Planning: The Ups & Downs

If you have been curious as to how this trip was planned and some of the details surrounding that process, then this blog is for you.  Here, I will discuss the “how” and “why” I planned each country.  I will also share some of the challenges I faced throughout this process.  

I began planning in July of 2016 and, needless to say, these past 8 months have been quite labor intensive!  Nicholas and I decided that it would be best for me to assume the role of “planner.”  Research is actually something I truly enjoy, as well as putting pieces together. Much of this trip has been a giant puzzle, so it has been fun to put all the details together. 

Every day of this trip is specifically laid out. I first created a basic itinerary-it includes lodging, activities, and how to get from city to city. Here is an example:

May 6

• Fly to Santorini 0515 am, Algean Airways
• AirBnB
• Karterados
• Take bus to get from place to place
• http://www.culturalxplorer.com/santorini-greece-guide/ 
• Red beach
• Akrotiri

May 7

• Amoudi Bay 
• Oia

After completing this basic itinerary, I started working on a more complex one. It is handwritten in a moleskin journal (easily transported) and includes our lodging, activities and all transportation (including directions, walking times, subway maps, addresses, embassy information, emergency numbers, subway lines, etc.). I choose to personalize it with a Wonder Woman sticker and a Zootopia sticker, which were given to us by the Health Department. ;) It needed some pizaz!

All of our flights are currently booked and approximately 50% of our train/bus tickets are also booked (months Feb.-July). You can’t book train tickets too early— 3 months is usually the limit— but if you wait too long they become more expensive. We’ll be buying tickets several months early as we go. I’ve also booked some tours already; a 2 day river cruise in Vietnam, a winery tour and the Scavi tour in Italy, a Bethlehem tour in Israel, a bull fight in Spain, etc. The majority of our activities are self-organized, but we decided paying for a few organized tours would be worth it. 

People often ask if the itinerary is adjustable since we have pre-booked so much. The answer is yes. We have travel insurance, so if anything is canceled or delayed we will receive payment. If we decide we want an extra, say, 3 days in Holland, we’ll simply remove 3 days in the following country, which in our case would be France. We have booked everything with some flexibility, understanding we may need to adjust for illness or even exhaustion. No plan is perfect and we know things will happen. Learning how to be easy going will just be part of the experience. When people ask, “Do you know what you’re getting into?” the answer is “Yes and no.” Yes, in that we have prepared as much as we possibly can and are confident in that. However, we’ve obviously never done this before, so, no, I’m sure there are many things that will throw us for a loop. Rolling with the punches will just be part of it. It’ll be exciting to become better problem-solvers as a couple and individually!

Now, onto a couple issues I encountered while planning this trip. 

First, sometimes it is basically impossible to travel from one country to another. Example; we really wanted to visit Mount Everest in Tibet. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to get from China to Tibet, as well as added a huge cost for a short amount of time. It took me 6 HOURS of research to come to that conclusion. Basically an entire day’s worth of planning just to realize Tibet was a no-go. We also really wanted to go to India, but that would have added at least 2 flights and a yellow-fever vaccine. Nixed that one. Turkey was completely planned, but removed due to the current political environment. All in all, sometimes you have to research something to learn it doesn’t work. 

Second, some countries are very difficult to find information on. We originally wanted to go up the Balkan Coast (Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia). These countries are not quite as developed as Western European countries or well-travelled as Asian countries, making them difficult to find information on. We could have visited them, but we wouldn’t have been able to prebook very much and it would have been much more “fly by the seat of your pants.” Maybe the next trip we’ll feel comfortable doing this, but at this point didn’t feel quite ready. 

Third, canceled AirBnBs can really put a crimp in things. It kind of leaves you high and dry, searching for another place to stay that is in the same price range and vicinity. So far I have always been able to find another option, it just may be a little more pricy than the original booking. 

Fourth, figuring out what countries require visas can be intimidating, especially when a booking agency isn’t doing it for you. I’ve now learned that you must go to each perspective countries embassy website and research the visa requirements. Some are pretty simple, some are very complex. They are all expensive; in total, we spent close to a thousand dollars getting our four required visas. Research early; having all of your ducks in a row is important! 

Ultimately, planning 5 months of life overseas has been a huge learning process. At this point I’m ready to just be ON the trip, putting all this hard work to the test. :) And guess what…we fly out TODAY! Next time you read a blog it will be posted from Cambodia!

XOXO

Kaitlyn

Our Oklahoma Church Home

Hello friends,

I wanted to take a moment to write about our move to Minnesota.  Before I begin, here’s a short recap of our time here in Tulsa.  When Kaitlyn and I first moved, we were excited to see what Tulsa had to offer.  We were both young in our perspective careers and moving allowed us to step full force into our married, adult lives.  During the first year and a half in Tulsa, Kaitlyn and I struggled through our adventure and had lost hope of finding a solid church family. As a result, we felt it was time to move.  We mulled over the direction we were going to head, further south or back north, and after much discussion, we decided back north was right for us.  

Not long after making this decision, we began attending Mingo Valley Bible Fellowship Church.  Kaitlyn and I can both say this church has had a huge impact on the last 6 months of our lives in Tulsa.  As I said in a previous post, we were thrilled to move from Tulsa because the journey hadn’t been what we expected.  The move, however, will not be as easy as we originally thought.  As I am sure you know, Kaitlyn and I were lonely and discouraged people without any Christian friends.  This church was, in a way, Kaitlyn and my saving grace and brought a renewed hope and energy to our marriage.  The Lord provided a church to us when we needed a church the most and fulfilled our craving for Him.  I have to say that the people inside this church are amazing people of God and they came by us and gave us the support and love we needed.  There isn’t a way to adequately express our thankfulness and love for each person, but I’ll do my best to share a little with you.  

To begin, I want to say thank you to two brothers in particular. Matt and Ben have largely impacted my personal walk with the Lord, which will forever change how I lead my wife and family.  Matt has been the friend and brother I needed here in Tulsa.  From the beginning we had an instant bond and a passion for sharing the love of Christ.  I began to meet with Matt every week, digging deep into the richness of God’s word and allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in us.  In the short time that Matt and I met, I expanded my knowledge vastly and furnished a new fire to continue to do so, even as we go our separate ways.  The only thing I can say, Matt, is I wish I had of started meeting with you sooner! But I am glad we had the time we did and that we will forever keep the brotherly bond that we have.  Thank you for taking the time to invest in me, to love me, to call me out and to walk beside me in life’s most important journey.  

The second person that I mentioned is the lead pastor, Ben.  It is truly amazing how God has used this man to preach God’s word and share the truth.  There have been multiple instances where God has used Ben’s sermons to speak directly to me and to others, this is fact.  Ben’s heart is to shepherd his flock and watch them grow in Christ.  He has a unique ability to relate to people outside of his pastoring role (and from what I have seen, this is rare).  I think sometime people struggle to hold conversations with pastors because we have the preconceived notion that the only thing they can talk about is God and the Bible.  While these are two very important things, Ben has an ability to implement those into his conversations with each person.  If you want to talk about something, just talk abut it, he’ll listen and respond.  Ben you have a gift; a gift that allows you to build strong relationships with the members in your church body and I appreciate your passion and desire to preach truth.  You have an awesome ability to use words to deliver a powerful sermon in a clear and understandable manner.  It is blessing to learn from you.

I have shared a lot of what this church has meant to me, but I also want to take a moment to share what this church has meant to Kaitlyn.  Before attending Mingo Valley, Kaitlyn too was spiritually deprived.  She was tired, weary and not encouraged.  Like I said, she unfortunately wasn’t receiving leadership from me.  As Kaitlyn began to get plugged in, she quickly fell in love with the church and it’s offerings to the members.  The messages were rich and rejuvenating for her, providing her the encouragement and nourishment she needed for her soul.  She began to see her husband change, grow and become excited as a result of attending.  She finally had some Christian friends that were there to encourage her and support her, girls that loved to see her each week and asked about her when she was away.  Well…why am I telling Kaitlyn’s story when she is right here to share it. You can take it from here Kaitlyn…

Anyone who knows both Nicholas and I knows that I am not nearly as eloquent as him, and he has done a marvelous job of describing where our hearts where before we found Mingo Valley. However, I’ll attempt to share my perspective as well.

The phrase that most accurately describe my life at that point is a “spiritual desert.” After a year and a half of living in Tulsa, I had no close friends, no church and no support system (other than my husband and mom, of course). I desperately wanted the fellowship of Christian friends for both Nicholas and I. We decided to move and I was frustrated we couldn’t leave right away-my two year contract with the hospital wouldn’t allow us to leave earlier, however. We were “stuck” until Feb., so I continued to pray God would provide me with a good attitude and patience while I struggled with discontentment. In May I met Meredith. Her sweet twin boys were born prematurely and I took care of them throughout their hospital stay. As her boys grew, so did our friendship, and eventually we started hanging out as friends, and then as couples. God provided Meredith as a encourager, listener and sister in Christ; I am so grateful for His provision. 

In July Nicholas attended Mingo Valley for the first time, and I attended in August. The first service I thought it was almost too good to be real. After a year and a half of searching had we finally found a church? We continued to attend, and, WOW, did God provide. Everything I had lacked was given and God’s goodness was heaped upon me. I met many more Christian women and became friends with two in particular; Brachelle and Lisa. They are two women I will desperately miss as we make this move, and already have shed tears over. Thank you both for investing in me and encouraging me. 

Before attending this church I didn’t know what it meant to truly love your church. I had liked my parents church in college and the one Nicholas and I went to in Wichita; I had learned from the pastors there; I had enjoyed some of the people. But at Mingo Valley I was challenged, convicted and held accountable. I was excited every Sunday to go to church to soak in the Word and love seeing my church family. I have grown more spiritually in 7 months than I did through all of high-school and college. I think God put me in a desert so I would more greatly understand His sovereignty, and now He has been gracious enough to drench me in His rain. 

Ultimately, what Kaitlyn and I got out of this church was true and genuine fellowship and community.  We were shepherded in the Word and loved by the members.  A church like this is a rare find and I encourage anyone in Tulsa to go and give them a try.  If you are looking for the truth, you will find it here, given in an clear and understandable message, but expect to be challenged and convicted.  All in all, the move to Minnesota won’t be one without sadness. We have seen the Lord greatly provide for us both over the course of the last 6 months (and the months before; we just didn’t realize it at the time).  

In conclusion, to our sweet brothers and sisters in Christ; you are all loved dearly and we can’t thank you enough for coming along side us while we lived here in Tulsa.  We will continue to keep you in our prayers and we hope you know that this is not the end, we will be back to visit you. You will always be in our hearts and the things you have taught us we will carry on and we will be intentional in our search for a new church, looking for a community of believers as close as you.  You, as our church family, have provided us much encouragement and helped strengthen our relationships with the Lord, as well as with one another.  It is amazing to see how the Lord provides, even when we don’t always have patience for the journey.  You truly have something special and we thank you for being a part of our journey and allowing us to be a part of yours 

May God be the Glory forever and ever.

N + K

How to post a comment

Hello family and friends,

Unfortunately, our inexperience with blogger has come with a few unforeseen issues that we are still working through.  One of these problems is posting comments on the bottom of a blog.  In an effort to try and alleviate the issue, we decided it would be best to write a short little "how-to" blog.  Kaitlyn and I tried to resolve the problem without going this far, but to no avail.  Here are some instructions to help you out.

3 ways to post in the "Comment As" box:

1. Google Account: If you have a gmail, simply go to our account, scroll down to the bottom and select "Google Account" it will prompt you to sign into your gmail thus allowing you to comment by clicking "publish."

1.  Name/URL: If you don't have a gmail account, this option would work for you. Select "Name/URL," type your name and then in the URL box type www.yourname.com.  E.G. Name: Nicholas Nygaard URL: www.nicholasnygaard.com

1. Anonymous: When you comment this way, your post will say, "Anonymous said..." go ahead and put your name in the post in order for us to know who wrote it.

Again, we apologize that this is a round about way to post a comment, but we wanted to attempt to make it a bit easier for those that don't have the time to mess with it, but would still like to leave a comment.  Hopefully most of you have gmail though! :)

Thank you, we look forward to your comments and questions!

Nicholas 

The Packing List

The packing list. Ohhh, the packing list. A source of great stress for both Nicholas and me in the beginning. Let’s be real though, women tend to stress a little more than men about their fashion choices. How on EARTH do you pack for 2 months in Asia and 3 months in Europe?! Well, if you ever decide to take a trip like ours, you can skip the research and just read this blog!

So…where did we start?  We started by researching backpacks.  We began reading a lot of blogs by fellow travelers on packs that worked and packs that did not work.  Also, I probably read close to 20 travel blogs written solely on what clothing to bring, medications, gear, electronics, etc. in order to understand what this pack had to be capable of doing.  After gaining an understanding of the gear we would need, we first had to find that right pack.  Nicholas and I both did a large amount of research on the variety of packs there were to choose from.  One of the first things we learned about our packs was that they should be front loading for easy access.  Also, we learned the bag should be carry on size and should be no bigger than 45 Liters.  Additionally, we learned how the bag should fit on your back, how the bags should be packed and that there should be a way of securing the items inside (lock on zipper)…Nicholas and I learned so much about bags, we almost didn’t know where to begin…brands like Kelty, Deuter, Osprey, Tortuga, you name it we read about it. However, as we continued to research, our list narrowed and we ended up with 2 of the same bags, just different in size (for those of you that may not be familiar, pack sizes are measured in Liters).  Ultimately, we decided to go with Osprey packs, the Farpoint model, Kaitlyn’s being the 40L and mine being 45L with a 10L day pack (total 55L of space).  When we finally picked our packs, we were able to compile a master list of clothing and then slowly whittled it down.  Again, all we were reading was overwhelming to say the least.  As we learned extensively about materials and fashion, we also wanted to be ensured of our own comfort with what we would be wearing. Thus, as we began to build our inventory, we kept comfort in the fore front of our minds.  

I must make note, while searching what to bring, this lead me to design our “travel path.” We definitely didn’t want to pack for two seasons (since we’re leaving in Feb. and returning the end of July), which is why Asia will be our first stop.  In an earlier post, I mentioned the weather will be in the 80s and the coolest in the mid 50s.  This will work perfectly with the “one season” clothing we will be packing.  The majority, however, will be in the 70s. Perfect, right?! The days that are cold we will be able to layer, so we feel we have come up with the perfect combination of clothing. 

Currently, my backpack weighs 21 lbs when packed and Nicholas’s weighs 30 lbs. We are hoping to get rid of a few things as we go. Additionally, if we aren’t using an item or article of clothing we’ll either give it away or mail it back home. With this all said, I realize that there is only so much research one can do, thus we may have under or over packed.  I’d say there is a little give and take as each person has different needs, however, without the prior experience, we won’t know until we’re out living it. 

Below you will find a very specific list of items that we have packed and plan to bring at this point.  As I said, this list may include too little or too much, but we look forward to learning as we go and then sharing with you again what we have learned.  So…without further ado…

Following is our list:

Kaitlyn

4 t-shirts

2 tank tops

2 long sleeve shirts (1 jean, 1 button-up)

1 skirt

1 dress

1 pair of jeans

1 pair of skinny pants

1 pair of capris

2 swimsuits (I’m anticipating one being destroyed in the Dead Sea)

1 pair pajamas 

3 bras
4 pairs of socks

8 pairs of underwear

1 rain jacket

1 softshell jacket

1 pair chaco sandels

1 pair running shoes

1 pair walking shoes

1 scarf/buff 

Earrings

Nicholas

4 Socks, 2 reg, 1 no show, 1 long

5 underwear

5 T-Shirts

1 Under Armor Long Sleeve

1 Button Up T-Shirt

1 Button Up Long Sleeve

1 Swimsuit

1 Athletic Shorts

2 Travel shorts

1 Travel Pants

1 Jeans

1 Belt

1 MultiClava

1 Soft Shell Jacket

1 Rain/Wind Jacket

1 Hat

1 Pair Sun Glasses

1 pair Olukai walking shoes

1 pair Flip Flops

1 pair Nike shoes

1 pair Chacos

Electronics

Camera + 2 batteries + Charger

External Hard Drive + Cord

SD Card

Go Pro + Go Pro Extras

Computer + Computer Cord

Plug Adapter

Surge Protection Bar

Cell Phone 

Watch

Mini Flash Light

Lexar Mini SD Adapter + Mini SD Case

HeadPhones

First Aid

Ibuprofen

Band-Aids

Imodium (let’s hope we don’t actually ever have to take this one…)

Dramamine

Allergy meds

Cold medicine

Decongestant

Mild laxative

Cough drops

Hydrocortisone cream

Antibiotics

Neosporin

First aid kit

Misc.

1 Sink stopper

Travel laundry soap

Flexible travel clothesline

Stain remover (Shout wipes)

Retractable cable lock

Duct tape

Hand sanitizer

2 quick dry towels

Water bottles

Sunglasses

Toiletries 

Toothpaste/toothbrush

2 Razors

Bar soap

2-1 shampoo/conditioner

Deodorant 

Chapstick 

Makeup (Mascara, Eyeliner, BB cream, Blush, 1 eye shadow)

Glasses/case

Glasses cleaner wipes

Nail clippers

Make-up remover

Wet wipes

Body powder

Hair ties

There you have it, these are the items that we will be bringing along on our journey, although it may not look minimalistic on paper, it looks pretty minimal when all laid out (We’ll be posting some pictures coming up so you can see for yourself).  Hope this post helps to break down how we went about picking our packs and gear for the upcoming 6 months!

N & K

P.S. We'll be doing laundry once a week. Most hostels have laundry facilities and we've kept all of our clothes in the same color range, so we can throw it all in one load. Everything is quick dry, as well, so we're hoping it is a pretty simple process.

A Taste of Our Itinerary

Kaitlyn here! One of the top questions we are asked is “Which countries are you visiting?” It is my favorite question to answer. ;) In this post we’ll give you a little taste of our itinerary and explain, briefly, how I designed it. (More detail will come later...)

When I first started planning the trip, we had to decide where to go first. Because we are backpacking, bringing as little gear as possible was important. We chose to start in Asia because of the weather; that way we only have to pack for one season. In March Asia will be a balmy 70-80 degrees! By May we will be in Greece, where it again will be in the 70s. Essentially, the coldest weather we will experience will be in the 50s, the hottest will be in the 90s, ensuring we don’t have to bring winter clothing. (Discussing our packing list will be in another post.) Enough about deciding where to go first; here is a glimpse of our plan!

1. Cambodia (March)
2. Thailand (March)
3. Laos (March)
4. Vietnam (March)
5. China (April)
6. Israel (April)
7. Bulgaria (April)
8. Greece (May)
9. Italy (May)
10. Spain (May)
11. Switzerland (June)
12. Austria (June)
13. Germany (June)
14. The Netherlands (June)
15. France (July)
16. Channel Islands (July)
17. United Kingdom (July)

Starting out, we honestly just looked at a map and thought “Okay, what countries/cities look interesting.” Nicholas and I sat down and discussed what was on his “must-see” list and what was on mine. Nicholas was more interested in Asia, I in Europe. Originally I wasn’t excited about Asia, now I am THRILLED! Looking back I wish I had allowed more time in Asia, but there is no perfect way to plan a trip, especially when you’re doing it for the first time. 

I’ve planned each day in its entirety; lodging, transportation and activities. I’m convinced at this point that I’ve over-planned activities, so I’m sure we will not actually do everything. I have planned in “rest days” and “exploration time,” so hopefully that combats us being stretched too thin. The first couple weeks will have a serious learning curve as we explore our limits, but that will be part of the fun.

Counting today, we are 21 days out from departure…we hope you are getting excited to follow our adventure! 

XOXO,

K

P.S. You can now subscribe to our blog!!! In the right hand corner you'll notice a spot to type your email.  Click "subscribe" and a website called feedburner will give you a few directions. Don't worry, you won't get spammed, just direct notifications to your email when we update our blog. For those of you who don't check Facebook regularly, this is a good option for you.