Susan Taylor - Around-the-World Traveler

1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
   June 1995-April 1996

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   24

3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
   GBP£6,500

4. Nationality
   England

5. Where do you live now?
   England

6. Occupation
   
   Before your trip: IT Support
   
   Now: Software Engineer
   

   How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   It had no affect at all.

   What is the route you took/places you visited?
   We flew to Singapore and then travelled overland to Malaysia and Thailand. We flew from Bangkok to Bali and then on to Perth in Australia. We travelled up the West Coast of Australia to Darwin and then down to Alice Springs. We travelled across to Cairns and then down the East Coast. We flew out of Sydney to Christchurch in New Zealand. We travelled through the South Island and onto the North Island. We flew to Los Angeles and drove through California, Nevada and Arizona. We flew to New York and then home.

   Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   My husband had always wanted to go backpacking round the world, so I agreed to go but had no idea what I was letting myself in for.

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

   • Best Moment
     Skydiving over Nelson in New Zealand

   • Worst Moment
     Nearly drowning off Koh Phi Phi Leh in Thailand during monsoon

   • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
     Overcoming the fear of the unknown

   • Biggest surprise?
     How friendly everyone is in Asia

   Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
   We met Sarah, a backpacker who had been travelling for four and a half years, which is quite an achievement by anyone's standards. She educated us about Tibet and made us really want to go there for ourselves.

   Also, the guy in his 60s who ran day trips from Carnarvon in Western Australia. He had about five different jobs and kept an eye on an eagle nest to stop anyone from trying to kill them. He took us to the nest and allowed us to climb the tree to see the baby eagles feasting on a rabbit as the mother eagle trusted him. He was a true Aussie.

   How much planning and preparing did you do?
   Control Freak

   What was your favorite piece of gear?
   Universal sink plug

   What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
   Video camera. I regularly look back through my photos but never watch the video tapes.

   How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
   I came back far more adventurous and broad-minded, and have spent the last three years saving up for the next trip.

   If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
   Way beyond my expectations.

   Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
   Since that trip we have backpacked through Egypt and Israel. We also backpacked through the Philippines. These were only short trips, so three years ago we started saving for another RTW concentrating on Africa and Asia.

   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?
   You only live once, and there's a whole world out there waiting to be explored. Live a little and see it before the West globalises every corner with a McDonalds and Starbucks.

   What is the most valuable thing you learned?
   To always be open-minded.

   Realising that I do not need that many material things to live my life.

   When I returned from my trip, I found that everyone was doing the same boring job and buying a new car to keep up with the neighbors next door. They hadn't changed, but I had.

   That I'm a lot tougher than I thought, and I can survive without a hair dryer or a mirror. I never thought that I would be camping for two months in New Zealand – and enjoy it.

   What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
   That it is impossible to find a job on returning and that your career is ruined.

   A few female friends had trouble believing you could travel without hair products, a hair dryer, cosmetics, and a mirror – and not be bothered about it.

   Why do you like to travel?
   It's far more interesting than working for a living.

   What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
   Don't let anyone put you off of going. Even if you've got a mortgage, you can still go. Read as much as you can on a country and read other travellers' travelogues to get an idea of what it will be like. I always carried a Lonely Planet guide to the country I was travelling through. Even the most boring places on paper can become the little gems you will always remember visiting.