- When did you go on your RTW trip?
April 2001-March 2002
- How old were you when you took this trip?
29
- Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
13000
- Nationality
USA
- Where do you live now?
San Francisco, USA
- Occupation
Before your trip: Software Engineer
Now: Software Engineer
- How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
Although I lost some ground in the career making, my company asked me to return. I was more refreshed and did not care about missing out on business opportunites. In fact, I was way more chill about work.
- What is the route you took/places you visited?
Western Somoa, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, India, Nepal, Tibet, Egypt, France.
- Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I had been planing this trip since I was 15. When I finally had the money and the partner and my gut said it was time there was no stopping me.
- Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:
- Best Moment
So many but I will say climbing Mt. Rinjani on Lombok.
- Worst Moment
Almost breaking up with my girlfriend in a hotel in Kathmandu.
- Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
Not working surpirisingly and missing friends and family.
- Biggest surprise?
How easy it was.
- Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
While in Vietnam I met an Aussie, Gideon. We hit it off and became great friends. My girlfriend and I had the chance to move to Sydney after the trip for a year and became the best of friends with Gideon. But we met tons of great people everywhere.
- How much planning and preparing did you do?
Just Enough
- What was your favorite piece of gear?
My backpack.
- What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
The warm clothes that take up so much space. I ended up ditching them in Indonesia then buying cheap fleece and stuff in Nepal.
- How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
I got engaged and once we got home married.
- If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
It is not always easy but is always spectacular.
- Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
Yes, this time to include Africa.
- 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?
Your mind will not change in one week. But after a few months you become disconnected from your previous life and completely emerged in the now (except in brief episodes of missing home).
- What is the most valuable thing you learned?
- What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
- Why do you like to travel?
- What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Get off the beaten path, stay with locals, stay longer in fewer places.