We said: Just do it? So we just did it! Last night we booked the flights for our next long, big, family, amazing trip. – Where to?!? – everybody asks.

Before our very first family trip (starting when Hanna was 8 months) Around the Black Sea – we didn’t know if our girl likes travelling and if it can work out at all. We were ready to come back, any time she would be unhappy. But she was happy and those 6 months on the road was the best time of our life (and our family life!).

So for the next big trip, already with Hanna and little Mila, we chosen more far away destination. Another continent, totally different culture and a very long flight. Between the Oceans trip – through Central America – again worked out.

After Central America – we had a lot of work in Berlin and Warsaw, many little European trips, long process of writing a book, and long time of getting more and more courage for a trip… still more far away. The most far away you can get! Far far far! In distance and also in culture and habits.

But we decided to talk with our girls too. They are totally members of our team and their opinion is also very important. In summer, during our little trip in Bosnia, every morning we were starting with: girls, what do we do today: lake, river, sea, mountains? So this we did here too.

– Girls, where would you like to go for a big trip? – we asked. Mila said: – Frrrrr, by plane, far far! – could mean anything, right? Hanna was more precise: – Where papa of Pippi Longstocking is! (Pippi, the hero of Astrid Lindgren’s book, girls’ favourite book and our childhoods’ favourite book too!) – she was very sure about. – To Taka Tuka Land!!! We have to be careful, because there are pirates and different animals, but we should go there!

We started to read the book carefully. So Taka Tuka is situated at the „South Seas“, which is nothing else than… the Pacific Ocean!

And we had an answer: we will start in New Zealand (where we always wanted to go) and then we will go through the islands on the Pacific Ocean: French Polynesia, Tahiti, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.

We will fly those almost 18 000 kilometres and then we will take some local flights, boats and yacht-hitchhiking.

We will start on 3rd of March, so a little bit more than in 1,5 month. For… maybe 6 months?

No need to write about bluest waters, old volcanoes, wild tattooers, giant tiki statues and hundreds of stories, right? ;) No need to say that we are not those plop-yourself-on-the-beach-and-do-nothing tourists,so we will find a lot! Each of those islands is unique and our „Looking for Taka Tuka land“ trip will be unique too.

Oh caaaaaaaaan’t wait! But… still so many things to do. Buying a ticket (last night) it’s just a first, little step. You wanna know how many things have to be done before you can start a real dream? Then listen…

Before-The-Trip TO-DO-LIST:

awful ones:

• check and buy the flights
• check and valid the documents (IDs, passports, visas, international driving licence, diving licence, sailing licence…)
• check your credit cards
• visit doctors (kids, vaccinations, dentist…)
• rent the flat
• check insurances (health, travel, car…)
• make order in things you are leaving (tax declarations, bills, banks, contracts…)

a bit better ones:

• check the rules (kilogrammes of luggage etc)
• find (buy or rent) a proper backpack, tent, sleeping bag, cooker, dishes…
• make order in electronics: camera, lenses, SD cards, batteries, image tank/drives, adapters, laptops, cables, backup solutions…

the nicests:

• get the maps and travel guides
• read as much as you can
• talk with people, who have been there
• find friends and friends of friends, who live there (+get in touch, draw a map of „friends“)
• think about possible partners and media partners
• get (buy or make) gifts for future friends
• make the blog ready
• pack!!!

Uffff…. Anything you would add to this list? Do you have any cool packing-list? For people, who have to put everything in backpacks and will live mainly in the tent? What not to forget? What is not needed? This will be totally different trip for us: without our car-home. Hmmm. Let’s just do it ;)

Or maybe you have friends or friends of friends up there? Or any ideas who and how could help or take part in our trip? Media, sponsors, partners? (everybody knows somebody, no?;) Leave us a line here or by email: anna.alboth@gmail.com.

Yesterday I wrote on our facebook that I’m checking the flights. So many of you helped me with it. Thank you so much! It’s amazing to see that we have your support and smile.

And we totally promise to take all of you to all the corners of New Zealand and each of those unique islands with us: we will write, post pictures and report about everything going on!

**** happy!! ******** happy!! ****

This post is also available in: German

---

Our first book is out!

We have published our first book (for now just in Polish:) about our Central America Trip.
See, read and order here »