I bought a ticket. I am flying to Astana on August 20, 2019. The flight from MCI to EXR on 8/19 is paid for with Untied Frequent Flyer miles. The flight from JFK to Astana on 8/20 is paid for with Capital One Venture miles. I need to get a hotel room in NYC for the night of 8/19.

The plan is for Tanya to meet me in Istanbul somewhere in the October 10-12 range for 7-10 days. We haven’t booked that yet. Prices were high and Istanbul is slightly unstable. We felt it might be best to wait a bit. Plan B would be Athens. Plan C….

I am also considering buying a return flight for December so that I have some structure.

This brings up an argument that I think about a lot (all credit to Jon Stewart). Structure vs. Freedom. It seems like this trip is all about freedom — that freedom will unleash some creativity that is pent up inside of me. That’s probably not the case. Jon Stewart said in an interview that he believed structure was important, without it people floundered. When there was a deadline, you had to focus.

I am not sure what I am focusing on yet, but the structure of knowing when I am leaving, know when the midpoint is (Istanbul) and knowing the when/where of the end, may be beneficial.

I think freedom is best for big picture strategic thinking. That’s when thinking outside the box is important.

Structure is best for the nuts and bolts tactical doing. That’s when the box is a benefit.