My first ever blog posting: The Plan

I've never done a blog before. But rather than sending long group emails, inflicting stories on you that probably only I will find funny and interesting, I'm going to write about my travel adventures on this blog, and let you dip in whenever you like.

So, for my first ever entry (and this could well be my only entry before I leave, but I want to give it a try) I'm going to tell you my provisional - though pretty final - itinerary. Feel free to let me know any suggestions/recommendations/contacts, and to organise a visit to come and see me! Here's the Plan:

August: Eastern Africa - doing an overland truck tour with Jenny - from Kenya, through Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, ending in Victoria falls, Zimbabwe.

September: South Africa - travelling along the south coast, scuba diving, surfing etc, maybe visiting the school linked with my current school, and hopefully ending with a photography course, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur in Cape Town

October: Ghana (Sefwi Wiawso) - visiting this 'lost Jewish tribe', who have been keeping traditions such as kosher, circumcision and shabbat for as long as they can remember, but have only learned about mainstream Judaism in the past 25 years

November-December: Ghana (Accra) - volunteering in a Liberian refugee camp, perhaps teaching Maths

January-February: Iran - visiting my homeland for the first time ever. Travelling, maybe finding a job, snowboarding, maybe rockclimbing (apparently big in Iran!)

February-March: India - doing a meditiation retreat (a week of hardcore meditation without talking etc), doing a cookery course, sitting on beautiful beaches...

March: Cambodia - short stop, maybe visiting my friend who will be working as a district education advisor there

April-July: Canada/USA - travelling, and working (maybe working with family in LA/Nashville/NYC). Hopefully driving across southern USA

Still reading? Good patience! Keep logging on for more updates...