Bangkok, Thailand on Sep 16, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 70

  Moonies   Hat Rin, Koh Phangan, Thailand on Sep 19, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 71

  Big fish   Koh Tao, Thailand on Sep 20, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 72

  Mine your own business   Siem Reap, Cambodia on Sep 25, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 73

  Wandering SE Asia's core   Bangkok, Thailand on Sep 27, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 74

  Trek star   Kathmandu, Nepal on Sep 28, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 75

  Gokyo Ri Trek   Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal on Oct 10, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 76

  Religious contention   Kathmandu, Nepal on Oct 12, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 77

  Slung   Singapore, Singapore on Oct 14, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 78

  Go-go Sox!   Hong Kong, Hong Kong on Oct 18, 2005 3 pictures 0 comments
• 79

  Where have I heard this before?   Macao, Macau on Oct 19, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 80

  Home Sweet Home   Guangzhou (Canton), China on Oct 19, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 81

  Feed me   Leshan, China on Oct 23, 2005 3 pictures 0 comments
• 82

  No bamboo for you   Chengdu, China on Oct 23, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 83

  In-Crede-able   Chengdu, China on Oct 23, 2005 3 pictures 0 comments
• 84

  Try as they might   Xi'an, China on Oct 25, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 85

  Group 4   Xi'an, China on Oct 27, 2005 5 pictures 0 comments
• 86

  Greatness   Beijing, China on Oct 31, 2005 3 pictures 0 comments
• 87

  Illiterati   Shanghai, China on Nov 3, 2005 5 pictures 1 comment
• 88

  Accordion   Kyoto, Japan on Nov 7, 2005 5 pictures 0 comments
• 89

  ...but the Princess is in another castle!   Hemeji, Japan on Nov 7, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 90

  5000 degrees C in one second   Hiroshima, Japan on Nov 9, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 91

  Do the comics reflect the culture, or vice versa?   Miyajima, Japan on Nov 9, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 92

  One night in Japan's second city   Osaka, Japan on Nov 10, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 93

  Take me out to the ball game...   Tokyo, Japan on Nov 13, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 94

  What city am I in again?   Seoul, Korea Rep. on Nov 15, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 95

  A new fan   Seoul, Korea Rep. on Nov 17, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 96

  G'day   Sydney, Australia on Nov 20, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 97

  Idols   Sydney, Australia on Nov 21, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 98

  Dingos   Fraser Island and Hervey Bay, Australia on Nov 25, 2005 2 pictures 0 comments
• 99

  Newbie   Agnes Water / Town of 1770, Australia on Nov 28, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 100

  Almost got a bit complacent   Brisbane, Australia on Nov 29, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 101

  A big little town   Christchurch, New Zealand on Dec 1, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 102

  Tramping by the milky blue waters   Lake Tekapo, New Zealand on Dec 2, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 103

  Retreat   Mt. Cook, New Zealand on Dec 2, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 104

  Graduation Day   Dunedin, New Zealand on Dec 4, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 105

  Down on the farm   Gore, New Zealand on Dec 4, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 106

  No sound at all   Te Anau and Milford Sound, New Zealand on Dec 6, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 107

  Adrenaline junkies   Queenstown, New Zealand on Dec 7, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 108

  Over the top   Wanaka, New Zealand on Dec 8, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 109

  Kiwi Qwidditch   Greymouth, New Zealand on Dec 9, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 110

  Almost enough to make me a morning person   Nelson, New Zealand on Dec 10, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 111

  So pretty.   Picton, New Zealand on Dec 10, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 112

  800lb gorilla   Wellington, New Zealand on Dec 12, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 113

  Rather long lunch break   Turangi, New Zealand on Dec 13, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 114

  Lite-Brite   Waitomo Caves, New Zealand on Dec 13, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 115

  Ahead to the past   Rarotonga, Cook Islands on Dec 15, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 116

  The last city   Auckland, New Zealand on Dec 16, 2005 0 pictures 0 comments
• 117

  It's oh so quiet.   Aitutaki, Cook Islands on Dec 19, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 118

  Vrrroooommmm   Rarotonga, Cook Islands on Dec 23, 2005 4 pictures 0 comments
• 119

  Christmas cards   Moorea and Tahiti, French Polynesia on Dec 25, 2005 4 pictures 0 comments
• 120

  Yak and Yeti's   Westminster, United States on Dec 29, 2005 1 picture 0 comments
• 121

  Is this deja-vu or have I been here before?   Chicago, United States on Dec 30, 2005 0 pictures 1 comment
• 122

  Conspicuous   Chicago, United States on Jan 13, 2006 0 pictures 1 comment
• 123

  Complacency   Willow Springs, United States on Feb 8, 2006 0 pictures 0 comments