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Author: Sean Keener

John V – Round-the-World Traveler

  1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
    April 2001-March 2002

  2. How old were you when you took this trip?
    29

  3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
    13000

  4. Nationality
    USA

  5. Where do you live now?
    San Francisco, USA

  6. Occupation
    Before your trip: Software Engineer

    Now: Software Engineer

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. How much planning and preparing did you do?
    Just Enough

  13. What was your favorite piece of gear?
    My backpack.

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
    Yes, this time to include Africa.

  18. 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).

  19. What is the most valuable thing you learned?

  20. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?

  21. Why do you like to travel?

  22. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Get off the beaten path, stay with locals, stay longer in fewer places.