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But who’s counting?

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Big data.  It’s everywhere, so we bring you our version.

When it is rainy and T’s brain needs a workout, he will change these numbers into more compelling pictures for Generation Pictogram.  In the meanwhile, some food for thought….
Per the US Census bureau, the US population in 2014 is 313,395,400.  Of this group, the US citizens would be eligible to apply for passports.
Location Citizen Non-Citizen Total
United States 291,536,400 21,859,000 313,395,400 
*Table courtesy of Kaiser Family Foundation http://kff.org/other/state-indicator/distribution-by-citizenship-status/
Per our State Department,  there are 121,512,341 valid US Passports in circulation in 2014.  Of these, 14,087,341 (includes 1,463,191 passport cards) were issued this fiscal year.  And to answer your next question, a US passport card is basically a driver’s license between the US, Canada and Mexico (or the Caribbean and Bermuda for sea travel only).
So, in other words only 42% of US citizens have passports.  I don’t know what percent use them, but we are proud to be in the 42%!
At our first stop- Dubai in the United Arab Emirates- the numbers are harder for me to come by.  According to the World Bank, the population of the UAE today is around 9.2 million.  In other words, the US is about 35 times more populous (not necessarily more popular).  Interestingly, of their population, 1.4 million are Emirati citizens and 7.8 million are expatriates.  Imagine what their immigration debates are like!  The population of Dubai itself is estimated at 1.78 million (and no numbers for how many of that number are the 1.4 Emirati, but would love to know that stat).  Though I haven’t been able to find out what percent of UAE citizens have passports, I did learn a few interesting things about their passports.
  • The UAE is the second Middle Eastern country after Qatar to issue the electronic passport with more sophisticated technology, including a microchip with biometric data.  Think fingerprints, iris or CSI.
  • According to the ever reliable Wikipedia, “Prior to the formation of the UAE in 1971, the constituting states were responsible for issuing their own passports or travel documents. Such documents were printed in Arabic and English and often made a reference to Britain, which occupied the UAE at the time. Many natives had failed to obtain passports in 1971 and this resulted in subsequent generations being denied the right to hold UAE passports or citizenship. These people, also known as bidun, have found it very difficult to live in the country and have faced trouble leaving the country.”
I know- you are probably wishing it was just a food picture post:) Another time!

Signs

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Here is T’s moment to shine- converting random information into interesting graphs.  As his seat saver, I also hope to use this part of the blog to share odd signs, cool currency pictures, price of coke comparisons, and other things that will keep me from just stuffing my face with yummy Asian food…

For example,  from travels past

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Rabid…

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Yes, it is another pre-post.

I’ve travelled in Africa and loved it.  And had yellow fever vaccinations, hepatitis everything vaccines and the always good tetanus.  But never Rabies.  I put the Rabies vaccine in the same category as carrying an extra litre of your own blood.  If you opt for the 3 Rabies vaccines, you still have to get 2 more if you get bit.  I’m not a huge gambler, but those were dice I was willing to roll.

No dice with the husband.  I think he asked if there were any extra vaccines he could get at the travel clinic.  I think he is in Tijuana now picking up some extra antibiotics.  But his opt in on Rabies meant that I too would have to drink the not Cool-Aid.  Though I’m not good at statistics, I’m pretty sure the odds of me being the one bit if I didn’t get the vaccine were 100%.  Dogs and bats must have night vision that marks who doesn’t have the vaccine.  That’s why the vaccine is neon pink.

Marriage is about swallowing your pride and rolling up your sleeve.

And once you do, it turns out you will know someone who has a rabies story.  Go on, I dare you to ask.  Though no one is frothing at the mouth, it seems everyone knows someone whose been bit.  Even my travel doc!

If it’s Friday, it must be Moosejaw

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It’s nearly Christmas.  Laser Ship delivery trucks are cranking, and so is T.  Every day, a new item arrives.  Every third day, one goes back. The ratios seem to be working.

My favorite part is from another man in my life, Daddy dear.

“Maria, where are you going again that you need a head lamp?”  He fears I’m quitting to become a professional spelunker.
I was sure he was going to proud, given he’s been stocking Spam, chocolate, water and kerosene in our basement to prepare for an possible scenario.

But it pays to travel with an engineer.  Where I’m technology stupid, he has recharging battery packs, rain covers for our gear, rolling water bottles.  A stocking full of holiday fun!  If I were a “real” blogger, I would post links and Amazon would give me a kickback when you too decide you need a charger the size of a lipstick.  In other words, watch this post change 2 months in when we are broke:)

Photo credit: Angie Linder, 9/7/06 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin

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“Lent is longer than the amount of time before we leave.”

You’d think he was religious, but I was the one that hopped by church this morning.  And I was the one with my dutiful Osprey Porter Backpack out, trying to assess what I could take with me.

It’s November.  It’s just about freezing outside.  I’m trying on swimsuits instead of reading my COBRA options.  Life is good.

I always associated the husband with not being religious as he worshipped logic.  Logic had him researching backpacks online to see if there were better options. I’m a therapist, and swim comfortably in emotions.  Our matching Ospreys had been to India with us, we’d packed them with our wedding outfits to fly out to Colorado and tie the knot, and we’d taken them on a belated island honeymoon.  How is it conceivable they wouldn’t make this next trek with us?

“What bag did the Tings take?” I should start a scoreboard for how often he references our fantasy travel team’s strategy to round the world.  But I confess they do have a sweet packing guide.  She doesn’t even mess with the “to take jeans or not” debate which is so heated by us American passport stamp chasers.

http://thetaleoftwotings.com/travel/big-adventure/

Back at home in the cold November reality, we set out on a trip to REI, then to EMS, to the library and coffee shop as logic and emotion continued their sparring match.  But at home, my Osprey was half packed and looking ready to go….

90 day hold?

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Committed.  We are committed.

In my line of business, commitment means “Pink Papers” (literally) and getting someone sent for evaluation often against their will.  Such events often involve the police, swearing, a threat, and some kind of decompression afterwards.  It can involve a 24 hour and then a 3 day hold, a chance to assess someone and see if things are really okay.

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We are committing ourselves for three months.  A 90 day hold on our lives to reset.  We kept our wavering at home, though it was significant.  We’ve done at least three go rounds of “is this a bad idea?” and then dove in.  And now, with jobs winding down, and 8 travel books from the library scattered around us, more tabs than that open on our web browsers, we are going to make it happen.

I started at nine months leave.  I was pregnant with the idea of travel, of giving birth- who am I kidding, I just wanted to stop laboring with a shovel this winter.  When nine months seemed too decadent to ask for and when we were too chicken to be both unemployed, we settled on three months.  We’ve travelled for 3 weeks in India; wouldn’t four times that be decadent enough?

I’ve drafted 8 versions of itineraries.  Muscat (it’s in Oman- which I may have remembered with my undergraduate Map and the Modern World class but that was eons ago) sadly would have to be cut to accommodate the trimester trip.  But the second world not making it on the Round the World-ish itinerary will get me little sympathy I bet.  Maybe we’ll invent some new, non-hipster term for a sabbatical that’s not really paid leave, that doesn’t really cover the whole world, that is something you do when your friends go off and have babies or grow up or grow apart.

Apparently there’s the term “flashpacker” for an upscale backpacker.  How about a Skipster?  A 30 something who skips out for good reason to just live a little?  An antinestling- the opposite of a snow bird who still escapes winter and the establishment and maybe even tax season?  I bet I’ll have better names on a beach in Thailand after a few cocktails.  I’m committed to that.

Why skipsters? Because skipping was the first class I failed in kindergarten, but I've got it down now. Because it is time for the age of the hipsters to come to a close. Because we are leaving work and responsibility (but not dining and dashing through Asia!) Because. Just because.

Skipsters?

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Why skipsters?

  • Because skipping was the first class I failed in kindergarten, but I’ve got it down now.
  • Because it is time for the age of the hipsters to come to a close.
  • Because we are skipping winter after last year’s polar vortex.
  • Because we are leaving work and responsibility (but not dining and dashing through Asia!)
Because.  Just because.
A hop, skip and a leap of faith is about to take us around the world.  Not a bad new year’s resolution!  I may even lose the extra ten pounds if I get adventurous in my street food choices, so stayed tuned.  We’ve skipped on Facebook for a while, but have decided to live publicly on the blog to share out adventure so when we are old and can’t remember, we will be able to relive the glory.