Emanuela Tasinato - Round-the-World Travele

1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
   
   September 2003-June 2004
   

   
   

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   
   26
   

   
   

3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
   
   7500 Euros
   

   
   

4. Nationality
   
   Italy
   

   
   

5. Where do you live now?
   
   Brussels, Belgium
   

   
   

6. Occupation
   
   
   Before your trip: Production Planner in the Automotive Industry
   
   
   Now: same job, different company
   
   

   
   

   How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   
   Left my job before the trip - found the same kind of job in another country when I came back. And for a higher salary.
   

   
   

   What is the route you took/places you visited?
   
   India-Nepal-SEA-OZ-NZ-Patagonia-Chile-Bolivia-Peru
   

   
   

   Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   
   I was stuck with a boring job, enough money saved and a dream to travel - couldn't be an easier decision!
   

   
   

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

   
   
   • Best Moment
     
     the Annapurna trek, for the amazing scenery and the people I was with
     

     
     

   • Worst Moment
     
     climbing a 3000m volcano with the worst hangover of my life
     

     
     

   • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
     
     suffering from altitude sickness in the Andes
     

     
     

   • Biggest surprise?
     
     meeting the same people over and over again around the world!
     

   Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
   so many of them, can i pick 100 instead of 1?

   How much planning and preparing did you do?
   Just Enough

   What was your favorite piece of gear?
   my journal - reading it now that i am back brings back all the great memories

   What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
   a plastic glass - no idea what i brought it for!

   How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
   it made my world smaller - i now live 1000 kms from home, have friends everywhere around europe and still feel like everything's round the corner

   If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
   the best thing i've ever done

   Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
   i am going to africa this summer, and would love to take another year off in a couple of years, and maybe this time combine travelling with a few months of volunteering

   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?
   'cause two weeks is just a break from your daily life - when travelling for a long time, travelling IS your daily life

   What is the most valuable thing you learned?
   do not run while eating a fried egg baguette or you'll make a big mess on your sweater...

   What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
   that it is dangerous

   Why do you like to travel?
   'cause there's only one life, and i don't want to spend it in the office!

   What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
   just do it!