- When do you leave?
- How long do you plan to be away?
6-12 Months - How much have you saved?
£4000 - How old are you?
18 - Nationality
England - Where do you live now?
West Yorkshire, England - Occupation
Student - Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
It’s my career - Have you traveled around the world before?
No - What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
New York (catching train to Toronto, then back to NY) – Los Angeles – Auckland – Sydney – Cairns – Hong Kong – Bali – Home! - Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I can’t remember why originally, but I’ve always liked to travel, and it’s fun to do something different that isnt like a normal holiday. - What is your biggest fear about this trip?
As I’m going on my own I’m a bit scared about getting lost or getting into difficult situations, but it’s not going to stop me! - Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
At first everyone was quite dubious and concerned, but now they all know nothing’s going to stop me and they’ve had to learn to accept it. They are all really supportive of me now and are doing their best to help me prepare etc. Some people still think I’m mad doing it on my own, but others think I’m brave and that doing it on your own is the best way to go! - How much planning and preparing have you done?
Control Freak - What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Just starting to plan what I’m going to take so I’m not too sure yet. I’m stressing about not being able to take my hair straighteners though, I’ll have to deal with curly hair for 6 months! AAgghhh! - How do you think your round-the-world trip will change your life? How do you think it will affect and change you as a person?
I’m already a fairly independent person, but I think after the trip I will be more so. I’ll have to deal with things on my own, which will make me grow up more. It’ll also help me to budget, which will come in useful when living off a student loan at university when I return. - If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, that is both exciting, scary and expensive! - 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?
It gives you the opportunity to live more like the locals, you get a better feel for the culture and way of life. It’s something a bit more interesting than a holiday. - What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That it costs a lot of money. It obviously is quite true – it does cost a fair bit of money, but once you sit down and figure it all out, it seems fairly cheap for what you are getting. It’s just a lot of money at once, rather than being spread out. - Why do you like to travel?
I get bored easily, so I like exploring different places and meeting new people. - What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Don’t leave it all until the last minute, make sure you know where you are heading, and try to arrive at new places in daylight, for safety reasons.
September 2003