It sounds huge, huh?

I want to travel around the world, so I told my friend: “I will travel around the world” – “When?” – “I am.” He laughed and said: “So am I.”

Yes you are. We are all traveling or going somewhere. The only difference is how far we can go. Like most people I know, I want to see the world with my own eyes, experience different cultures, meet people from different backgrounds, etc. However, most people I know can’t make it for many reasons. My traveling plan ends in India because this is where my budget drains dry. But what if I can make my budget last longer? What if I can make it around the world?  I have time, I have energy, I have gut and I’m already on the way. I just need to make it further.

I. My goals

II. Time

III. What is my plan?

IV. What makes the trip possible?

V. Media

VI. I need your help!

I. My goals

- Travel to at least 50 countries and visit at least 1 orphanage in each country.

- Interview at least 50 people.

- Meet as many people as possible.

At first, I just wanted to travel. But then I realize that I want to use my travel to do something good to the society. The NGO I started 1 year ago – Free Hugs Vietnam – has been in partnership with HOW (Helping Orphans Worldwide) to run a program called “Feeding Orphans Worldwide” in Vietnam. We volunteer at orphanages, identify needs, purchase food and nutritional supplements, and hand deliver supplies to ensure proper distribution of goods. Through the program, I’ve learnt that orphans do not only suffer from emotional but also physical and financial deprivation. I want to use my trip to raise awareness of the difficulties orphans have to face nowadays.

II. Time

2 3 years. Starting date: May 13, 2010 [My original plan was 2 years, but it seems to take much longer time than I expected]

III. What is my plan?

I will travel, visit orphanages and write. Most of the time I will travel by bus, car, train or ferry and I will take plane only when necessary. Crossing border is much cheaper and offers a much better opportunities to see what is really going on in a country and meet local people. I will get visas on the way. Here is my itinerary so far. I will update it constantly. Please visit my Facebook page or my blog or Twitter for more information.

Brunei

May 13 – May 15: Brunei

Malaysia

May 15 – May 16: Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

May 17: Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

May 18 – Jun 3: Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Jun 3 – Jun 10: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Jun 10 – Jun 11: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Singapore

Jun 11 – Jun 12: Singapore

Vietnam

Jun 12 – Jun 15: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Jun 15 – Jul 4: Hanoi & Nam Dinh, Vietnam

Thailand

Jul 4 – Jul 18: Chiang Mai, Thailand (For Debating & Producing Media Camp , Southeast Asia)

Myanmar

Jul 18 – Jul 20: Yangoon

Jul 20 – Jul 22: Mandalay

Jul 23 – Jul 28: Bagan

Jul 28 – Jul 30: Yangoon

Malaysia (Transit)

India

Jul 31 – Aug 9: Kolkata, Sunderbans (India)

Aug 10- Aug 11: On the train

Aug 11 – Aug 15: Mumbai

Aug 16 – Aug 20: Pune

Aug 20 – Oct 19: Mumbai

Oct 19 – Oct 20: On the train

Oct 21 – Oct 22: Delhi

Oct 23 – Oct 28: Kashmir

Oct 28: Punjab

Oct 29: Delhi

Oct 30: Agra

Oct 30 – Nov 13: Delhi [Nov 5: Diwali]

Nov 14 – Nov 15: Varanasi

Nov 15: Gorakphur

Nepal

Nov 16 – Nov 20: Lumbini, Nepal

Nov 21 – Nov 28: Kathmandu + Lalitpur

Nov 29: Karkavita

India

Nov 29: Dajeerling, India

Nov 30 – Dec 9: Nagaland, India

Dec 10 – Dec 13: Guwahati, Assam, India

Dec 13 – Dec 21: Sikkim

Nepal

Dec 21, 2010 – Feb 17, 2011: Kathmandu, Nepal

Feb 17 – Feb 19: Bara

Mar 13 – Mar 18, 2011: Bike trip around Nepal

Mar 19 – Apr 7: Kathmandu [Mar 19: Holi]

Egypt

Apr 7 – Apr 9: Alexandria, Egypt

Apr 9 – Apr 10: North Coast

Apr 10 – Apr 12: Siwa

Apr 12 – Apr 20: Cairo

Apr 20 – Apr 22: Luxor

Apr 23: Aswan

Apr 24 – May 4: Cairo

May 4 – May 7: Sinai

Israel

May 7 – Jun 20: Israel

Jordan

Jun 20 – Jun 25: Jordan

Africa

Jun 25, 2011 – Mar 2012 (Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, South Africa)

South America

Mar 2012 – Dec 2012

Europe

Dec 2012 – Mar 2013

Asia

Mar 2013 – May 2013: Russia -> Mongolia -> China -> Vietnam

I will avoid hotels to save money. Thank to CouchSurfing, I can find people to host me in almost every cities (except in countries like Myanmar, East Timor, etc.) When I can’t find anyone to host me on CouchSurfing, I will try to ask my friends for help or look for a homestay. Only in the worst scenario, I have to find a cheap guesthouse to stay.

I’m trying to contact local NGOs and orphanages to arrange a visit with them. I hope that I can have a small group of volunteers to go to each orphanage with me. If you know any one working in this field, please do not hesitate to introduce to me. Thank you very much!

I will try to earn some money on the way. It’s impossible to find a proper job when I’m traveling, but I will try to find a temporary job. What can I do?

- Writing: Yes I can write. I’ve written for some high-profile newspapers in Vietnam. I can write in both English & Vietnamese. My writing covers technology, culture, society, youths, travelling. I can write about your country when I happen to be there. And I love interviews! I will interview all interesting people I met on the way, from all countries, all races, all professionals at all ages. After the trip, I will write a book about my experience. What you read on my blog is just my daily diary with a playful tone and without much effort (to be honest, it’s a little bit hard to try to keep up writing after every long walking day). But if I write for money, my writing will be much better.

- Translation & Interpretation: Vietnamese <-> English; English <-> Spanish; Spanish <->Vietnamese.

- Teaching English & Vietnamese: Yes I can.

- Social media tutoring: I’ve been working for a number of Internet companies in both Vietnam & Malaysia as a community manager and a social media specialist. I know to make social media work for your business. I can’t help you maintain it, but I can help you set it up and give you tuition about it.

- Waitress: Yeah, why not?

- Anything legal

IV. What makes the trip possible?

Physical condition

About myself, you can check out my naughty introduction here. It might sound a little bit hypocritical to cry over and over again that: “I’m just a normal girl who wants to do something different.” Yes, my physical appearance is perfectly normal with 2 eyes, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 2 ears, 2 arms and 2 legs, but I’m not the kind of girls you will find with high heels, pink dress or heavy makeup. Most of the times you will find me with T-shirts, jeans/shorts and sneakers/slippery. I love skateboarding, like hiking (I already climbed Mt. Fansipan, 3143m)(used to) drive a motorbike and practice kickboxing which makes me considerably stronger & healthier than an average girl. It’s definitely my great advantage in this trip. I can survive in harsh conditions, walk for hours under hot sun or rain and travel for days without sleep. I do not suffer from any motion sickness.

Independence

I’ve been living all by myself since 14. I’ve traveled around Vietnam alone twice and most of my trips to other countries were done alone. I did a short internship in Singapore at 18 and worked in Malaysia for 6 months at 19. I enjoy being alone and am perfectly comfortable with doing things on my own, but it doesn’t mean I don’t need your help.

Languages

My first language is Vietnamese but I can speak English fluently and Spanish conversationally. I will learn to speak Mandarin, French & Portuguese on the way.

Networks

I have to admit that I’m quite a lucky girl to have friends in many countries in the world, and my friends are all very caring and helpful. They are the ones who have encouraged me to take the trip and will try their best to make the trip possible.

V. Media

1. English blog

My online diary about the trip will be updated daily on www.travel.huyenchip.com

2. Vietnamese blog

Will be up soon.

3. Facebook page

This is where I communicate with the Facebook community, or in other words, the world .

4. Twitter

http://twitter.com/travelandwrite

http://twitter.com/chipro

5. Media coverage

Both traditional media and new media have been kind enough to mention my trip.

6. Book

After the trip, I will write and publish a book about my experience.

VI. I need your help!

As one of my goals is to meet as many people as possible, so by meeting me you already help me a lot.

There are some other things I need you to help me. I will be the luckiest girl in the world if you spare some time to contact me here.

1. Host

If you can host me or know anyone who can host me, please let me know. Even if you are not staying in one of the cities I plan to go, I sincerely hope that you still contact me. My plan is made based on what resources I have. If I know that there is someone who can host me in your city, I will probably go there.

2. Help me find a job

If you know any temporary job that I can do (please refer the What can I do to make money? above) in one of the cities I’m going to, please let me know. Thank you very much!

3. Introduce me to local NGOs and orphanages

As a big part of my trip is to visit orphanages and raise awareness of difficulties orphans have to face nowadays, I need to get in touch with local NGOs and orphanages. It’s not an easy job given that I plan to go to 50 countries. If you know anyone working in this field, please let introduce me to them. Thank you very much!

4. Volunteer with me

I hope that I can have a small group of local volunteers to visit orphanages with me in each country. Sometimes language barrier can be a problem. If you are in a country I’m going to and you are keen on doing some good, please do not hesitate to contact me here to arrange a meeting. Thank you very much!

5. Guide me

If you know the place I’m going to well, please give me suggestion.

6. Meet me

As I say, by meeting me you already do me a favor. I’m gonna be traveling alone so friends are much needed! Please please contact me if I’m somewhere near you.

7. Introduce me to people

If you know anyone you think that can do anything of 4 things above, please introdue to me.

8. Visa

I hold a Vietnamese passport so I need visas to enter most countries. However, information about visa requirements for Vietnamese to enter some countries is quite limited, and it might take a long time. As I’m traveling, I can only get visas on the way and sometimes it gets really hard. If you know anyone who can help me with visa stuffs in any country [for example, people who work in embassies], you’ll save my life. Thank you very much.

9. Sponsorship & Financial support

As I said, my main problem is finance. If you are a company and want to sponsor my trip, you can contact me at chip[at]huyenchip.com.

Tags: Free Hugs Vietnam, HOW, Orphans, plan, Round the world, Travel and Write, Volunteer