The Master Plan-

This plan has been in my head and in my heart for years, but until I biked a few thousand miles I did not want to share it with many people. This is kind of the rough layout for the next couple of years, that is, if the Lord brings it all together. The Lord puts things in our heart and he has every right to change directions. All that said, this is what I am thinking.

Stage I
Started- May 5th, 2007 in Luther, Oklahoma
Arrive- Sao Paulo, Brazil March 5th, 2008

Time- 10 months
Distance- 14,000 km*
Countries- 15 (USA, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina Uruguay, Brazil.)

Stage II
Fly or Sail to Cape Town, South Africa
Start- Cape Town, South Africa -March 5th, 2008
Finish- Madrid, Spain- December 5th, 2008

Time- 9 months
Distance- 14,000 km*
Countries- 15 (route yet to be decided)
Fly to the States for a 3-month break and raise funds for Stage III

Stage III
Return to Madrid, Spain
Start-Madrid, Spain- March 5th, 2009
Finish- Luther, Oklahoma May 5th, 2010

Time- 14 months
Distance-20, 000 km*
Countries 20+ (route yet to be decided)

From China I would like to fly to California, them bike back to Oklahoma to finish where I started.
The whole time frame 36 months

Distance- 48,000 km or 30,000 miles*
Countries-50+ countries
* All distance are wild guesses or rather something I made up in my head.


Finances-

All my expenses of date.
I spent $750 on my flight back to the States for my sister's wedding
and around $10 a day x 125 days = $1250
Insurance - $125
Gear and repairs-$1000 (this includes all my camping gear, bike, bike parts and most of my clothes, but does not include my camera)

Total spent to date- $3,125.

Getting all the gear I needed and making repairs has cost me more then what I originally expected, but it has still been manageable.

For the next 15 months-

I still have $8,000 in savings for the next 15 months.
I will have three flights in this 15 months period.
Panama to Colombia- $350
Sao Paulo, Brazil to Cape town, South Africa- $1150
Madrid, Spain $1000

Total for airfare $2400 (I am looking into cheaper ways to travel, and I am looking at sailing as one possibility)

450 days X $10 a day $4500

Insurance for 15 months- $600

Total expenses for 15 months $7500 (this leaves $500 for repairs and gear replacement)