- When do you leave?
- How long do you plan to be away?
6-12 Months - How old are you?
22 - Nationality
England - Where do you live now?
Cambridge, England - Occupation
Admin assistant - 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?
I start in India with my dad, after three weeks he goes home and I stay for a month more, then I fly to Thailand; dunno how long I’ll be there. Then I’ll make my way overland to Vietnam and Laos, back through those countries to Thailand to get the train to Malaysia. (I was gonna get a boat from the south of Vietnam but have been advised there are pirates in the sea!!! Apparently the train is great – should be an experience!). Then I go from Malaysia to Indonesia, to Singapore and I fly to Australia for Christmas and New Year. - Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I went to India in my year-out and wanted to go back as I loved it and felt I could’ve stayed longer! I think the reason I’m drawn to Asia in the first place is because we had a family friend who used to go to exotic places for her holidays and backpack, and she’s a keen photographer and I’ve grown up in awe of her photo album. I also loved studying religion at school and saw documentaries about Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism that fascinated me. I also want a challenge! I wanna go somewhere that’s hard work – dunno why!! - What is your biggest fear about this trip?
The bureaucracy – having something wrong with my visas or getting caught up in something political I don’t understand and can’t handle. - Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Mostly. I have a couple of home buddies who really can’t conceive the idea of voluntarily giving up creature comforts. I also have one friend who fears flying! When I did a parachute jump, he nearly died! All of this is a bit much for him!! :0) I’ve promised to keep him posted every time I’ve flown! - How much planning and preparing have you done?
Just Enough - What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Well, while I say I haven’t planned lots, I’m a bit anal about my lists and have drafted and redrafted packing lists despite it all being months away!! I can’t possibly list what I’m taking – too long, but it’s as sparse as I can do it!! I learned from the last trip!! Only a few clothes. My first aid kit/medicine bag will be the heftiest. I’m asthmatic and have allergies, so there are a few essentials. I am taking a bed sheet and towel, which I didn’t do last time – as the ‘micro-towel’ we took was crap!! and I got bed bugs because I kept coming out of my sleeping bag in the heat! I think a couple of books will be my favourite items, which I will trade as I go… - 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 hope that I become less lazy and more focused on what I want and how I’m going to go about getting it… I also want to become more confident in myself. I DO NOT, however, intend on “discovering” myself! - If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
I’m terrified and excited, proud of my choices and apprehensive about the outcomes, but above all else, I can’t wait to get out there and live to tell the tale! - 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?
I’m drawn to the idea of seeing other countries and cultures, and of course, the big bonus is taking time out of the ‘real’ world of work!! I don’t know what career I want but I do know that I want to travel! (Wow!! a career in travel – that would be a dream!!) But I think people go for different reasons. I’m going now, before I have major commitments, but to be honest I can imagine quitting a job after a few years and doing it again! (I’m not big on the idea of the rat race!!) I think you get a greater concept of a country if you roam it, than staying a hotel and maybe wondering ’round some tourist bazaar. You still don’t get a full idea, not unless you live there… but I’d rather do that than stay in one hotel, doing the same things each day for two weeks. - What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
I dunno, we were told a lot of stuff that often ended up being true… that it’s lonely maybe – people keep asking me how I’m going to cope alone for a year, but I know I’ll meet people fairly prompt! Another thing I was looking forward to in India was sitting on a bus with goats; never saw any animals on any public transport! - Why do you like to travel?
I like meeting other travellers and the people of the country itself – there’s such diversity out there! I like visiting historical and religious monuments and buildings. I like learning about another countries history, culture and traditions. However daunting the differences between the way Asians live and view life to the way we in the West do, it’s also so interesting and exciting and beautiful and challenging. It’s a great feeling to have your ideas and outlooks contested, it makes you really think about your own little world. - What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
I need some! I think that that’s something I’ll come back to either a month before I go or when I get back…
May 2002