Most of 1999, it seems, was spent preparing for a vacation I’d wanted to take for many years.

The basic itinerary was Toronto to Hong Kong, to Bangkok (Thailand), to Kathmandu and Pokhara (Nepal), back to Bangkok and then to Koh Samui in southern Thailand. From there it was back to Bangkok for the flight to Singapore, then Hong Kong again, and finally back to Toronto, 32 days later.

The travel planning itself was a challenge, but nothing like the challenges of preparing my body, my employer, my kids, my psyche and my wardrobe (including camping and trekking gear) for the big day!