THE COUNT DOWN BEGINS: FOUR MONTHS BEFORE HEADING ROUND THE WORLD!

It's December 19th, officially four months until I leave Paris and adventure round the world. I've totally been craving to do this for the loooongest time and as my leaving date approaches, I'm torn between excitement and well... did I mention excitement?!!Around two and a half months ago I gave in my notice, which will officially start as a one-year sabbatical and then who knows!So what to do now??

Planning my round the world itinerary

I'm totally indecisive about this, after all I could go anywhere right?! Where do I start??

My original thoughts were to head to Bali and mingle a little amongst the digital nomad community. Not to mention, South-East Asia has been calling to my heart, or more should I say ... my stomach. The inner foodie in me craves sweet and sour tangs and the fresh aroma of blended spices and mouthwatering mild to hot and spicy curries! Mmmm...

Round the world starting in Asia

Part of me wants to wing the whole thing. You know... Just hop on a plane, book my first couple of nights and totally roll with it! After all, isn't that what you read on most travel blogs?! The other (much larger) side - you know the obsessive-compulsive I need to plan at least my first couple of months type - is nudging my more realistic self to get a damn move on!So here it is... the obsessive-compulsive side...

I dream of Bali

Regardless of the swarms of tourists that nestle here throughout the year, Bali is still a pretty affordable travel destination. Popular with yogis and hippies alike, not to mention artists, musicians and of course digital nomads.  After spending three weeks at The Sanctuary in Thailand this year, I am very keen to get my yoga game back into shape and building it into my daily routine. I'll admit that there's a niggling feeling that maybe I have set my expectations too high and it ends up being totally over-hyped. I hope I'm wrong!

Craving a little Malaysia

OK, I'm drooling... no seriously! Google image it right now and then come back to read the rest of this sweet post! :)

Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands, Penang and Langkawi are hot on my places to go! With Penang being a foodie paradise, I'll maybe even try my hand at some cooking classes!

Trekking through Thailand

Or maybe not. The last time I did a trek in Thailand, I ended up in hospital for a week. I figured if I end up lapsing on my yoga commitments, heading back to The Sanctuary will be great to get me right on track again!Whilst I'm here, I plan on exploring a few more of the islands. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

Vietnam on a shoestring

Wow! There's so much going on, I don't even know where to start! I have a feeling that I could easily spend a month or maybe even longer! Most likely starting in Ho Chi Minh City and travelling through Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue and up to Hanoi. I'm hoping to cover everything in a month, although I have a feeling I will totally fall in love with the place! Oh and I'll definitely be hopping on a cruise to Halong Bay whilst I'm there!

Lounging in Laos

To be honest, I haven't done a whole load of research here. The first things that spring to mind are the gorgeous landscapes and luscious waterfalls! For now it kind of just fits into the itinerary.

Japan: Where do I start?

So originally I was aiming to avoid expensive countries but I woke up one morning and really couldn't resist the urge to look up and plan everything that took my eye! I have everything from Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, Osaka and the Okinawa Islands on the cards and the list just keeps on growing!

The wildcard

Drum roll please ... Colombia!Yup! So I have no idea how this is even going to fit in anywhere! Maybe I'll fly to San Francisco for a short stopover and head down through Central America. This is so far ahead that I don't think I can possibly plan for it but South America is definitely calling! I'm not uberly keen on flying through the US and frankly, I don't have a huge desire to be there right now either. Saying that the last time I visited San Francisco I totally fell in love. I just don't think I'll be able to burn a bigger hole in my wallet after Japan!

Thoughts on travelling slowly

So far I'm thinking a month in Bali, Thailand and Vietnam, 3 weeks in Malaysia, 2 weeks in Laos and Japan and possibly a month or two in Colombia. I've read a lot about how travelling slowly is cheaper but at the same time, I'm itching to cover as much ground as possible! At the moment my planning accounts for six months and I'm holding off from doing anymore as it's very unlikely to work out!Do you have any suggestions on the route or timeframe? Let me know in the comments below! Merci!