Step one, buying the ticket

Last night, when a guy bought our table a round of tequilas, I looked around and realised that I was the only drinker on the table. It was at that point that I knew I was going to be spending a lot of time in bed today. That's OK, it is part of my Saturday routine really. I spend a lot of time in bed at the weekends. But I did have one important thing to do today. I had to call my travel agent in London and pay for the Round the World ticket I had booked the previous week online.

Yes, after three years teaching in Korea I am finally preparing to leave. I have left once before but came back a mere 11 weeks later. This time I am being a little more realistic- that is to say, that I am more than happy to come back to Korea at the end of the travels. I love teaching in Korea. Of course, I have good days and bad days, both in the classroom and out, but overall I consider myself very lucky to have found a job that gives me so much joy. And I will miss the munchkins very much.

With the nine hour time difference between Korea and England I was still able to spend a considerable amount of time in bed before making the call. I realised that I didn't want to be alone while spending a lot of money so I went to my friend, Rory's, house to make the call. And then it became official! So this is the route I am taking:

London - Singapore - Vietnam - Perth overland Sydney - Christchurch overland to Auckland - Fiji - Cook Islands - Tahiti - Los Angeles overland to New York - London

Exciting stuff, you'll have to admit. Right now it doesn't seem real. And won't until I get back to the UK in April and pick up the tickets from my mother's house. In one easy step, this has just become the most expensive thing I have ever bought- mainly because I have always avoided all those grownup things like buying a house or learning to drive- though at 860 quid (pounds) it is pretty cheap.

Even so, I have sent myself a budget of eighty pounds a week to get me through the travels. For the next two months, I will be busy contacting mates who live anywhere along the route, and researching budget options. Have already spent some time looking at the sleeping in airports website(!)

Right, now I have to get back to calling or text messaging all my mates to share the excitement!