Where would you go?

Let's say, for instance, that you could take three months off of work and travel anywhere you pleased (well, maybe not Egypt or the Ivory Coast- for political instability, or Cuba- for long standing embargoes and other governmental hoopla).  For, posterity's sake, you could go anywhere.  Where would you go?

What a fun brain-teaser, no?  Except, there are 195 countries in the world, and when this questions becomes more than a philosophical dilemma, it starts becoming an exorbitantly long pros and cons list with no end in sight.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "golly this girl really can complain about anything!"  I mean, I am so lucky to even have the possibility of this question laid out in front of me, how can it be possible that I am whining about the complexity of choosing the right adventure?  Have you read my blog title?  I digress.

When I explain to people that I am considering this life hyatus, they all seem to nod and ask some form of "and how old are you?"  and then nod again sagely adding, "well you better do it now while you still can."  The ticking clock on the proverbial wall (or is it hypothetical wall?) has me anxiously pacing my mind.  This is my one and only chance.  I have to fit as much "experience" into it as possible. 

Then there is the whole issue of cost. 

Dislike. (to quote Facebook)

My roommate and I have been looking at "Around the World" tickets.  They actually look like a much better option for the type of adventure we are planing.  However, they are not exactly cheep.  And they come with a list of stipulations to boot.   (From the Star Alliance website:)

• On your Round the World journey, your travel must follow one global direction only (East or West) and each Traffic Conference must be crossed only once:
• The Atlantic and the Pacific must each be crossed exactly once. Only one crossing between Europe, Africa/Middle East and Asia is allowed.

What on Earth is a Traffic Conference?

I get out my map and start tracing routes along the flat planes of Easter-egg-colored countries connected by thin black squiggly lines and long stretches of blue.  Everything on a map seems so small and close together.  My fingers can walk easily from China to Spain in just a few quick moves. My mind tries to comprehend the meaning of space via the key, but my brain doesn't stretch that way very well.

As my fingers dance across continents I ponder what is miss-able.  What can I forgo? 

I try to pacify myself by repeating a mantra of, "I can always go there some other time."  But, the pit of my stomach twists and I wonder: when?  Don't I want to go back to school?  Won't I be poor as dirt when I get back?  Will the opportunity come again?

So the question remains: where will this journey take me.  Here's one itinerary (perhaps the "not-quiet-paired-down-enough-to-be-feasible itinerary,  but a start):

Portland--> Japan--> Indonesia--> Cambodia/ Thailand-->  India--> Russia--> Ukraine--> other European counties (Turkey, Czech Republic, Hungary, Switzerland...)--> USA

Or the opposite order? 

When is monsoon season again?

Which of these counties need a visa prior to entry?

Am I missing anywhere vital? 

Can I afford this?

What are your thoughts?