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Author: Sean Keener

Bob Goetz – Around-the-World Traveler

  1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
    February 2002-February 2003

  2. How old were you when you took this trip?
    61

  3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
    US$25000

  4. Nationality
    USA

  5. Where do you live now?
    USA

  6. Occupation
    Before your trip: pediatrician

    Now: sojourner

  7. How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
    Not at all – travelled at retirement – now know that unless there is economic disaster I will not work again.

  8. What is the route you took/places you visited?
    USA, Canada, Europe, overland to Athens, Egypt and Morocco, Kenya overland to Cape Town, Bombay overland to Dehli, SE Asia to include Myamar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, southern China, Phillippines, USA.

  9. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    Had done international adventure travel previously – wanted a bigger dose – put our home up for rent and when it rented we were forced to vacate/take off…

  10. Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:

    • Best Moment

      the smiles

    • Worst Moment

      lost passport

    • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?

      patience with bureaucracy/perceived inefficiency

    • Biggest surprise?

      was able to save money while travelling

  11. Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
    A pleasant surprise were individuals in their late teens to early 20s – usually students and quite bright who were inquisitive about the world, Americans and invariably wanted to practice their English – and somehow related to/bonded with someone of my age group.

  12. How much planning and preparing did you do?
    Winged it a lot

  13. What was your favorite piece of gear?
    Digital camera – taking and immediately being able to show people their image opened many doors – invariably made them smile/laugh.

  14. What did you bring, that in hindsight you could’ve left at home?
    Clothing for every climatic contingency – better to purchase in route as the need arises.

  15. How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
    Patience for and appreciation of differences lifestyle and opinion – that our hubris is just that.

  16. If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    Do it.

  17. Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
    Yep and yep – but will spend more time at given locales – less travel, more in-depth experiencing of a given culture.

  18. Why do you think people should go on round-the-world trips? Why not just take a regular old one- or two-week vacation instead?
    RTW travel is not for most people. It entails some discomfort, loneliness and continual adaptation and compromise. If willing to put up with this, then it is both a learning experience and an insight into oneself.

  19. What is the most valuable thing you learned?
    That we don’t have the corner on truth and wisdom. Patience of other individuals and tolerance of their customs, religions, political systems, bureaucracies etc….

  20. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    Too expensive (but expense is relative,of course)

  21. Why do you like to travel?
    While travelling each day offers the potential of a new and exciting adventure, encounter, experience…

  22. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Leave it at home. Be prepared to adapt.