Traveling Plans

This year I started graduate school.  As I am paying for this by myself, and I do not believe in loans, this leaves me living on barely anything a month honestly.  This means as well no traveling for the next year and a half until I finish graduate school.  For someone who has always felt the call of traveling since I was in high school, this is a very hard pill to swallow.
Therefore, as a means of looking to the future and keeping myself from feeling sad for myself, I have made the decision to go backpacking through Asia from the spring to early summer 2015 after I finish school and plan to leave Korea.  I have never been backpacking, and as fiercely independent as I am, I am still nervous about the idea of it.  Very nervous.  But I want to do this.  I need to do this, to prove to myself that I have the strength, courage and ability to navigate the world on my own.
Now, I know what you're thinking: That's going to require so much money!  That's crazy!
But I don't believe that it is, so I will be blogging about my planning process until I eventually go on the current dream adventure
To start, I decided I want to travel for about 5 or 6 months.  I also decided that I want to make this trip happen for less than $6,000.  With those ground rules set in place, I then sat down and asked myself where in Southeast Asia I want to go. 
The countries I plan to visit (most likely in this order) are:
Cambodia (2-3 weeks)
Malaysia (2-3 weeks)
Vietnam (1 week)
Laos (3-4 weeks)
Thailand (5 weeks)
Indonesia (3 weeks)
Philippines (still undecided; 2 weeks)
Taiwan (1-2 weeks)
Hong Kong (still undecided; 1 week)

I hope to be able to go swing dancing along the way, and placed the countries in this order so that I could attend lindy exchanges in those countries as well.  Maybe the trip is too long, maybe I'm overreaching.  I don't know.  But what I do know is this: I love to travel, I love to see the world, and by the end of my time here in Korea I will have spent 3 1/2 years here, graduated with a masters degree that I will have payed for on my own, and be 27.  I will be ready and itching for a big trip to celebrate my next phase in life! 
If any of you would be interested in meeting me along the way at one of the countries, with me through two or three, or for the entire thing because you need a break in life, I'd love that!
After grad school ends, I'm going to investigate credit cards.  I need a new one that doesn't charge overseas fees, but also provides airline miles when I sign up.  That way I can start using it to rack up frequent flier miles fast and easy. 
Until next time,
Rita