Sometimes the Planets Align

So here's an interesting story that I thought you might all enjoy. My company has been for sale for quite some time and in early May they announced that they found a buyer. The deal was due to close at the end of June. Over the last nearly 2 months I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to do if I got laid off again (for those of you who have known me a while, you know that my last 3 companies have been bought while I've been working for them). Unlike the past times, this time I am well off financially and can take my time in deciding, this in part due to a sizeable settlement check from an accident as well as moving last year into a house with rediculously cheap rent. Imagine my surprise to find out that I qualify for a large enough unemployment check to cover all of my monthly expenses including food. Absolutely no stress for a year.

A couple of weeks ago, a friend put a bug in my ear about an around the world plane ticket. They're fairly inexpensive and I haven't been on any vacations in a very long time. At the time of my accident in 2006, I was planning a trip to Thailand. So I priced out the following itinerary: Tanzania (safari and Zanzibar), Egypt (all that cool pyramidy stuff along the Nile), Jordan (Petra and some spa time at the Dead Sea), India (the Taj Majal, Jaipur, Lake Pichola), Nepal, Thailand, somewhere in the South Pacific, home. $5700. This was a very possible Plan B if I lost my job.

So Tuesday, I get the dreaded letter, pack up my things, and am home by 10:30. I decided to go for a bike ride and make a list of the things I have to do to get my trip together. On the way home, I see Bill Lee and stop to chat. When I told him my story and about my proposed trip, the conversation went like this:

Bill: Have you ever considered traveling in the reverse direction?
Me: Doesn't matter to me. Why?
Bill: Well there's this boat being sold that needs to be delivered to the new owner. They're looking for crew to make the trip.
Me: Where's the boat?
Bill: Raiatea - that's in Tahiti near Bora Bora. It needs to go to Thailand. Interested?
Me: Duh!
Bill: Let me check on the status of this deal.

So, I go home, reprice the ticket in reverse, stating in Thailand and ending in SF. It's down to $4,300 if I add some cities (all 3 places I mentioned in India -- I was going to take the train) and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. And while I've never had the desire to go to Ethiopia, what the hell? This is now Plan C and I like it better than Plan B.

Last night I go down to the harbor for the Wednesday night sailing races and Bill tells me that the deal is going through and this guy from Canada is running the delivery and needs people. He sent the guy my info. Then I go to the yacht club, tell the story to my friend, but couldn't remember the name of the island the boat's in (yes, the wine kicked in). She asked Bruce Vessey, standing near by, who said Raiatea -- my boat is there. I explained what Bill had said and Brucie yelled, "THAT'S MY BOAT!" Anyway, he's called Mr. Canada who has said that I can come along if I pay my own way. Usually delivery crew gets everything paid for and adding Tahiti to my ticket adds quite a bit of money. In fact, it nearly doubles the price, which is way more expensive than Plan B.

So now I need to decide if I want to do a delivery and pay my own way or if I would rather just stick to the initial B. Either way, I'm going to do some traveling.