Sold All My Stuff. Taking a 9,000km Train Journey Across Asia.

[DeletedUser2]

balls so big they shine your shoes when you walk
Z

 

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[DeletedUser394]

So this past week I decided to sell everything and take the ultimate adventure. Yesterday I sold the last of my items (a rather expensive and rather new bicycle).

Dropped out of school, quit my job (well I will no longer have the job the day I leave for the flight)

Now all I own is a laptop, half a dozen books (TMF being one of them), and some clothes.

I will be taking my worldly possessions and will be flying to Beijing where I will board the Trans-Siberian train and will take a 6 day trek across China, through Mongolia, and ending up in Russia. After spending a few days exploring Moscow I will hop another train to Minsk, Belarus. After that, who knows? I've got a one way ticket to Beijing, and no end destination in mind.

I've never ventured beyond North America.

This thread will serve as a photojournal of my journey.

Journey begins the first week of November.

Cheers

 

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[million$$$smile]

Very, very cool.
Anytime one can step out of the comfort zone of their 'motherland' and venture to places unknown, one is up for some awesome experiences AND opportunities.
In America we usually wait until we are financially set before taking on a life adventure like yours. The problem with that scenario is most of the time, life gets in the way for 30-40 years and the adventure is never realized.
Kudos on taking the jump. My greatest memories are traveling with no more than a pack on my back.

Can't wait to read of your experiences R'Kid...

 

[Vigilante]

Sorry peeps, haven't slept in around 48 hours, you just witnessed my sleep deprived breakdown.

Anyway, time for round 2. Calling Beijing and getting my F*cking visas.

You know I support you. So take this the right way when I tell you to resume filtering. Don't post F*cking drama here. Just make the shit happen. Nobody has time nor interest in reading drama posts.

End of sermon.

 

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[aardvarky]

I agree with most of your post, but have to argue with this point a bit. I think that a bit of travelling is one of the most growth-inducing things that people can do. Everyone should go spend at least a year in another country at the earliest possible moment imo. If your financials aren't in order and you're just going to get a job anyway, better to get a job in a new country.

As someone who's been traveling part-time since 16 and full-time since my late twenties, I have to agree with this. A lot of people still think traveling is a luxury, something you do when you have enough money/time/etc., but if you waited 'til you have everything in place - you will never go.
And travel is a must. Especially if you plan to go with eyes wide open and a mind willing to learn. There are so many different ways to live and you get exposure to a huge spectrum of life perspectives, values, and techniques of dealing with the world around you.
You learn you can make a living doing things you never thought of doing.
You learn gumption - visas, arranging plane tickets, winding up in some godforsaken village with no food and no money really gets your resourcefulness going.
You learn what's actually necessary to have an awesome quality of life and what sh*t isn't worth dragging along with you - 'cause when you're traveling, you're literally dragging it along with you.
You learn to ask people for help and trust they will do whatever they can for you.
You learn to connect with such different kinds of people - this will help you in ways far beyond business.
You learn to be with yourself.
You learn to toss yourself so far out of your comfort zone, you have to sink or swim.
You learn how to manage your money 'cause if you don't, without friends of family around...you will go hungry.
You learn the actual value of money - when you meet entire families living off $300 a month who're happy as hell and welcome you into their home, you have to question whether the stuff you've been buying really makes you happy.
Oh, and you lose weight. Naturally. Without even thinking.
And if you're like me, you realize you love this so much, you're willing to do whatever you can to assure you are financially set so you can roam about as you please. That is truly motivating.

That being said, I don't believe travel is the panacea so many people make it out to be. Whatever your current problems are - a lot of them are going to go with you, wherever you roam. And don't for one second think travel is going to help you "find yourself," whatever that means. Finding/discovering/creating yourself is a life-long process that should occur whether you're on the road or stuck in the 'burbs.

The best travel does is help you shed layers of yourself that were never you to begin with by challenging your ideas of what you can do, what you like, and who you might want to become. And that's totally worth a few $K.

Save up, give all your energy into building an income stream and book a non-refundable ticket out. So many people say they're going to go "next year" or "someday." Make sure you make that "someday" an actual date or (in my experience), someday usually doesn't come.

 

[mayana]

I just WISH I could do something like this!!

I am currently selling all of our things for an international move, but I'm taking my family with me We won't be taking a train across Asia and sleeping in hostels, which actually sounds like an amazing adventure. I was able to travel a little by myself and stay in hostels in the U.K several years ago, and it was a blast.

Go for it - you will NEVER regret having done it, I can promise you.

 

[Vigilante]

Go get 'em, kid. And in the process, you just might discover... yourself.

I think you should make a blog (like a normal blog, not a thread here). Then, when you have updates you can post here the link to the blog in this thread.

You might find a much broader readership in your adventure than just us paper jockeys.

 

[Era]

Well I F*cking give up. Spilled a tiny bit of water on my laptop as I was running out the door to print my visa applications. The laptop is dedestroyed. I dnot have enough time to have them processed. I just give up. Sitting here crying like a loser. I quit.

Seriously? No way. Be a problem solver. Find a solution. Fix it and move on! Don't dwell on it!

 

[DeletedUser394]

Sorry peeps, haven't slept in around 48 hours, you just witnessed my sleep deprived breakdown.

Anyway, time for round 2. Calling Beijing and getting my F*cking visas.

 

[DeletedUser394]

My travel plans have changed for the time being. I attempted to hire a firm that specializes in visa applications and they were honest and straightforward with me in saying that it would not be possible to get all visas required even if we expedite the process.

So the plan has changed and it now looks like this: I'm going to Chernobyl/Kiev (Ukraine), the breakaway Republic of Transnistria (real place!), Albania, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Kosovo.

Basically treking from the east of Europe, to the south and the Mediterranean sea.

As before, I've got a one way ticket to Kiev, and no set end point.

All of those beautiful countries actually like tourists and are visa free.

I'll look at doing the trek across asia in the near future.

 

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[DeletedUser394]

Just got rejected by both my bank and a currency exchange company while trying to buy Mongolian and Belarusian. Woman didn't even know Belarus is a country she tried to tell me it's part of Russia.

 

[DeletedUser394]

What about this?

Because I've booked so many plane tickets for future trips, the company refunded me (even though it's a 100% non refundable ticket lol). They have a customer for life now. I didn't even have to ask, they just gave it back.

As for hostel/transport fees, that was easy to recoup. Only a $50 penalty for everything.

 

[Alex Rend]

Well I F*cking give up. Spilled a tiny bit of water on my laptop as I was running out the door to print my visa applications. The laptop is dedestroyed. I dnot have enough time to have them processed. I just give up. Sitting here crying like a loser. I quit.

"So now it became more interesting than it was before" - I hope you will have that kind of mindset in your head! I'm glad that you were up for your next round. It will be one of your biggest adventures and memories for your whole life, man! Keep us updated and a lot of luck for you

 

[DeletedUser2]

if you focused on building a business. you could travel in 2015 and 2016 all year. FOCUS

Z

 

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[DeletedUser2]

going to school and working a job is not 10 steps backwards ryan.

its exactly what you need to be doing while you are getting your head set on straight.

I didn't start my first business UNTIL I WAS 21! every year you add on, you get a bit smarter, a bit better and hopefully a bit faster.

the point is your doing it right. because at this point until you have a CLEAR focused vision, ANYTHING you do is right.

its your life.

so, see if you cant help others for a while. help them from making bad mistakes, or just help them. it will teach you a skill about learning to listen to people's needs. you don't even have to charge them anything. your doing it for them, AND for your personal education.

Good luck, and will see you in arizona. hopefully
Z

 

[FastLearner]

Working remotely probably depending on how long I'm gone for, but mostly adventure.

That's really inspiring. Hopefully you won't miss home too much and just be immersed in a whole different atmosphere. I think it's something that would inspire more growth and maturity in you especially when you see how other people besides Americans, live.

 

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[DeletedUser394]

That's really inspiring. Hopefully you won't miss home too much and just be immersed in a whole different atmosphere. I think it's something that would inspire more growth and maturity in you especially when you see how other people besides Americans, live.

I'm Canadian eh

 

[Apemania]

That sounds glorious, have similar plans myself after I get my Sword & sorcery ball rolling. Will be looking
forward to seeing any photo's that you take during your trip.

Cheers =)

 

[Daniel A]

Wow, how old are you if you don't mind me asking?

I felt a little bit of fear and loneliness after reading your post haha. This is something I spent A LOT of time thinking about and would like to do sometime in the future. You're going to go all alone? Do you know another language other than English?

I'm looking forward to the pictures man! This thread is going to inspire me...BIG time.

 

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[DeletedUser394]

Didn't you just sign a lease for your own place?

Yup but I was able to push it for a month or two. My roommates are asian, so they sort of got a kick out of this white guy travelling to the homeland hahaha.

 

[DeletedUser394]

Wow, how old are you if you don't mind me asking?

I felt a little bit of fear and loneliness after reading your post haha. This is something I spent A LOT of time thinking about and would like to do sometime in the future. You're going to go all alone? Do you know another language other than English?

I'm looking forward to the pictures man! This thread is going to inspire me...BIG time.

I'm 21.

Fluent in english and french, and basic spanish.. none of which will help much lol. For the train ride I've got some companions to ride with that have done it before (never met them yet though), we're going to meet in China. They're expats from the UK and the USA.

For the first 2 days in Beijing I'm on my own, and then once I get to Belarus I'm on my own.

This ain't no tourist train. It's the regular commuter taken by regular people. Going to be interesting.

 

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[Alex Rend]

If you think about coming to Paris, I'll be happy to welcome you here

P.S. - Tell me later about your impressions about Minsk, because I'm Belarussian myself and curious about your opinion on it

 

[Ikke]

If you ever come into the netherlands or or belgium, let me know. We could meet up if you'd want to.

Best of luck on your trip. Enjoy :coolgleamA:

 

[timmy]

Love to meet up on March 17 in Dublin .There are a few other Irish on here also so we might be able to organise a meetup.

 

[timmy]

That's grand will be following your progress.

 

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[Dmitri]

This is inspiring. How long do you think the entire trip will last? and how much do you think it will end up costing? This is something I was always dreaming of doing.

 

[DeletedUser394]

This is inspiring. How long do you think the entire trip will last? and how much do you think it will end up costing? This is something I was always dreaming of doing.

The goal is to keep it under 5k. Probably 3 weeks to a month total, hard to say. May call it quits once I get to Minsk, depends how I'm feeling.

Already spent about 2k (1.25k for the train/hostel accommodation, 750 for the flights to beijing) Going to spend another 500 just on stupid visas to get into the countries. Then I'll need a flight home eventually from somewhere haha.

That's not including Ireland/UK, Western Europe, and Scandinavia though.

 

[FastLearner]

ya Toronto is ok. becomes the norm when you live in it for years. I could use some warmth.

We could switch places since I'm in Scottsdale, Arizona lols It's hardly in the 70's unless it's mid-Autumn. I'm originally from California though.

 

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[splok]

Going to spend another 500 just on stupid visas to get into the countries. Then I'll need a flight home eventually from somewhere haha.

You may be way on the other side of this already, but I'll mention some caveats just in case, since I almost got screwed a time or two myself... Sometimes visas can take way longer to get than you'd think, and some countries won't give you a visa unless you've already booked a flight out of the country. Also, always be sure to have the address of a hotel in the country handy. I almost got kicked out of Japan of all places because I thought I was going to book my hotel on arrival (which would have sucked even more than normal since I was doing a visa run for another country).

 

[Darius]

Well I F*cking give up. Spilled a tiny bit of water on my laptop as I was running out the door to print my visa applications. The laptop is dedestroyed. I dnot have enough time to have them processed. I just give up. Sitting here crying like a loser. I quit.

I see.... Here I thought you fixed problems, but it seems you just cry about them. If this is what you do then you don't need to go anyway.