SP - Around-the-World Traveler

1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
   December 1996-January

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   31

3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
   $3300

4. Nationality
   USA

5. Occupation
   * Before your trip: Teacher for "at risk youth"
   * Now: English Teacher
   

6. How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   Difficult to come back....stayed in US for 9 months in 2000-2001

7. What is the route you took/places you visited?
   PR - Argentina (mostly Patagonia) Uruguay, Paraguay, Brasil, Australia, Nepal, Thailand, Europe (work in Germany and UK) return to Nepal, India, Back to Europe, Nepal/Tibet, Germany, Thailand, Germany

8. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   I just knew I had to and it was "now or never" feeling :)

9. Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:
   
   • Best Moment
     Soo Many - Base of Fritz Roy, Annapurna....visiting the nuns in Tibet... Swimming with the children in Nepal... Connecting with people

   • Worst Moment
     A lot of tough moments - that seem to disappear when you get a new start

   • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
     Dealing with beggars in India

   • Biggest surprise?
     How easy it was to do!!

10. Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
    Difficult....also too many...but just now I think of an old Indian friend we just kind connected....there was a deep friendship between us.

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

12. What was your favorite piece of gear?
    Swiss Army Knife, Camera

13. How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
    Opened my eyes a bit and reconfirmed my feelings that we are all the same...makes it difficult to live a normal day to day life at times - often homesick for the road.

14. If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    It was something I had to do and I am so glad that I did it...it has changed my life immensely

15. Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
    Would love to

16. 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?
    Not sure I think everyone should (I met some people on the road that were a bit embarrassing out there - still tied to old habits back home - complaining about waiting in lines and the conditions of rooms..etc)

17. What is the most valuable thing you learned?
    To trust in life and myself.

18. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    In the US (near my home, NJ) people think you are crazy to do it..that it's too difficult..etc. Others think it is only a party.

19. Why do you like to travel?
    Freedom...People...Nature The ability to value every moment of the day - seems we get lost living life to pay bills etc back home we waste too much precious time.

20. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Bring a light pack with things that you wouldn't care if you lost... trust your instincts on the road... Keep an open mind.... and when you think you can't do it anymore... give it a week (normally things change within the next hour).