Taking a TOAL

For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is in full swing. And while I could argue that the weather here in Virginia has gone directly from winter to summer, it is still spring on the calendar, which means that many of us are starting to think about summer vacation planning. During my around the world travels, after giving a Cliff's Notes version of my itinerary to new friends I met along the way, they would often say to me, "Wow. That sounds like the trip of a lifetime (TOAL)." I always agreed with them, but always with a bit of trepidation. How could I really know whether this trip was the TOAL without having lived my entire life? It was certainly a memorable, life-changing trip, which 50 years from now when I think back to all of the vacations I will have taken during my lifetime, may stand the test of time and indeed be 'The Trip of My Lifetime,' but then again, maybe not. I guess if I am still blogging with the free time I have in between chair exercising and bingo at the local nursing home, I'll get back to you as to whether Around the World 2012 was indeed my TOAL.

So, I got to thinking. If all of us are to someday look back upon a lifetime of vacations, wouldn't it be nice to have taken a vacation so memorable that it clearly stands above all the rest? I think so. So how does a typical vacation morph into the TOAL? Let's explore.

1. Location. Location. Location.

While I'm not going to tell you that you can't have truly memorable trips going to the same beach resort/vacation home year after year after year, I do think there has to be some sort of uniqueness/exotic twist to a TOAL. If you're comparing trips trying to rank which one is more memorable, and the destination for each of those trips is the same, then location can no longer be a determining factor in deciding which trip was ultimately more memorable. Which is to say, "Mix it up people!" Go to a different beach. Leave your home state. Better yet, get a passport and leave the country. There are an abundance of destinations around the world which have jaw-dropping beauty. Get out and see a few

2. Time

It is entirely possible that your TOAL could happen over a weekend get-a-way. However, it is more likely to happen if your trip lasts for weeks, months, or even years. Is it more unique to take a trip that lasts a year or a trip where you took your last 2 remaining vacation days took Friday and Monday off? Would not your odds of seeing and doing something more memorable improve if you had more time for those opportunities to exist? Ask your employer if you can save vacation time and maybe take as much as 3-4wks away from your job. In a world where a 1 week vacation is standard, 2 weeks is rare, and anything longer probably means you are unemployed, taking that prolonged vacation might be enough to make that 1 lengthy vacation more special than all of the rest.

3. Spontaneity

For those of you know me best, you know that I am a planner. DNA has dictated this, no question about it. This trait has manifested itself in other ways as well. In never being the biggest, strongest, and fastest person, I had to break down an opponents weakness to figure out how I could best exploit those weaknesses. On a daily basis, I try to understand why things happen and what it all means to me. I like to analyze situations and try to make sense of it all. That is all well and good, but sometimes you just have to let go and let things happen. If you plan everything to the Nth degree, you can end up going through life wearing blinders and become oblivious to your surroundings. If you are planning every moment of every vacation, you are ultimately doing yourself a disservice. Leave a few days to just get lost, to explore, and to talk to locals. Try the local food, partake in dance, and do your best to immerse yourself in the culture. With limited vacation time and because we want to visit world renowned sights, this isn't always easy. But trust me. Letting yourself go where the wind blows and taking off your tourist sightseeing blinders can really enhance the overall memorability of a vacation. More often than not, it is those unplanned moments which become the most impactful long lasting memories.

4. Action vs. Inaction

This is a tough one. I am fully aware that a large percentage of vacationers lead hectic lives and that when they vacation, they choose to lie on a beach or be catered to/pampered on a cruise. Relaxation is the name of the game. I understand the value of this type of vacation, but my understanding stops if this is the only type of vacation you know. If you are widdling down your choices for your TOAL and are coming to your conclusion based upon whose hospitality was better, Royal Caribbean or Carnival cruises, that's unfortunate. Likewise, if you have to think to yourself, 'Which year had better weather and allowed me more time to lay on beach and sleep/read: 2012 or 1988?,' again, that's unfortunate. Vacations in almost every case will be more memorable if you are active. If you are in a different location every couple of nights, seeing various natural wonders, participating in a variety of adrenaline activities, getting dirty, and making yourself physically exhausted, you are more likely to have experienced a TOAL. It can be so rewarding to break out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. You might come to the end of this type of vacation and be miserable, but you might also have had the time of your life. Don't you owe it to yourself to at least try?

5. Stuff

I reached deep into my vocabulary vault for the title of this section. A TOAL needs stuff. If your entire vacation is beach or mountain or urban, it will most likely be less memorable than a vacation which would include all 3. Think of how great a day like this could be: You wake up early and go for a hike in the Italian Dolomites. You get back into town late morning and catch a train to Venice. By days' end you are riding on a gondola in one of the most unique cities in the world. A day of mountains, water, and historic sights. Or how about the best day I ever had. An early morning hike to Machu Picchu with a rolling fog covering the valley. As the sun rose, the fog disappears, and the majestic ruins are revealed for all to see. A morning tour of the ruins precedes a train ride through the mountains and a raging river. Once back at our van, we start driving back to Cusco. All of a sudden, Mother Nature forces us to pull over on the side of the road. Vibrant blues and oranges fill the sky and highlight the jagged mountains in the most spectacular of ways with one of the most amazing sunsets you will ever see. The night ends with an amazing dinner, amazing dancing, and amazing company. Days like this will obviously be busy, but they are so exhilarating and so rewarding. I would love to hear the argument of someone who would try to convince me that a vacation full of endless days lying on the beach is better than what I just described.  If you still want your lazy beach day, have one of them after days like I just described. The beach day will then enhance the overall WOW factor of a vacation because you will have seen ruins, mountains, gone on a hike, eaten local food, and had time on a beach. In the end, the more stuff you pack into a vacation, the more likely you will have a TOAL.

So there you have it. Planning a vacation which combines a few of the factors described above could quite possibly turn your next vacation into the TOAL. Too often in life, we do what is comfortable and familiar. But how do things become comfortable and familiar in the first place? Every job has an awkward first day. I'm sure the first time many of us went to the beach as kids, we were afraid of the water or didn't like the hot sand. I'd also be willing to bet that many of us have also grown to enjoy certain foods which seemed gross when we were kids. We can only ever know what we like by trying new things and being open to new experiences. Push your boundaries. You might like what you learn about yourself. Now go plan that TRIP OF A LIFETIME. Cheers.

I'm Not a Gigolo, I Promise....

...but I did sleep in 100 beds during my trip last year. You would think with that kind of sleeping around, I would have come home with a bit more money in the ol' bank account. But alas, the only riches which accompanied me upon arriving back home, were the experiences I shared with so many people in the 37 countries (plus Antarctica) and the nearly 150 towns/cities (160+ counting airport layovers) I visited during my 11 month 7 continent journey.

You may have noticed a few numbers in that first paragraph. After undertaking a trip of such longevity in 2012, I thought it would be fun to summarize my experiences in some quantifiable terms as a way for both me, and you the reader, to fully grasp the magnitude and scope of what I willingly endured last year. So here goes:

Those 100 beds I slept in last year, only include actual beds in stationary establishments. There were also 26 other places where I slept overnight which include: multiple buses, trains, and planes, 4 different tents, a grass mat in the desert, the deck of a passenger ship, the deck of a sailboat, 2 airports, a KFC at a Malaysian bus station, and on the ice in Antarctica.

Places I’ve slept on all of my foreign travels: (15) hostel, home, train, bus, boat, ice, desert, airport, park bench, tent, cabins, hotel, beach, bank lobby, plane

Bodies of Water in which I swam: (14) Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern oceans, Lake Malawi, Dead Sea, Red Sea, South China Sea, Coral Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Okavango River, Nile River, Waimangu Hot Springs, Lake Balaton

Pairs of pants worn: 4 plus a bathing suit

Shirts Worn: 6 t-shirts, 2 technical mountain wear shirts, 2 smart wool t-shirts, 3 safari shirts, 1 compression shirt

I also wore lightweight and mid weight long underwear, 2 pairs of gloves, 3 jackets, rain pants, balaclava, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of sandals, 5 pairs of underwear, 2 pairs of sunglasses, 6 pairs of socks

Times I officially paid to have laundry done: approx. 8

Number of ATM cards used: 3

Number of Times an ATM card was used successfully: 15-20, despite my best efforts on dozens of other occasions 

Countries where my card worked: New Zealand, Singapore, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Hungary, Bolivia

Countries where it didn’t work: Australia, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Portugal, Argentina, Ecuador

Countries I’ll never know if it worked or not due to not having a card or pure frustration and not using it: Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Antarctica

Number of Airlines flown: (12) British, Virgin, Qatar, LAN, Aerolineas, Ethiopian, Copa, Royal Jordanian, Croatia, TAP, JetStar, AeroGal

Helicopter Flights on this trip: 3        Helicopter flights prior to this trip: 0

Modes of Transportation: (26) jetliner, prop plane, helicopter, car, truck, van, bus, train, ship, passenger ferry, felucca/sailboat, motor boat, fast catamaran, metro/subway, overland truck, bicycle, scooter, tuk-tuk, motorcycle, foot, quad bike, snowboard, whitewater raft, camel, horse, mokoro

Number of flights: 37

Miles Flown:  60,692 (97,674km)

Miles Covered in Africa: 10,000

Miles Covered in all of the other bus and train travel: Who the Hell Knows?

Number of countries I have now visited: 57.  For those who also count layovers in airports as countries visited, even though I don’t, that total rises to 61 countries plus Hong Kong. 

And finally...perhaps the most mind blowing number to me is that even though I have now visited 57 countries, I have still only visited about 22-29% of the countries in the world, depending on whose definition you use to define what constitutes a country. Cheers.

Get Your Phil

Where in the world is Jeremy? Surprise, I'm on the road again. Not that the 90 minute journey from Williamsburg, Virginia to Fredericksburg, Virginia is as glamorous as a 10,000 mile journey through Africa, but given what my life is at the moment, it will have to do. After 2 months working in Williamsburg, that particular physical therapy facility no longer had a need for me. So now I take my skills to Fredericksburg for the foreseeable future.

Since my bank account is currently telling me I have to work, apart from an upcoming summer trip to Hawaii for a wedding, most of my travels this year are going to be weekend road trips. And that is OK by me. One of the road trips I have actually been looking forward to making for years now was up to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the annual Feb. 2 Groundhog's Day (GD) celebration. For the first time in quite some time, GD fell on a weekend, which meant my brother could join me (I can take mid-week vacation days, but since he is a teacher, the school system kinda frowns upon their educators taking mid-week days off).

The Gaynor Family is known for packing as many activities as humanly possible into the time frame we allot ourselves for vacations and road trips alike. Rest is not an option. We'll have plenty of time to rest when we die. We are the type of people who open airports and lock the gates on our way out of national parks. My brother and I have done a fair amount of road tripping in our day, and almost every one of those trips follows this general itinerary:

-Leave really really late on Friday or in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
-Drive through the night so that we arrive at our intended destination as the sun comes up
-Spend the entire day doing whatever sightseeing we intend to do until we can no longer keep our eyes open
-Sleep in the car or in a budget hotel and repeat the sunrise to weary eyes routine every single day until the trip ends

If any of this sounds familiar, it is because this is how I traveled through all 7 continents last year. Although, sleeping in a budget hotel would have been like sleeping in the Ritz Carlton compared to some of the places I slept last year.

Anyway, back to GD. We packed the car, for this 1 day trip, with more stuff than I packed for an entire year going around the world, and left Baltimore around 8pm.

Whenever we go anywhere, we always research whether there are other historic, ridiculous, or unique things to see and do along the route to our intended destination. In that spirit, we couldn't just make Punxsutawney our only destination for this road trip. So we stopped in Altoona, Pennsylvania at America's Oldest Gas Station.

We really wanted to fill our gas tank here, just because, and because we were actually running on empty, but no such luck. After filling up elsewhere, we finished the 5 hour drive to Punxsutawney around 1:30am.

GD festivities start at 3am and the town actually has shuttles (school buses) which run from various locations to take people to Gobblers Knob, home of the celebration. We decided to take the shuttle from the Walmart parking lot. 24hr Walmarts are awesome. It actually gave us something to do while waiting for the shuttle because even at 1:30am, getting good sleep really wasn't an option.

Northwest Pennsylvania in the middle of winter is bitterly cold. 0 degree (-17C) temps were what we were dealing with. True story: It was actually colder here than just about any time during my trip to Antarctica.

In the spirit of the Oscars tonight, I present the following:

Jeremy: Who are you wearing?

Jeremy: Well Jeremy, I am wearing Smartwool underwear, Smartwool medium weight long underwear, grey Reebok warm-ups with a liner, Old Navy Jeans, black Reebok warm-ups with liner, and REI convertible trekking pants. On top I am wearing Smartwool medium weight long underwear, long sleeve Mountain Hard Wear shirt, REI long sleeve shirt, Columbia titanium long sleeve hiking shirt, and my Quark Expedition Antarctica parka. I also am wearing a pair of gloves covered by REI skiing mittens. My fashionable head wear consists of a Smartwool balaclava, a fleece neck warmer, Smartwool hat, ear warmers, and the fleece lined hood of the Quark jacket. I have on Smartwool sock liners and a pair of REI fleece socks. My stylish Vasque hiking shoes have to be the perfect compliment to at least something I am wearing, but I'm not sure they are going to be warm enough for this morning's festivities.

Jeremy: You really don't have any clue about fashion, do you?

Jeremy: Is practical a fashion?

Jeremy: You embarrass me. On to more important matters. Do you think Phil will see his shadow?

Jeremy: To me, it's not about whether he sees his shadow or not, I'm just thrilled to be here amongst so many inebriated belligerent revelers along with celebrities like Punxsutawney Phil and The Weather Channel's Jim Cantore. This truly is a special event. Everybody here today is a winner, even if only in the minds of their respective mothers. Well Jeremy, it's time for me to go brave the cold and stand in place for the next 5hrs until the sun comes up. It promises to be an exciting morning.

Jeremy: You're my hero

I must say, Jeremy gives a good interview. After a short shuttle ride at 3am from the Walmart parking lot to Gobblers Knob, we stood in those freezing cold temps for about the next 5hrs. Mind you, we didn't need to arrive that early. The sun wouldn't rise until about 7:30am, but we wanted to get as close as possible so we could get a good view of the festivities. This celebration has been going on for 123 years, so event organizers have had plenty of time to perfect the schedule of events leading up to when Phil emerges. Much to my surprise, there was music, dancing, talent acts, and an impressive 30 minute fireworks display at 6:30am while it was snowing to 'phil' the time until Phil was brought out for all to see. In spite of the freezing cold temps, it really was a fun morning, which close to 40,000 people were there to witness. As the sun began to rise, the main event began. The Inner Circle members went through the pomp and circumstance of taking Phil out from the stump on stage, reading the official scrolls of what it would mean if Phil did or didn't see his shadow, and then they placed him on top of the stump for the official shadow/no shadow moment. In actuality, I don't think a shadow has anything to do with the festivities. They place 2 scrolls on the stump, and he walks over to one of them. The head of Inner Circle then reads what is written on the scroll which Phil chose, and this year, it was the scroll stating he didn't see his shadow, meaning spring is right around the corner.

The town of Punxsutawney takes great pride in the fact that so many people come and visit them on this 1 day of the year. From the wait staff in a crowded diner to the gentleman giving tours of the town in the back of a tractor to tourists sitting on bales of hay (while snowing), the people couldn't have been nicer. Souvenirs and food were basically under-priced, given this is the 1 day out of the year when this town really makes money. The townspeople created an event and an atmosphere which I would be more than happy to experience on another Feb. 2 in the future.

As an added bonus for you weather fans out there, for the past decade or so, every GD, the Meteorological Hall of Fame (also located in Punxsutawney) inducts a new member. This year, Jim Cantore, the man who gets sent to every huge weather event in America (blizzard, hurricanes, tornado ravaged areas, floods, etc), was the inductee. I was probably more excited for this unexpected occurrence than I was to see Phil, but it was the perfect way to cap off the events of the day.

On stage with Phil post-prediction

Kind of a reverse photo bomb. Jim Cantore is unaware that he is in a picture with a world famous travel blogger.

This is Gobblers Knob. It was packed with people to about where we are standing

A popular thing to do in towns across the USA is to have local artists design/paint something unique to that particular town.

Phil's home....in the public library

Me shaking hands with weather royalty or Jim Cantore shaking hands with blogger royalty? 

My ride for the tour of the town

The movie made the town famous but was actually filmed in Woodstock, Illinois

Hello and Goodbye from Punxsutawney

My Trip May Have Ended, but the Blogging Hasn't

Now that 2013 has arrived, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I hope the holiday season was good to everyone. My travels have now taken me to Williamsburg, Virginia, which is about 3.5 hours south of my home in Baltimore. I was supposed to have started my new travel physical therapy position on New Year's Eve, but delays in my background check have postponed my start until Friday. A grueling 1 day work week now awaits me. The powers that be must have been so impressed by my phenomenal ability to avoid the workforce over the past 11 months that they just wanted to see me in (in)action a bit longer.

So what did I do after I left Antarctica? Well, I flew to El Calafate in order to do some sightseeing of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Some of you astute readers might be thinking to yourself, "This dude just spent a week in Antarctica staring at glaciers and now is taking more time to see another glacier?" Yup. Totally worth it too. This glacier is massive. 19 miles long, 3 miles wide, and 588 feet deep (240 feet of which is visible above water). Add to the fact that this tidewater glacier is nestled in the Andes Mountains, and you have a truly stunning backdrop worthy of a stop if you happen to passing through Patagonia.

From there, I took an absolutely amazing bus ride to El Chalten on the famed Route 40 which runs through many national parks as it winds its' way through the Andes Mountains. I remember thinking to myself as I was staring out of my bus window that I was witnessing a deconstructed rainbow right before my eyes. You had a ground cover of green and yellow grasses dotted with red plants, ever changing shades of blue in Lake Argentina, and a setting orange sun which created shadows of indigo, violet, and gray within the jagged Andes Mountains. The main attraction in El Chalten is Mount Fitz Roy. It is a mountain which is quite popular amongst rock climbers. I am not a rock climber, but there loads of hikes in the region which promise amazing views of this striking peak. During any hike you also have the opportunity to enjoy raging rivers, bustling creeks, serene turquoise lakes, imposing glaciers, sprawling valleys, and pristine waterfalls as you soak in all the region has to offer. When I hiked to Lagos Los Tres, I was even greeted by gently falling snow, which along with fog, created an eerie visual over the turquoise lakes and imposing, albeit obscured mountain backdrop. Also, in a country known for its' wine, this region is also filled with tasty craft beer selections which combined well with the wide ranging cuisine you can find in this small town. After a year of drinking mainly disappointingly similar lagers, drinking beer with complex flavors was a nice treat.

The final stop on my trip was Iguazu Falls. I arrived on Dec. 16, 9 days short of Christmas, and the temps were in the mid 90's (33ish degrees C) with a ton of sweat inducing humidity. Not my idea of Christmas weather, and also quite a shock to my body given I was in Antarctica with freezing temps only 1 week earlier. In spite of the hot and humid weather though, Iguazu Falls was hands down the best set of waterfalls I've ever seen, and I've seen a few. It was light years better than Niagara Falls and significantly better than Victoria Falls. Iguazu Falls is such a massive complex it even has a passenger tram to take you to various places inside the park. You can also get everywhere on foot, if you choose, as there are footpaths everywhere which allow you to explore your surroundings more intimately. There are waterfalls seemingly as far as the eye can see which can be viewed from up above and from down at their bases. There is lush foliage and dramatic rock outcroppings which provide an even more idyllic setting for the multitude of cascading falls. Tropical birds, dozens of colorful butterfly species, mischievous croatis, stealth lizards, and many other animals added to the experience as well. And if that isn't enough, the falls can be seen from 2 countries, Argentina and Brazil. I only explored the Argentinian side (which was more than adequate), but should any of you decide to visit, consider getting a visa (if necessary) so that you can experience everything that region has to offer.

There are other activities to do in the Puerto Iguazu region as well. You can do bike tours through the jungle, explore nature parks to get an even closer look at the flora and fauna of the region, visit a hummingbird garden, take a helicopter tour of the falls, and do some of the adrenaline activities popular to many tourist attractions. There is even a spot where you can be standing in Argentina and look across the river to see both Paraguay and Brazil. Staring into 3 countries at once would have been a fitting unique visual to end my 11 month trip but then on my plane flight from Buenos Aires to Panama City, I stared out my window and saw a rainbow poking up through the clouds. I couldn't see it reach the ground, and there wasn't a big arc, but there was a huge chunk of rainbow that I was witnessing from thousands of feet in the air. Lots of symbolic meanings can obviously be drawn from that visual, but needless to say, it was a special few minutes which gave me more reason to pause and reflect on the year that was.

And now, the final visuals for you to enjoy.

Outside deck of our cruise ship to Antarctica. Also was the place for the outdoor summer BBQ.

Gentoo penguin

Adelie penguin

These were the zodiac boats we rode from cruise ship to land and the vessels we used to explore the waters around the Antarctic peninsula.

So many glaciers

One of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see, especially considering it is a sunset in Antarctica

Had ice like this been so thick, or packed too closely to our shore landing sites, we could have spent most of time in Antarctica viewing it from the boat. Instead....

....we got to do lots of hiking with those amazing views of mountains, glaciers, and animals.

7 continents. Seen 'em all.

That little red house is part of an Argentine base on the peninsula. If the weather is miserable, that must be a miserable existence. On days like this, it has to be one of the most spectacular views on the planet.

Mirrored reflections everywhere

Penguin porn

The result of penguin porn

These penguins take great care in picking out rocks to add to their nests. Often when they go to pick out the next rock to add, another criminal penguin will come and steal the rock which was just placed on the nest and take it for its' own.

My home for the night I slept on the Antarctic peninsula

Brave campers

Mr. Yum Yum, our toilet for the night.

Loo with a view

Those trails in the snow are known as 'penguin highways.' They often have quite a distance to walk from waters edge to their nests.

The remains of vessels and structures of an old whaling station. Also the sight of our polar bear plunge.

Chinstrap penguins

Old sunken ship

Back in Ushuaia, this is the Beagle Channel Lighthouse.

Our ship cabin. Extraordinarily comfortable bed.

Dining hall

Lobby

Lounge

Main presentation room

Perito Moreno Glacier

Mount Fitz Roy in El Chalten

Iguazu Falls

Croati

Standing on Argentinian soil. The left side of river is Paraguay. The right side of the river is Brazil.

There will be more blogs to come over the coming weeks and months. I'm compiling some interesting facts about my travels. I'll be taking road trips to visit/with friends in 2013 whom I met during my 2012 travels. There will be a road trip to see Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day, a trip to Hawaii, and perhaps a trip at the end of the year to Europe to visit some Christmas villages. I will be spending tons of time this year editing photos and writing a book. Once I'm done editing photos, I'll post them for all to see and get those photo DVDs out to some of my travel mates. My brother and I also will be showing/selling photos in local shows this year. Starting on Jan. 13, we (Whynotfoto) will have about 15 photos on display at The Meeting House in Columbia, MD. for about 2 months. If any of you readers are ever in the area, stop by and check it out. Promises to be a busy year, albeit a much different kind of busy than last year. I wish everyone a safe and prosperous 2013. Cheers.