Dinner and Supermoon

A view of the supermoon eclipse added a unique flare to a very nice dinner with friends at Siena's http://www.sienacr.com in Castle Rock. Great cheese plate appetizer; unfortunately, I forgot to photograph the food:(  did manage to get a somewhat distant and blurry photo of the moon:)
The food was good and it was a beautiful night to dine on their outdoor patio.

Packing and Repacking

As the departure date nears, I find myself packing and repacking my backpack and day pack. The temples, monastery, and zen centers each have a list of what to bring (and not) so I'm checking these lists against the packing list I've developed over the years. As the big day draws near, I generally feel good about the essentials and figure I can buy locally whatever else I may need. The biggest unknown for me is shoes. It will be fall when I visit Korea and the first half of my 6 weeks in Japan but I anticipate lots of rain and winter weather during the last 2 weeks of November in Japan.

I'm only bringing 2 pairs of shoes - Keen sandals (http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/shoes/men/arroyo-ii/black-olive_bombay-brown) and Birkenstock sandals; while these shoes should serve me well most of my time in Korea and Japan, neither is suitable for wet, muddy, or cold environments. It will be great if I can get by without buying a pair of mud/winter boots in Japan; I could also probably use them in London in March but don't want to lug them around SE Asia for 3 months. Both shoe types I'm bringing will be great for SE Asia; I was also thinking of taking a pair of flip flops but will buy them locally if needed.

Below are photos of me and my brand new Tortuga Backpack and Daypack fully loaded.

Backpack (14.1lbs) and daypack (10 pounds)

Pie

My sister made a cherry pie today that I had to photograph. Would have loved a piece but she is taking it to a pot luck barn dance tonight.

Important Blogging Update!

Good news! That is if you enjoy reading my blog:) I spoke to GoDaddy.com (they host my domain - robsjourney.com) today and confirmed that my blog (robsjourney2014.blogspot.com) will remain active even when my website domain expires in January! Many readers accessed my blog by going through the website domain; after January, you'll need to access my blog via robsjourney2014.blogspot.com.

Couple with the recent successful test of a new blogger app for my phone, this bit of good news convinces me keep blogging during my upcoming RTW trip. So please ignore my previous post regarding the demise of my blog:)

JR Rail Pass

Received my JR Rail Pass today. This 21-day pass costs $496 (with shipping) and allows me to travel Japan's train system (as much as I want) for 21 consecutive days. One can purchase 7, 14, or 21-day passes at steep discounts but only online and only before entering Japan. The passes are intended to promote tourism and are not available in country or to Japanese Nationals; eligibility requirements are strict (e.g., you must receive a temporary visitor stamp upon entry to the country). Also, the number of days run consecutive so in my case, once I start using the pass (you declare your start day in country when you exchange for your JR Pass), the 21-day clock starts.

While I'll be in Japan for about 6 weeks, 10 days on the front will be spent at Kyoto's International Zendo and 10 days on the back end will be at a Vipassana meditation retreat; I won't be moving around during these times:). Hence, my intention is to use the pass during the middle of my visit; I wish they had a 30-day pass and its possible I could have purchased more than one pass but...

This is the exchange order you receive from purchasing online. Once you enter Japan, you exchange this for your JR Rail Pass.

Language Limitation

I'm embarrassed to admit I'm a one language (English obviously:) guy. It was easy to work around this limitation during past (albeit brief) international leisure travel; however, traveling around the world for 9 months brings a fresh perspective. For example, while planning my trip, I've called multiple countries where English is not their first language; it would have been tremendously helpful to understand even a little of the native language. Also, I'll be traveling to rural areas in Japan, Korea, and SE Asia where most people do not understand English; this may turn out to be a good thing as it will force me to learn other languages (i.e., sink or swim:).

Anticipating this trip, I took a couple of Japanese language lessons this summer and hope to continue lessons when I arrive. At 59, I'm not expecting to be multilingual in 9 months:) but I do intend to start addressing my current language limitation in a serious way.

Fresh September Tomatoes

Its mid-September and my Sister's garden is in high gear! She picked these tomatoes yesterday in the basket I gave her. These tomatoes are so much better than anything one can buy in the grocery store, including the $5/lb heirloom tomatoes.

Dinner with Family

One thing nice about being back in Colorado before my trip is the opportunity to visit family. My hotel is very close to my sister's house; she and her husband invited me to dinner earlier this week. We had salad with fresh carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini from her garden. I made some Quinoa for a protein side dish and brought almonds. I used to just boil Quinoa as most directions instruct but a more flavorful method is to brown the Quinoa in a little olive oil until it stops popping and starts to smell like popcorn (about 3 minutes in hot oil). Then, with the stop top on high, quickly add water; be careful, as it will steam. Then simmer for about 12 minutes.

Quinoa

Phones, Sim Cards, and Traveling Internationally

I knew I would loose my phone number when I replace the SIM card in my phone when I start my RTW trip. Basically, I'll need to buy or rent a new SIM card in just about every country I visit; the exception is Europe where I can get a European SIM card.

I didn't realize how US phone rates compare to other countries. I pay about $94/month to Verizon for unlimited domestic calls, reasonable number of international calls, unlimited text, and 2GB of data. In Korea it will cost $140 just for domestic calling, texting, minimal data, and  no international calls for just 19 days!

In talking to Apple today, I discovered the good news about SIM cards is they do not contain any important (to me:) information like calendar, contacts, apps, etc. As the name implies (subscriber identity module), they only identify where the phone can be used (e.g., on what frequency). At least this is what Apple told me; I'll find out for sure on October 2nd with my first SIM card replacement:)  If I loose the calendar, contacts, apps, etc. on my phone that I've been using to plan my trip  over the past couple months, it will not be good:)

Test

Test post with new app. Success! I was able to post a photo from my library and a real time photo. May have to rethink letting my blog expire:)

Did you notice the sky this morning?

Be present.

Packing Light - Clothes

Empty, my Tortuga Backpack and Daypack together weight 4.4lbs; backpack is 3.5lbs. Despite this relatively light weight, it will be necessary to choose my clothes wisely to meet the carry-on weight limits. Not a problem when flying UA domestic flights; don't think I've ever had a carry-on that meets their 40b limit. However, flying international is another issue. When I traveled to New Zealand a couple of years ago, they weighed every carry-on to ensure it didn't exceed Air New Zealand's 7kg/15lb limit; Singapore (one of my destinations) has the same weight limit.

For packing, I'm focused on my first two stops (Japan and South Korea); I'll worry about Singapore as the date (12/1) approaches:) At 10kg/22lbs, South Korea's ICN airport in Seoul has the lowest weight limit for my first two countries.

After much deliberation, including searching for lightweight clothes/shoes, my 9-month RTW trip includes the following:
4 t-shirts
2 LS knit shirts (smartwool 150g and 250g)
2 LS button shirts
2 SS button shirts
1 long-underwear bottom
6 underwear
2 long pants
1 yoga/meditation pants (most temples/meditation centers won't let you meditate in shorts)
1 pr shorts
1 swim trunks
1 swim cap
1 swim goggles
1 rain jacket
3 pr socks
1 medium towel
1 small towel
1 wool hat
1 sun hat
1 gym shorts
1 pr Teva flip flops
1 pr Olukai shoes
1 neck/head buff
I'll wear the following on the plane so weight won't count against limit:
1 light jacket (Patagonia R1)
1 pr Keen sandals
1 web belt
1 pr socks
1 pr underwear
1 t-shirt
1 baseball cap

Including a lock to secure my backpack, all items above (plus my backpack) weigh 14 pounds; so if I stick to this list, I'll even be within the strict 7kg/15lb Singapore limit! Of course, I'll carry on my personal item (i.e., daypack) separately with toiletries, glasses, meds., etc. Some airlines only allow one carry-on and no personal items; that might present a challenge:)

Tortuga backpack and daypack.

My clothes for 9 months!

Stacked and ready to be packed.

Taking 3 pair of shoes; will wear the Keen sandals (on left).

14lb Tortuga backpack with clothes and lock.

First iPhone blog - updated

This is my first blog post from my iPhone so please forgive these fat thumbs for any typos:) another beautiful day in Colorado, no wonder so many people are moving here (that and pot:)

It's a bit awkward on the phone keyboard and attaching photos taken with the phone is not easy; in fact I have yet to figure out how to easily upload a photo from my phone without first going thru my laptop. I copied and pasted this photo of Altair park in Littleton but unsure how it will look.

Update: Couldn't see the photo on my blog so when I got home I checked my laptop and sure enough, the photo wasn't there so I added it from my laptop. Sure seems like it should be easy to upload photos from one's phone but maybe its just me:)

Altair Park in Littleton, CO

Blog Expiration Date

My blog and website will expire January 16th. I could renew them but given I'll be traveling internationally for the next 9 months and am not bringing my computer, letting them expire makes sense. I'll blog as long as I can but don't expect to post much after I leave September 29th. I haven't tried posting from my phone yet but plan to before I leave; if its easy, I may keep blogging while traveling. If not, you'll know:) You can always follow my on Twitter @henke_rob but its not the same:(

Packing Light - Updated

Packing 1 bag (under 22 pounds) for a 9-month trip around-the-world is a challenge I enjoy:)  I've used the past several weeks to figure out what is essential and what can be purchased when I get to my destinations. The list of essentials is surprisingly long and includes:

• Currency for first 2 stops (Japan and South Korea)
• Passport and copies
• Drivers license
• Itinerary and associated papers
• Headlamp (or a flashlight)
• Vitamins, medicine/1st aid, and water purification tablets
• Insect repellent and sunscreen (very expensive in SE Asia)
• Phone, charger, and ear buds
• Collapsable water bottle
• Sunglasses, eye glasses and case
• Small notebook and pencil
• Neck pillow
• Lock
• Towel
• Colorado gifts for people I meet
• Travel alarm
• Concentrated liquid soap for showers, laundry, etc.
• Flash drive (contains my passport photos should I need to replace)
• Spork
• Deodorant
• Razor and blades
• Toothbrush/paste, floss
• Nail clipper
• Ear plugs

You might think some of these items are non-essential but it depends on one's itinerary. For example, I normally wouldn't take a travel alarm; using my phone instead. However, temples and meditation centers (where I'll be staying) typically take your phone when you enter to prohibit outside communication; the alarm is necessary to wake up at 3 or 4 (depends on the temple) to begin daily practice. Also, these places are typically pretty spartan and tell visitors to bring a flashlight, mirror, towel, and all toiletries. Also, while one can purchase some of this stuff overseas, going to the trouble of finding it in a destination one is unfamiliar with and where one doesn't speak the language is often not worth the weight savings:)

My non-wearable items; weight = 6 pounds (does not include phone).

Here is the 6 pounds of "essentials" stuffed in my day pack; note the scale I use to weigh everything to ensure I don't exceed 22lbs/10kg. See photo below for 1.1lbs I forgot to include:)

1.1lbs of toiletries I forgot to add in the above bag/photo.

Let's get moving!

Ever notice how many people stand on escalators and moving sidewalks? Obviously, some people need the help of these transport systems but there are plenty of people (young and old) who seem to automatically stop moving when they step on an escalator or moving sidewalk; becomes a habit. Notice this behavior the next time you visit the mall or go to the airport.

It isn't just escalators and moving sidewalks; I'm amazed at how many people drive their cars to the gym where I workout when I'm back in Colorado. When I was living here, I knew several people who drove their car to the gym even though they lived less than a mile away. Same for the grocery and other stores. I think we just get in the habit of relying on technology to do things for us.

I'm not criticizing others; they may have their reasons and are entitled to do as they wish. However, it does seem to me that we don't move as much as we used to. Plenty of studies support this perception; whether its watching TV, driving, or standing on a moving sidewalk, we are less active than we used to be and it shows. Its one reason I really liked the gadget I received from my old company when I was still working; it counted the steps I took throughout the day and allowed me to set a goal. Not a big deal, but it does give one pause during the day.

Gadgets and technology are neither the solution or the problem. The solution is attitude and determination. Ever notice how tough it is to get back into a routine (like going to the gym) once you've stopped for awhile? Think about how tough it must be for people who've never had a workout routine or never played sports or never did outdoor activities as a kid. Where and how do they start? It must be extremely intimidating for them. Maybe those of us who are active should put a little effort into helping others become more active:)

Best Indian Restaurant - Review

Had lunch with a friend at India's Best Restaurant (http://indiasbestrestaurant.com) in Littleton, CO today. Since returning to Colorado last month, this is the second Indian restaurant I've tried with great results. This restaurant had a bit more atmosphere and was slightly larger than the last Indian restaurant I reviewed; India's Best Restaurant also had outdoor patio seating.

My friend had the Chicken Korma and I had the Navratan (vegetarian) Korma. Our two dishes looked the same and shared a bowl of basmati rice (a bit dry but it was about 1:30pm so probably not fresh out of the rice cooker). The Korma is a mixture of coconut milk, tomato sauce, spices, and cream; a bit too rich as I still feel a bit full this evening. The taste, texture, and presentation of our meals was very good and I would definitely return if I'm ever in town again.

Navratan Korma with basmati rice

Chicken Korma

Where am I on my journey?

I've changed so much during the past 2 years of my journey.  I'm significantly less stressed and am more aware of emotions and thoughts as I experience them. My life isn't perfect and I still struggle some days but overall I'm very happy with the path I'm on. As I've said before, this is a life-long journey and I have a long way to go:)

A little over 2 weeks before I leave on RTW. My current phone number will end on October 3rd and Internet connections will be limited at times so I anticipate less blogging.

Dentist

Saw my dentist (Kevin) yesterday for a cleaning and asked him to examine my last 2 silver fillings before starting on my 9-month trip. These fillings are about 40 years old so we've been talking about replacing them for awhile. Kevin suggested replacing the silver with ceramic and, due to a cancellation, was able to do the procedure today. Completely painless!

I've been seeing Kevin at Homestead Dental (http://www.homesteaddentalco.com) for the 25 years I've been in Colorado and hope I always have the chance to return.

Since I was still numb and didn't feel like chewing, I took the opportunity to experiment with a dinner smoothie mix - kale, carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, flax meal, milk, Greek nonfat yogurt, 1% milk, strawberries, applesauce, banana, and a hard-boiled egg for protein - yum! Its hard to go wrong with smoothies:)

Important cell phone decision

Using a cell phone on my upcoming RTW trip is more complex than I anticipated. It would be simpler if I was just making calls but my primary use will be Internet connection. Between carrier rules; sim cards; rent vs. buy options; international roaming charges; 3G vs. 4G; CDMA, GSM, and different frequencies in different countries; etc., it is very confusing. I could rent phones in the countries I visit but I discovered in New Zealand a couple of years ago that rental phones do not always work and you can’t get a current model. For example, in South Korea, the newest iPhone they rent is the 4 so you’re basically going backwards in technology.

My initial plan was to sell my current iPhone 5s and replace it with a new iPhone 6s or 6s plus when the new iPhone is release later this month. Now I’m thinking of taking the 5s on the trip and renting sim cards in the countries I visit. Replacing the sim card means I lose my beloved phone number:( 

Please note: My current phone number and Verizon account will be deactivated on October 3, 2015 when I arrive in South Korea.

Home-Grown Tomatoes

Staying near my sister while I get ready for my trip means I also benefit from her gardening talents:) She is a master gardener and has turned her front and back (and side) yards into colorful and productive space. She has fruit trees (cherry, apple, pear, and apricot), raspberry bushes, perennial flowers, and a variety of garden vegetables. She very generously is supplying me with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, raspberries, jalapeño peppers, bell peppers, and carrots while I'm in town. I love all produce but these tomatoes are the best I've had in a long time!

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods

A wonderful experience with Sprouts Farmers Market this morning. After a brief workout and swim, I stopped by the Sprouts at Ridgegate to pick up some fruit for my smoothie. Organic strawberries were on sale for $2.98/lb so I bought 2 and a few other things. Since my list was short I thought the bill was a bit higher than I expected; however, I didn't check the receipt until I got home. Turns out they'd mistakenly charged me $3.99/lb for the strawberries. This afternoon I had to run some errands so stopped by Sprouts to let them know; wow was I surprised. Instead of just giving me the $2 difference, the manager gave me $7.98, the price I was mistakenly charged for 2 pounds of strawberries. I tried to object and said I want to keep the strawberries so he only owed me the $2 difference; he said, no, it was our mistake and you had to drive back here and gas is not cheap so I'm refunding the entire charge. Wow! For $5, he bought customer loyalty; smart manager yes but even more important - he was a kind person; what a pleasant experience.

Contrast this with my Whole Foods shopping experience. Readers might be aware of the case in New York where Whole Foods was caught overcharging for food. ofhttp://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/07/02/whole-foods-apology-overcharging-nyc/29611035/
I experienced similar overcharging on a regular basis at the Whole Foods in Colorado where I used to shop. More times than not, I'd get home, only to find that I was overcharged. A common example was with apples or other fruit. Whole Foods would put out a sale sign in front a huge pile of apples advertising a price of say $1.99/lb; but when I'd get home, I often discovered they charged me more; often double. I only discovered this because I just had an inkling that the bill was higher than I thought it should be. When I took the trouble to return to the store, they always apologized and refunded the difference. They never went the extra mile like the manager at Sprouts did and more importantly, they never fixed the problem, which eventually led me to believe the overcharging was intentional and not just an honest mistake. Glad to see somebody (i.e. New York) finally held Whole Foods accountable for their actions. I try to avoid being negative and to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but after being overcharged (that I know of) many times, I no longer shop at Whole Foods. Yes, there produce is wonderful quality and their selection is amazing but I'd rather do business with someone I can trust.

Morning Walk

Walked an hour this morning; thought about jogging but thought of too many excuses:) I was alone on the trail except for a cautious coyote, a herd of rabbits, and few early birds.

Morning sky

Moving day - sort of:)

For some reason, I woke around 3:30 this morning; laid in bed until 4:30 then got up to meditate and go on an hour walk. It was generally a peaceful morning, except for one dog that couldn't stop barking:) and a boy on a motor scooter. As I walked up the hill, a boy on a little home-made motor scooter came down the hill and turned into his? driveway and garage. He then got off of the scooter and screamed at the top of his lungs and closed the garage door; this was around 5:30am. I continued my walk but as I approached the end of my loop, I saw the boy (big teenager) again; this time standing at the bottom of the hill with his scooter running. He stood in the middle of the intersection looking at his phone (I think) until he finally gave the scooter gas and went up the hill very slowly; in fact, he had to help with the occasional push:)

Anyway, I decided I needed a pair of gloves for today's move so I went to Walmart around 6:45am; returning to make my morning smoothie - kale; greek, plain, nonfat Chobani yogurt; rolled oats soaked overnight in 1% milk; peanut butter; coconut;  chia; banana; apple sauce; and a nectarine. Had 1/2 of the smoothie for breakfast and saved the other 1/2 for a quick lunch.

I arrived at to the storage unit around 7:30am to attend to some last minute things before the big move. My niece, her husband, and his parents flew from Illinois to Colorado earlier in the week for a mini-vacation and to take the master bedroom furniture I'm giving them. They all arrived at the storage unit around 8:30 (ahead of schedule) and made quick work of emptying my old storage unit. They even helped me move the remaining items into my new, smaller unit. My older sister and her husband live nearby so they also came over to help.

After their truck was loaded and they were on their way, I spent some time organizing my new 9'x10' unit. The final task was disassemble the wooden floor and shelving I'd built in the old unit. I have a tendency to over build:) so there were a lot of screws to unscrew; luckily my drill was charged and I found the right bit:) so it didn't take too long.

I disassembled most of the floor and then waited for Two Men and a Truck to show up; the friend I donated the sofa and chair to, hired them to move his new furniture. With the last of the furniture gone, I finished disassembling the floor and shelving.

A "free lumber" ad on Craigslist elicited 4 responses; I gave it to a woman who said she was going to build a playhouse for her kids.

So all my worldly possessions are now inside a 9'x10' climate controlled storage unit or in my hotel room:)  So in the end, I moved from one storage unit to another, smaller unit in the same building; about 50 yards:)

My old storage unit showing the raised floor I built with a Stickley office chair under a large shelf supporting the Stickley leather sofa (above the chair) that I donated to a friend.

Swim Video Analysis

Despite swimming 1mile/day 3x/week, I sometimes think my stroke is getting worse rather than better. A friend suggested going to SwimLabs where they do a full (under water, front, and side) video analysis of your stroke. Had my first visit/lesson today and it was a real eye opener. While it was odd swimming in a current tank, it was obvious from video analysis that execution of my catch is in need of improvement. They connected me with a company that provides the video but unfortunately, I can't upload it to my blog so you'll have to take my word for it that my stroke stinks:)

Cost of Healthcare

During my last eye exam, the Doctor (in Maryland) diagnosed Blepharitis (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/blepharitis/basics/definition/con-20024605). I've had this condition for as long as I can remember but never had an official diagnosis. The Doctor suggested treatment which I didn't know was available but thought it was a good idea before going on  my RTW trip. Treatment doesn't cure it and is only temporary but still seemed like a good idea. 

Anyway, when I tried to get treatment here in Colorado, it was complicated so the local eye Doctor suggested I take a simple eye ointment instead. When I went to pick up the prescription today, the bill was $241.00! I declined of course and decided to continue focusing on good eye hygiene (may not be easy in SE Asia). Not sure what the price would be if I'd had insurance but thought this was a little excessive:)

Truckless

Bought this 2014 GMC Sierra 2500HD (turbo diesel Duramax) new in November 2013; after driving it about 35,700 miles, including towing my Airstream about 10,000 miles, I sold it today to EchoPark in Highlands Ranch. Subtracting the sale from purchase price, my average daily ownership cost (not including insurance, fuel, and maintenance) was about $21. To put this in perspective, I'm now renting a Toyota Camry (weekly rate) for about $29/day. Of course the fuel cost for this beast was not insignificant (I estimate $7-7.5k) but maintenance was just routine (e.g., oil/filter change, etc.). No problems during ownership and nothing but normal maintenance; I never replaced brakes or tires. For towing, I highly recommend this GMC truck.

No home, no truck, no iPads, and a lot fewer household possessions; I'm feeling very light these days:)

No more guns

Put my guns on consignment. My Dad grew up hunting and taught me how to shoot when I was 10. Hunting was an important part of my early childhood as it was an opportunity for me to help put meat on the family table; we grew up on a farm and were relatively poor. Hunting also helped me get through college. I rented a farm house in the country outside of Columbia, Missouri and the plentiful small game (rabbits, squirrel, dove, and quail) provided the majority of my protein intake; I didn't have much money in those days:) I gradually lost interest in hunting and stopped hunting when I went away to college; however, I kept my guns because I still enjoyed shooting - trap and skeet with my shotgun and pistol target shooting. I've gradually lost interest in both.