"I love it when a plan comes together"

So, much planning and thinking, but nothing actually booked.  Desperate to just get going.  Got a buyer for the house, but.... I shouldn't hand in my notice at work (6 weeks) until I've got contracts exchanged.

But from Exchange to completion can be just a few days, or even the same day.  I don't want to have no house and 6 weeks to work still. 

I look into notice periods, and discover that there's not a heck of a lot the company can realistically do if you just stop turning up.  But that's not very nice, and I do try to be nice.  Also, it would be good if I could hand over to my replacement.

After some discussion with the lovely Mel (HR) at work, I decide to just do it.  Hand in the notice, get the ball rolling. Lets my team start officially recruiting for my replacement, lets me start actually booking trips and flights. Makes everything that much more real.

Going round telling people at work I was going was sad, but fun. Everyone seemed sorry to see me going, but very excited for me with the plans I had.  I think if I'd just been going off for another job it wouldn't have been as nice an experience as it was letting people know I was off, there wouldn't have been that 'silver lining' to the cloud.  I've made some very good friends at Perforce, and I am genuinely sorry to be leaving them.  But if I'm honest, the draw of my year away eclipses that sadness with excitement.

Talking with one of the people at work, they mentioned Trailfinders as a good company for this sort of expedition.  I'd heard of Trailfinders before, but never used them.  Worth a call to see what they can do.

Enter the lovely Camille. I explained what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, how flexible I was, and 24 hours later she presented me with pretty much a full itinerary.  Tweaks here and there, an extra week in New Zealand, swap this trip for that one, and a week later, it's booked! 

I did get a call back later from STA Travel, but had to tell them that I had now already booked everything.  The chap seemed disappointed, and was sure they could have done the same thing.  I think the only difference was that when I called Trailfinders I had an actual GO date, whereas before I didn't. 

Working through the itinerary with Camille, she did suggest the Galapagos since I was going to be passing. Now, earlier in the year I'd already agreed to go to the Galapagos with mum and dad - date TBD, and I didn't want to disappoint them, so I phoned and asked if they would mind if I went as part of my trip. They didn't mind, but wondered if I'd mind if they came along with me!

So now that is booked too!  I will meet them in Quito (Ecuador) for a few days, then we are off to the Galapagos, for 10 days sailing about on the Daphne. After that, back to Quito and a few days in the cloud forest at Belavista (recommended by Nick from work who was there on his honeymoon).  Then it's down to the Amazon for a few days too.  Packing it in! :-)

With all of that coordinated, it was time for the nasty bit - paying for 10 months of flights and trips in one big lump.  As it all classes as a single trip, it all needed paid for 60 days before departure which, Camille informed me, was 3 days away!  £24k is a lot of money, and is effectively all of my life savings, it's blooming well going to be worth it though!  To save my ISA, the Bank of Mum and Dad have kindly given me a short term loan till the funds from the house sale comes through.

This is really happening.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!