#NoFOMO

Bill and I (mostly Bill - okay all Bill - he's the one who has a pen and paper and often sits down to hash out his thoughts through writing) took some time over the last few weeks to consider what we were hoping to get out of this trip.
People invariably ask me - "Oh your work let you take 6 months off?!" or "So with all your medical training will you be doing Doctors Without Borders?" The implication is that we should continue to be functional members of US society and that quitting our jobs and traveling without a plan is illogical.  That a 6 month hiatus "just for fun" doesn't really make sense.  Well, maybe not.  But then again in our mind there are other worthwhile goals that have nothing to do with professional development that we're hoping to hone in on.

So we (Bill) jotted down some goals that we hope to accomplish while we travel.

Goal: NoFOMO*
Again, well-meaning folks will note that we are briefly traveling to Vietnam and say something like: "You'll be so close to Cambodia, are you going to Cambodia?  You'll regret it if you don't go to Siem Reap!"
Will we?  Will we regret our trip if we don't do that one thing?  No. Firstly, we are not going to Cambodia.  And secondly, with our NoFOMO philosophy we plan to minimize planning and making so-called "bucket lists" of things that we *must* see.  By minimizing advanced planning, we can best take advantage of the bounty and stories and people that are directly in front of us without having a nagging thought in the back of our minds that there might be other places and people we must see.  We plan to enjoy whatever experience presents itself to us and strive to eliminate guilt and angst about seeing and doing things that we *should* do.
*For the non-millenial readers: FOMO = Fear Of Missing Out.  I'm sure urban dictionary will have a fabulous definition.

Goal: Practice Husbanding and Wifeing
A huge part of this trip is to spend a lot of time together - just us.  We already know we're going to get sick of each other and get annoyed with each other (good luck spending 24/7 for 6 months with someone and not).  That's a given.  So we will plan to take this time to preemptively avoid excessive "periods of annoyance" shall we say by taking time for ourselves, initiating conversations and practicing being OK when the other person says " I need a break from you." We'll have to inadvertently practice self assurance at the same time. This ones going to be hard.

Goal: Spontaneity
Goes with the first goal really nicely.  Like lamb and tuna fish.  When Bill and I were courting each other we went on a bike trip and made a pact to jump into every body of water that we saw along the way.  Let me just say that there were way more bodies of water than I had ever considered.  We were wet most of the trip.  The moral though was that we were both willing to be deliriously spontaneous in support of each other.  So if Bill wants to stop at all the local coffee shops, then we'll do it. If I insist on stopping at all the LoTR filming sites - fine we'll do it.  We'll support each other's whimsicality whenever we can.

Goal: Safety First, Sexy Second
Life goal. Always. Remember people, we have plans.

We also reserve the right to change our goals as our trip evolves and look forward to influences from others on where our heads and hearts should be.

We leave on a jet plane tonight!  Bon Voyage.  Next blog will be from Vietnam!!