What's the plan?

- Thailand and Cambodia for a couple of months
- 6 or 7 months in China in Huizhou, where Pierre's brother lives
- a trip to Russia for a couple of months

That's as detailed as our trip plans are so far - we're planning to just figure it out as we go, and work in any side trips or waystations that seem interesting. We fly from Ottawa on November 2nd and land in Bangkok on the 4th.

In the meantime, we're getting tourist visas and shots (rabies, meningitis) and prescriptions (malaria) as needed. Packing up our apartment and wrapping up things at our jobs will take up most of our time until we get on the plane.

Packing sounds like a lot of work, but so far coordinating that has been far less overwhelming than last summer where we had a (very small) wedding to organize as well as the move from our apartments into a new home. Anything that doesn't involve having to find a dress and shoes is fine by me.

Year less a day...

...because that's what our collective agreements (fancy word for a contract) with the government allows us as a sabbatical: a one-time, year less a day leave without pay for personal reasons. Both of our bosses were not only open-minded to the idea, but willing to accommodate all of the inconvenience that a year-long absence brings with it, and we're very grateful to them for that. Without them, this trip wouldn't be possible.