Local map of northern Yunnan; my starting point of Dali in the center. Crossing the mountains, heading west from Erhai Lake, I will trek northwest toward the Tibetan border, with stops in Lijiang and Deqen (Shangrila) to resupply. Continuing north into Kham Tibet (Ch. W. Sichuan), I want to summit one of those 5000+ m. peaks so I can reach my elevation goal of 16,000 ft. (5000 m.)!! Maybe I'll do something crazy like border-cross to summit Kawakarpo! The "Bad Beginning" of this trek has not been fun--more like an organizational, logistical, travel non-stop sprint. To be more specific, the pre-trip portion has not been fun, since I haven't actually started the trek. I've been consumed with planning and packing and re-packing and organizing and re-routing and minimizing; freaking out about reducing pack weight and shipping gear and buying gear and finding new boots and creating feasible time schedules. I've been in two amazing new cities, Hong Kong and Kunming, with little time to enjoy them; there's a To Do List every morning. In the evening, I can't fall asleep for the stress of it all and the internal questions that will not stop: What the hell am I doing? Can I do this? Can I carry that pack for days on end? Is this even going to be fun? Filled with doubts, I wonder if this trip is such a grand idea anymore. I still want to do it--I am determined--but my mind is filled with conflict about whether I should have just stuck to day hiking instead of a long-distance trek. In Hong Kong, I focused on getting my visa and trying to organize some of my gear. I also had to deal with getting the last of my gear shipped from Chengdu to Kunming. Now, in Kunming, I've organized the gear that arrived from Chengdu, and forwarded that on to Dali. I've slowly been paring down what I will carry in my pack. The biggest challenge I face is weight and pack space (or perhaps, my own negative self-talk). The plan for this trek I am about to commence was birthed in 2013, when I lived near the Appalachian Trail, and began dreaming of a long-distance trek (and here I am in China, 6 years later, facing the precipice of that goal; about to begin the journey and about to achieve the goal! I want to feel excitement rather than worry!). In all my research about trekking -- which included reading numerous trek blogs-- I learned not to trek while overburdened with a massive pack. Ideally, the pack should not weigh more than 30% of one's body weight. I read story after story of people trekking with 50-70 lbs. of gear... that's insane! That sounds miserable, no matter how fit and strong a person may be. Thus, I am determined to keep my pack weight a maximum of 40 lbs.: 25 lbs. for gear and 10 lbs. for consumables (food and stove fuel). I simply don't want my days filled with drudgery and pain caused by a heavy pack. And to be entirely transparent, I'm not in top form physically at present, and a heavy pack will wear me down physically and discourage me mentally. It's going to take several weeks to one month to regain the strength and endurance I've lost this year. That is one of the reasons I am doing this: to get physically strong, fit, and thin again. I am seriously out of shape and overweight. Click "Read More" to the right!
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More Doorways of Possibility have opened! An idea tinkled its crystalline wind chime in my mind, catching my attention. I delved further and learned more and voila! New avenues paved in yellow-brick brighten before my eyes; an Emerald City of Opportunity and Adventure beckons! I answer, "Yes!". I shouldn't be surprised at the number of opportunities awaiting me online, but I am. I come across blog and after blog of writers living the life I have vicariously sought out. Then I discover estate management, pet sitting, house sitting ... the hurdle of finding long-term, affordable lodging while I travel and write is bounded over with joy and relief and renewed excitement! There are less than half-a-dozen reputable websites serving as contact exchange between home/pet caretakers and those seeking such service, but they have shown me a very real way to partially fund my writing endeavors! I can choose almost any location in the world for a duration of one weekend or more than several months. I have the option of dog-sitting in Hong Kong to bird-and cat-sitting in Queensland, AUS. I can work as paid employ in estate management or trade my caretaking service for lodging in a luxury villa on a palm tree-lined, white-sand beach. This feeds my hungry dream to focus on writing and publishing. It becomes a simple matter of timing. How and where do I fit this in to my trek? Should I even return to China? (Yes, all of my belongings will be stored here, and yes, I still want to trek through Kham!) The timeline is perplexing me because in between the trek and travels and Chinese tourist visa procurement (atotalbeeyotch of a process), I want to get some freelance copy-editing work. I will also need time to establish an online professional portfolio for estate management and caretaking service. ...And then there's the entire Get Published Universe I am barreling through, with Monetizing My Blog To-Do Lists asteroiding through this I-Need-More-Time-Zero-Gravity-Vacuum while Freelance Opportunity Dwarf Stars expand and contract in their brightness, miniature Galaxies of Copy-editing and Proofing Jobs blur past me beyond the porthole as a Podcast Wormhole leads me toward the Time Suckage Black Hole that is the minutiae of this National Ginagraphic Digital Nomad Start Up. I really need to hire some of this out to a Social Media Tesserac Assistant who can complete the drudgery of photo uploads, SEO activities, and online promotion -- propelling me past the mundane so I can remain grounded on my Authentic Creative Production Effort Planet of Ginaness. The creation of this particular missive is purely to work through the options, rolling them around, testing New Flavors of Serendipity on my tongue. My thoughts flow into The Plan. Phase 1 includes flying to Hong Kong to acquire my tourist visa (2-4 days). From there, Phase 2 begins. I will take a train northwest to Kunming and Dali, hole up for a week to dayhike, relax, and write. Then, remaining mindful of sleeping elevation gains (which affect AMS - altitude sickness), I will make my way north to Bathang and Lithang, to begin my trek. All destinations and times are variable and flexible dependent upon discovery of Yunnan and its trekking options, elevation, and increasing fitness level. Adhering to my budget, one month or so later I will embark upon Phase 3: caretaking/petsitting in some amazing ocean or mountain setting with plenty of time to realize the goals below. The logistics of transporting trekking gear and a small carry-on for Base Camp Activities (holing up at a guesthouse for an extended period to write and work) are still unfolding. The Prep Phase has already begun: packing up the household for storage, planning my trip to Hong Kong, and planning the UltimateKhamTrek2019. The timeline of all the above is flexible since although my school contract ends July 21, I can stay in my apartment through the 31st. Also helpful is the Humanitarian (H) Visa I will get, allowing me to remain in China after my resident permit expires, extending my stay through July 31. I can either wrap everything up in Chengdu the weekend of July 21st, head to Hong Kong and then back into China to begin my trek in Yunnan, or return to Chengdu to finalize packing and depart for Kangding to begin my trek, which has been the original plan all along. I do want to have the household packed and ready by the 14th -- or 19th at the latest, just in case I experience visa issues. Expats in China don't just have to jump hoops to gain entrance into this Communist, tightly government-controlled country, we have to leap talleffingbuildings in a single screaming bound -- while the building is on fire. Yes, that is an apropos metaphor for getting a Chinese visa. As today is June 30, I have a few more weeks until my original work permit expires. It will then be transferred to H visa status, allowing me to remain in China 30 days from application, expiring July 31st. As soon as school ends, I will fly to Hong Kong for a Tourist Visa. Considering that I will have an additional 11 days before I have to leave the country (between work permit expiry and H visa expiry), the dates for my trip to HK may change, depending on what happens over the next few weeks while waiting for the H Visa. I'll have to research and compare the costs of returning to Chengdu and heading west to Kangding, versus going straight to Yunnan from Hong Kong. At least I have options and flexibility when my work permit expires. The school doesn't tell its overseas staff that we even have the option of the H Visa --- most think they have to leave the country immediately upon work permit expiration. I am lucky to have learned about this from a coworker who lived in China previously! Last year, teachers scrambled stressfully to get packed and prepped to leave the country, while still working up to the day of their departure! It's really a horrible game if you don't know the rules; a shame that this legal right of legally-employed expats is kept secret by our school (I have no idea if other employers do the same, but our school is reputed as one of the better and more upstanding schools for whom to work. Some foreigners have gotten completely screwed by their employers, so I guess we are lucky). Back to organizing and packing! I will decide this week when to visit Hong Kong, and start making reservations for Phase 1. As I pack and organize, I will also plan logistics for all the options available to me, and perhaps get a head start on applying to publishing companies for freelance copy-editing positions. Thank you Goddess Serendip! Click "Read More" below the image to discover my goals for both the KhamTrek2019 and career transition to published writer!
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