The Million Dollar Question - Where Will You Stay?

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The most common question we get is "Where will you stay?" We get that question far more than "Why?" - "How?" - or even "Where are you going?"

As you can imagine, it's taken quite a bit of planning to make this happen. We started talking about it a decade ago and really started to save a few years ago. Now it's around the corner, and it's more exciting than I can even describe. We're leaving our families, friends, and jobs....lining up a myriad of visas, planning financial logistics at home and on the road, and trying to pack the minimum items that we'll need to get by that will hold up and keep us semi-warm (or cool) and dry....which means countless trips to REI just to browse. It's all part of the fun and anticipation.

We obviously had to plan our flights. We also have to think about climate, clothing, gear, etc.....

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The things we don't plan are where exactly we'll go or where we'll stay. Some of our most incredible travel moments have occurred because we didn't have an itinerary. When you have the time and energy to just wing it, it's always worth it.

Part of what we love about travel is being able to wake up and stay put, or to wake up, pack one bag each, and hit the road. In the real world, we almost always know where we'll be and when, so a big part of the freedom of travel for us is the freedom to ditch all itineraries and obligations. Luckily, we almost always agree on the route and our plans as we go.

When Matt and I spent several months in Southeast Asia in 1999, we ended up sometimes for days in towns that weren't featured in our book or in any way on the tourist trail. Something about them was just fun or peaceful or beautiful to us. We stayed in one town for a week just because our room was really cheap and clean with a quiet courtyard. Had we planned ahead, we never would have imagined staying there so long, and it was one of the most peaceful, restorative legs of our journey.

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Earlier this year, we spent 10 days in Chiapas, Mexico with Nate and Megan. Again - no specific plans. After more adventures than I can describe, we were in rural southern Chiapas along the Lacondon Jungle and Guatemalan border in a tiny rental car (the same one that later stranded us in the jungle)....The sun was setting, and the road conditions were in no way conducive to night driving. We had to stop and find a place to stay for the night. We pulled into a small dusty village and started asking questions. Matt, who loves to meet new people, worked his magic, and we slept in the Montejo home that night. Nate worked his and managed to find the only beer available for miles...in an ice chest in someone's living room on the edge of town. This was an adventure that couldn't have possibly been reserved. Click here for a few photos: http://share.shutterfly .com/action/welcome?sid =8AatmbZk0ZtFGKg  

All that to say....we don't know where we're staying. I can, however, assure you that if my husband has his way, it won't cost more than about $5 a night.

Amber