FAQs

What does your family think of all this?

Honestly I couldn't do this without my family.  I couldn't do this without knowing that if I fell flat on my face without a dime to my name my family would there for me.  

They are scared for me but they totally supports my decision to do this.  They are used to me being left of center.   

Where are you going and when are you leaving?

I'll be headed to Biloxi, MS around April 7th, 8th or 9th and staying until May 3rd.

May 3rd I'll be riding to New Orleans, LA to catch the tail end of Jazzfest and hang out with some friends for a couple of days.  

I'll be staying in New Orleans until the beginning of June.  I then plan on heading back to NYC stopping to see some friends along the way in Cary, NC, Nashville, TN, Atlanta, GA and Virginia Beach, VA.  

Bottom-line is that I want to be back in NYC by mid week of the second week of June so that I can get everything in order to be in Beijing by June 29th.  I'll be in Beijing until August 29th.  

South East Asia comes after Beijing.  This leg of my trip is not as planned out as the other portion.  This is where I truly become a vagabond and let the wind take me where it will.  

I definitely want to visit Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, The Philippines, Bali, Indonesia, India and any other destination that captures my fancy.  This list is by no means definitive.  I swear it seems like it changes everyday. 

What will you be doing?

In Biloxi I'll be affiliated with Hands on the Gulf coast.  This organization builds houses in Biloxi for those people that were ravaged by hurricane Katrina.  Yes, there is still a tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in this area.  Almost everyone has seen the pictures from New Orleans but Mississippi was also hard it.  Unfortunately, Mississippi (I love typing that state) doesn't get nearly as much press as New Orleans.  

In Beijing I'll be studying and learning Mandarin Chinese with a language learning organization called Mandarin House during the day.  Exploration is the name of the game during the afternoons and weekends.  Hopefully I'll be able to see some events during the Olympics in August.  I'd really like to experience the opening and closing ceremonies, track and field, diving, basketball, gymnastics and so much more.  

In South East Asia I'm just going to truly experience another culture without any preset plans.  

Why China?

I've been asked this question so many times.  The short answer is that this is where I'm being lead.  

The long answer is that the last time I felt like I had to go somewhere without knowing about the area as when I went to Australia.  All I knew then is that I wanted to go to Australia and experience being there.  I told myself that I was going to go for my 35th birthday but I let others talk me out of it and didn't go at that time.  At the age of 41 I had the opportunity to go for 3 weeks and had the most amazing holiday of my life.  I'm being lead to China just like I was lead to Australia many years ago.  

Do you have an agenda?  

The only agenda that I have is listed above.  My travels to South East Asia will be a true vagabond experience.  The last structured thing that I will be doing is studying Mandarin in Beijing; after that I have no set agenda, no set destination, no reservations anywhere.  I will honestly be headed where I want to go when I want to go there.  And I'm really looking forward to it.  

Are you still going to teach English?

Unfortunately, no.  

The telephone interview that I had with the English language learning organization English First went really well.  The Director of the program was definitely looking for someone that had teaching experience and has worked with kids in the past.  Well I've worked with kids in the past but don't have the teaching experience.  He suggested that I get certified in NYC and come to Beijing with the teaching certification under my belt so that I'd have a bag of tricks to pull from when I worked with the kids this summer.  

I looked into getting certified.  It would take $2,500 and 4 -5 weeks of classes from 9am - 530pm Monday through Friday.  I started to fill out the application.  In addition to asking all of the common questions that most application ask there was also a mini quiz-like section concerning the structure, the grammar and the rule of the English language.  Honestly, I was completely lost.  I think I speak English well but I can't tell you the rules off of the top of my head.  I remembered how difficult it is to learn this language that I don't give a thought to on a daily basis.  (I wasn't an English major in college.) I realized that I really didn't want to be responsible for impressionable kids (the adults and business professionals are not part of the summer program) learning English from me.  So I which gears and decided not to teach English.  

Are you afraid to travel on your own?

Yes.  Fortunately, I live my life by the saying "feel the fear and do it anyway."

Where will you be staying?  

In Biloxi, MS I will be staying in dorm like housing at a church.  

New Orleans is up in the air I'll figure that out when I get there.  

In Beijing I'll be staying in an apartment affiliated with Mandarin House.  

In South East Asia don't know yet.  Maybe beaches, hostels, with friends of friends. Who knows.  

What are you going to do when you come back? 

I am not thinking about that yet, but my brother Rob and I have talked about me coming to work for him selling real estate if I get my real estate license.  I've always wanted to be a bartender so you never know. We'll see.  

Did you get all your shots?  

In the process of getting them now.  

Did you hit the lottery?

Yes, I hit the lottery and am filthy rich.  No!!

What should we do if you get SARS or Bird Flu and die?  

Have a Tanqueray and tonic followed by a shot of Patron chilled in my name and continue living your life.