- When do you leave?
- How long do you plan to be away?
1-2 Years - How much have you saved?
About £6000 - How old are you?
29 - Nationality
England - Where do you live now?
Amersham, England - Occupation
Jaded IT Support Geek - Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
One more paycheck and I’m gone. - Have you traveled around the world before?
No - What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
London to Thailand on a one-way ticket. Ending up in Australia for a year on a one-year “Working Holiday Visa”. Flexible half-baked plans to take in countries in-between, such as Vietnam, Laos and China. - Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
A feeling that life is passing me by, Which it largely is. - What is your biggest fear about this trip?
I’m the kind of guy who can completely erase from my memory where I put important things like keys, wallets and so on – in literally
milliseconds. So….losing important stuff. And also having to come back before I want to. - Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Absolutely. Everyone is right behind me. In fact so much so that perhaps it’s a big conspiracy to get rid of me! Hmmm…. - How much planning and preparing have you done?
Just Enough - What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Haven’t thought about packing, will leave that to the last week before I go. But undoubtedly too much stuff. - 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 am hoping to have more direction when I return; a feeling of knowing where I want my life to head. As a person I’d like to gain more confidence, lose inhibitions and cure myself from the disease of worrying about unimportant stuff. - If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Please God, let me enjoy it. - 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’s dependent on what you’re looking for. If it’s beaches and a little culture then great, but to really soak up the life, language and the values of a country (and its people) you probably need to spend a little more than two weeks there. - What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That you can drop everything and go. Very wrong! - Why do you like to travel?
I’ve yet to discover if I like long-term travel yet. - What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Not to spend too long convincing yourself to do it, like I have.
July 2004