Finally, my journey has begun!

I am still in the Netherlands and will stay here for another three months or so, nevertheless, I am taking the first small steps of this journey of mine.

A couple months ago, the 30th of April to be exact, I made an important decision which would change my life rather drastically. I wasn’t happy with the way things were anymore; there was too much of too little, and it simply wasn’t good enough. So I decided to use this chance to go in the directions of my dreams, and live the life I want: traveling!

In less then two weeks, I had given up my room, job, business, quit all the courses and classes I was taking and had taken a full time job on Vlieland. I have been working long hours (up to 65 a week) to save up as much money as I can, so I can make my journey as long as possible. Every now and then, I have taken the ferry back to the mainland to work on my travel plans and enjoy a couple days at home.

I have made a lot of plans, a lot. Do you know how in action movies, when plan A is going to hell and the sidekick of the hero is screaming for a plan B, the main character always shouts “There is no plan B!” and then very coolly kills all the bad guys with a James Bond-move. Well, the one thing I have learned these last three months – is to always, álways have a plan B. And a plan C, plan D, E, F and so on. Because whether you like it or not, you’re gonna need them when your Brilliant ‘This Is It’ The One and Only Plan A falls apart.

So now, after three and a half months of working and planning, I proudly present: Plan J!

This December, somewhere between Christmas and New Years, I will board a plain to New York City, where I will celebrate the beginning of this new year and this new phase in my life. Preferably on Times Square with thousands of crazy Americans who are all hopped up on sugar, alcohol and their patriotism love for their country and fellow Americans, screaming madly because Lady Gaga is going to perform live.

I plan to travel up to Montréal, Canada soon after. From there, I want to take three months to explore the country. I will travel west, to Alaska, where I will stay a full six months. Here I wish to work as a volunteer for Denali National Park and Gates of the Arctic National Park. I also plan to follow a month-long outdoor training with NOLS, National Outdoor and Leadership School. The last three months of 2012 I am going to spend on a Husky Ranch in the Yukon Territory in Canada, working as a volunteer. The first five months of 2013 I am going to work in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. And the last three months of my journey, summer 2013, I am going to travel through America. Mainly the west coast, such as Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. I will end my journey in New York, where I will once again board a plan to Amsterdam, one and a half year after I arrived.

There is still a lot to be done, which is just a nice way of saying that nothing is taken care of yet and I might as well book a flight to friggin’ Timbuktu. I haven’t booked any flights, taken care of my visa, secured my spot in the National Parks, NOLS or the Rocky Mountains. There is still a lot of gear that I need to buy, and a lot of researching to be done.