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Author: Sean Keener

Joshua Lee Goldstein – Around-the-World Traveler

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

  2. How old were you when you took this trip?
    27

  3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
    $40,000

  4. Nationality
    USA

  5. Where do you live now?
    Curacao, Netherlands Antilles

  6. Occupation
    Before your trip: Management Consultant

    Now: same

  7. How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
    It didn’t really affect it at all. I was lucky that my employers agreed to give me the time off and hold my job for when I returned.

  8. What is the route you took/places you visited?
    Philadelphia – LA – Hawaii – New Zealand – Australia – Thailand – Malaysia – Bali – Cambodia – Vietnam – Laos – Greece – Serbia – Hungary – Poland – Czech Republic – Holland – England – Spain – Ireland – Northern Ireland

  9. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    I’ve always had a love of travelling going back to my youth. I’m fortunate to have a good job that pays pretty well and gives me a lot of time off. I’ve always wanted to take an extended leave and travel around the world, so I went to my employers and got a leave of absence.

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

    • Best Moment

      All of New Zealand and the great friends I made there.

    • Worst Moment

      Saying goodbye to new, good friends.

    • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?

      Limiting my posessions to my pack…

    • Biggest surprise?

      Nha Trang, Vietnam…party oasis!

  11. Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
    Alia – we just clicked the moment we met and were perfect travel buddies. I wound up going to Malaysia and styed with her and her family for a week, then went on to Bali with her for 10 days with some of her friends. Both these places were not in my itinerary and Bali wound up being my 2nd favorite place on the whole trip. Alia and I are still good friends, though on other sides of the world….love her and miss her lots!!

  12. How much planning and preparing did you
    do?

    Just Enough

  13. What was your favorite piece of gear?
    My pack – big enough to fit a small person in – I still have problems packing lightly.

  14. What did you bring, that in hindsight you could’ve left at home?
    Nothing!

  15. How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
    It has opened my eyes up even more to how cultures differ all over the world and how people differ as well. At the same time, I also learned how similar so many travellers are that all come from different backgrounds and cultures all over the world.

  16. If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    The best experience I’ve ever had in my life.

  17. Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
    I travel all the time. I take about 3 months off per year to travel. I’m just a travel junky I guess.

  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?

    1-2 week vacations don’t give you the time to explore a place or submerge yourself in the culture. Travelling and vacationing are two different things.

  19. What is the most valuable thing you learned?
    That I am very fortunate to have the things that I have, and to be able to experience what I have.

  20. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    You have to be rich to go. I was very fortunate to have a high budget for my trip, but I could have easily done it with a lot less.

  21. Why do you like to travel?
    As kids, my younger brother and I were put on airplanes by ourselves to go visit my father and also my grandparents. In turn, they would each take us on a long road trip somewhere to see new places and be in the outdoors. After doing this for years and years, I assume that the urge to travel grew from there.

  22. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Go for it!!! You won’t know unless you go. Remember, it’s your trip, getting advice from people is good, but in the end it’s your trip and have to make it yours.