Planning Your Great Escape,
Some Recommendations

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In the mid 1970's I put on a backpack and headed out on a trip around the world. While I did not make it all the way around I did have a great time. I have written a story called "Travels to the Ends of the Earth" telling about the farthest point I got (also, my wife and I have some other travel stories available for you).

Part of the reason why I had a good time was that I was prepared for much of what would happen. I had spoken with others who had made adventure trips and I did a lot of reading before going. If you are thinking about making a long trip like I did, let me recommend a magazine article and book by Katy Burke. I made my escape before these were written. I wish I had her advice before-hand. It has been over 10 years since these were written. I do not know if the book has been updated or not. Certainly things have changed some, contact may now be kept through email for example. There are other things that will stay much the same though.

Here is the book:

Managing Your Escape
Katy Burke
Seven Seas/Simon & Schuster, 1984

The article is:

Ten Steps to Paradise
A practical guide to dropping out and making the Great Escape
Katy Burke
Outside Magazine
January 1985

I have a copy of the article. In it she makes the following ten recommendations to prepare for your trip. The subtopics for each recommendation is a brief elaboration I wrote.

1. Get obsessed
   • Read and enquire
2. Start a notebook
   • Make lists
3. Get an escape vehicle, and pay it off
   • Pay it off
4. Stock up
   • Parts for car/boat/plane
5. Budget your escape
   • Too big for a short synopsis
6. Get a home-base manager
   • Power of attorney
   • Money handling
   • Bill paying
7. Get a mail-forwarding service
   • Get a service
   • Find a reliable forwarding destination
   • Very insecure foriegn mail
8. Prepare for cash emergencies
   • Travellers checks
   • Credit cards
   • Wiring money
9. Prepare for medical emergencies
   • First Aid/CPR
   • Medical assistance
   • Insurance
10. Prepare to come back
    • What job/career will await you
    • Will you still be current in your field
    • How will you handle the resume/interviews