I’ve spent the last few days wrapping up the 6-month leadership training I began back in May. I didn’t know what I was getting into back then, however it turned out to be a great experience, and I’m going to miss those few days in Richmond each month.

I ate like there was no tomorrow - danced like no one was watching - and sang a surprise karaoke rendition of Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock ‘n Roll To Me.”

I have one week left in my Arlington apartment, and it feels like I have so much to do in the next 7 days:

• Continue giving away and selling stuff
• Draft and deliver my resignation (Monday)
• Reserve and buy my first few flights (via AirTreks.com - thus committing to a departure date)
• Apply for health insurance (leaning toward IMG Global - probably going to skip travel insurance)
• Finalize my MP3 player
• Complete final 3 physical therapy visits and get my new orthotics fitted
• Attend DC United playoff game #2 (Nov 1)
• Get packing supplies and pack (Nov 2), and move (Nov 3)
• Get my windshield replaced, car detailed and photographed, and start advertising it online

I think it’ll all be downhill once I let the cat out of the bag at work Monday morning. Short of telling them I’m joining the Marines like my brother, I think the message that I’m quitting to travel around the world in 5 weeks is about as shocking a message as I could deliver. Especially coming from someone like me who presents a straight-laced personality in the office!

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I’ve been using a whiteboard to schedule my life for about 7 years. I thought I’d share. Exciting isn’t it! I’m starting to add things like “find movers,” “get travel insurance,” and “send AirTrek itineraries.”

Lately, it’s been ideal for tracking people who are buying or picking up freecycled stuff. Speaking of material possessions, last night I literally sold my computer desk from under my computer, sold my snowboarding gear, and gave away 5 guided meditation tapes.

Each item that leaves my apartment has me feeling a little lighter. The extra cash is nice too. The last two big items are a set of curtains, and a night table. Then the rest is going to my parents or storage.

I have 3 full days of work left before I wrap up my leadership training, and turn in my resignation. Living la vida loca!

PS - for those with eagle eyes, note 10/30 marks the start of “Everest 2″ on the Discovery Channel at 10pm. I watched the first Everest about 10 times (all 6 episodes). Check it out if you can!

PSS - looks like I’ll also be around to catch the second half of the Man vs. Wild season airing in November (in the USA), featuring 2-hour episodes, including the one where Bear Grylls flies over Everest using a super-powered fan strapped to his back!

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I previously wrote about how my new E*Trade checking account included ATM refunds. I confirmed I was wrong, as Frank so kindly pointed out in the comments. In the end though, it didn’t make a difference whether I had the checking account or the money market account.

I reviewed the current features of the money market account, and I’m quite sure the policy must’ve changed under my nose. I’d have to keep $5,000 in the account, which is too much for my purposes, or I’d have to meet some rather high standards ($50,000 in E*Trade linked accounts, or 30+ stock trades/year). You can read E*Trade’s current policy on ATM refunds here.

So, it looks like I’ll be going with a run of the mill checking account to compliment my high-yield E*Trade savings account. I’m using my previously established ING Direct savings account to tuck away the money I saved to re-establish myself upon returning home.

Based on my reading, ATM bank fees are *not* the norm outside the United States, so hopefully this will all be a non-issue. And if I’m able to arrive back in the US with some travel money to spare (as planned), then I should be able to use my debit card with most merchants, thus limiting the need for cash via ATM’s.

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As a kid, my family moved to a new state twice. While it made me sad to leave my friends behind each time, I did enjoy the unpacking all my stuff it in a new home. As an adult, being responsible for do-it-yourself moves can suck any fun out of moving day.

If you’ve checked out my list of material possessions lately, then you’ve probably noticed it’s slowly shrinking as I give away and sell much of it. The remainder will be divvied up between my storage space, my friend’s basement, and my parent’s house. And that’s where eMove.com enters the picture.

In my twenties, I managed 3 separate DIY moves, and after the last one, told myself I would start paying for help in the future. Well the future is now, and I’m so glad I learned about eMove. It was purely by happenstance too. I picked up a local moving company’s business card at my storage location, Google’d them, and found a message board with a few positive reviews and a reference to eMove.com.

eMove.com helps you rent moving equipment/supplies and storage space, and obtain labor to physically haul your stuff. I’ve rented a Uhaul before, so that was on the back burner compared to locking in the human help. I entered my zip code and move date, and up came a long list of local movers. Each moving company’s profile included a ranking (based on 5 stars), hourly rates, and list of customer reviews. When you make a decision, you fill out an online form with details about your move, estimated number of hours required, and payment information in the form of a credit card. The company is responsible for approving/declining your request within 24 hours.

True to form, within 24 hours I had received an acceptance of my 3-stop moving adventure scheduled for Saturday, November 3. The family-owned company I chose rated 5 of 5 on the star-meter, had 945 (mostly glowing) customer reviews, was on the less expensive end of the scale ($40/hour for 2 people + $25 flat travel fee), and ironically, was the company whose card I had picked up at the storage place. Ascertaining their help with the heavy lifting is a huge burden off my back (literally).

Now to wrangle myself a Uhaul truck!  Yee-haw!

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It took me 6 days to obtain the title to my Jetta from VW Credit. I got a cashier’s check from my bank for the remainder of my loan, printed a payoff quote from the website, overnighted them both to VW, and paid extra for them to send the title back via FedEx.

I now have the pleasure of owning the first car I’ve completely paid for on my own, and will bask in this anti-climactic feeling for a full 5 weeks before I sign it over to a new driver!

I’m completely debt-free at this point, for probably the first time in 13 years.  Saving for my backpacking trip around the world has taught me to be financially disciplined, a trait I hope to carry with me for the rest of my life.

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Ever since Laura mentioned Freecycling in her comments on my Reserve Storage Space post last week, I’ve been posting several items per day, and to my surprise, offloading them within 24-48 hours! It’s yet another social network I’m glad to have joined. The primary motivation of its members is environmental - to ensure items stay out of landfills. As the instructions indicate, nothing is too small to post.

In less than a week, I’ve given away:

• a plant
• watch (with dead battery)
• swimming goggles
• meditation tapes
• books
• pictures
• scale
• clock

Each person has been friendly, grateful, and dependable. I’ve had a dad and his kids stop by, a young guy just getting started, a guy who works for Amtrak, and some older women. Some people grab and go, while a few have chatted for a bit.

It is a nice, new way to connect with others in the community, as well as meet the people who intend to use my stuff (as opposed to dropping it all off at the Salvation Army as I’ve done until now). It’s working so well, my apartment is starting to feel increasingly empty.

Welcome! The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,138 groups with 3,948,000 members across the globe. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It’s all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them’s good people). Membership is free. To sign up, find your community by entering it into the search box above or by clicking on “Browse Groups” above the search box. Have fun!

Find your community through the Freecycle Network today, and start giving (or taking, if you’re in that mode)!

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The rubber is really hitting the road in October and it feels like I’m taking bigger and bolder steps to lay the groundwork for my impending trip around the world!

Late last week, I applied online for E*Trade Checking and Complete Savings accounts. Ironically, after talking to a representative on the phone who helped me come to a decision, I learned E*Trade is headquartered in none other than my home town of Arlington, Virginia! I’ve had Brokerage and Employee Stock Purchase Plan accounts with them for about 7 years, so I’m already a little familiar with their website design.

Below are some deciding factors on E*Trade as my online banking choice for my travels abroad.

Checking Account

• Free ATM/VISA debit card
• E*TRADE Bank will not charge a fee for withdrawing funds from any institution’s ATM nationwide (in USA) but the owner/operator of the ATM may. These fees will automatically be credited to your account.
• E*TRADE Bank does impose a charge equal to 1% of the transaction amount for non-U.S. currency transactions (1% is about as low as I could find)
• No monthly account fees
• No minimum balance required
• Free, unlimited online bill payments
• Online access protected by Digital Security ID (”It makes unauthorized login virtually impossible.”)
• Clear and comprehensive fraud protection

Complete Savings Account

• Current APY (interest rate) is 5.05% - This is 0.75% higher than my ING Direct savings account.
• No minimum balance required
• Ability to do Quick Transfers (i.e. “real time”) with my E*Trade Checking Account
• Online access protected by Digital Security ID (only one ID is required to access both accounts)
• Clear and comprehensive fraud protection
• Downside - “Withdrawal limits apply. Under Federal regulations related to these types of accounts, account holders are allowed up to six withdrawals or transfers (for example, using Quick Transfer) from their account in any calendar month. Inbound Quick Transfers are not subject to any limits.”

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28 days remain before I vacate my apartment of close to 5 years. I felt a taste of impending freedom when I turned in my last rent check, and after much debate, reserved a storage unit through Extra Space.

Initially, I had settled on a 5′x5′ climate-controlled space, however my Dad had recently put the idea in my head that I should keep my queen-size Sealy mattress and box spring (bought new less than 10 months ago). Perhaps it was thinking about whether to keep them, while comfortably laying on them each night, that did me in. At any rate, there was only a $17/month difference between the 5′x5′ and 10′x5′ units, so after a few quick calculations, I doubled my order to 50 square feet.

The space will cost me $90/month, however by signing a 12-month lease and paying up front, I can get the first 2 months free. Total cost for the first year is then $900.

My friend Phil has graciously agreed to store my kitchen table/chairs (which was a gift from my parents) and leather love seat in his basement. My parent’s expressed an interest in my TV (also a gift from them), which makes for one less thing to sell. I put my headboard (sorry mom) up for sale on Craig’s List and had 3 responses within the first 30 minutes, so there’s certainly a feisty group of shoppers out there. No such luck with my carpet steam cleaner!

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