F.A.Q.

Q: Why 50 Million Steps?
A: 50 Million steps is (roughly) the circumference of the earth in steps. We thought it had a nice ring to it. For months before we left, we trained to get our paces exactly 2.358 feet long so people wouldn’t nitpick about our name. We both got Jawbone Up activity trackers, so we’ll actually be tracking our steps for the whole trip (you’ll see step counts often mentioned in destination-related posts). My first idea for a name was “A Pound of Skivvies”, given that our underclothing added up to exactly 1 pound, but people told me it was a touch creepy.

Q: What’s with the logo?
A: Well, the blog name is about steps, so feet seemed appropriate. We’re from the Pacific Northwest, where socks and sandals are actually a thing. I was kinda going for a patch/merit badge feel.

Q: Who are you guys?
A: See our about page. It’s mercifully short. TL;DR: Tony is a web startup product guy with a background in design and inbound marketing. Alex is a non-profiteer. We met in Alaska and (until recently) lived in Seattle.

Q: What kind of travel are you guys going to do? Hostels? Resorts? Hotels?
A: Everything we own for this trip is on our backs– roller luggage isn’t very practical for many of the places we want to go.  That said, we’re not quite up to traveling like 20 year old backpackers, in terms of lifestyle or accommodations. We kind of like the term “flashpacker”, which could be described as an upscale and tech-heavy backpacker. We’ll be staying in independent inns and homestays where we can. Occasionally, we might stay in a hostel, but we’re drawing the line at dormitory-style rooms. We’ll also occasionally splurge and stay in fancier places if we need some high quality relaxation, but the goal of the trip is to get to know places well (which is often hard when you’re in the lap of western-style luxury). We’re happy to splurge on activities and food.

Q: Can we hang out while you travel? I/We are going to be in X during the month of Y!
A: Yes! Drop us an email. We’d love to meet you and are constantly pressuring family, friends and acquaintances to visit us on the road. If you’re reading this– head to our “Where we’re traveling” page, and pick a time/region to connect.

Q: Where are you traveling?
A: We aren’t 100% sure, but here’s a rough itinerary (we’re winging it, so don’t expect this to be perfectly accurate). Morocco, Spain, Chzech Republic, Croatia, Turkey, Jordan, Nepal, Myanmar, India, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam to start. After that, Central and South America look good.

Q: How much is this trip going to cost you?
A: That’s kind of a tacky question– this whole internet anonymity thing has made you pretty bold, hasn’t it? It’s surprisingly cheap when you avoid Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Costs per day can range between $20-$83 per person (including lodging, food, activities, local transportation). Flights and overland travel costs a bit more…  And the sky’s the limit if you want a mint on your pillow. Legalnomad has collected a bunch of travel budgets from folks and you can do some region/country analysis here and here.