Gayle Owens - Round-the-World Traveler

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

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   51

3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
   7,000

4. Nationality
   USA

5. Where do you live now?
   Ferndale, MI, USA

6. Occupation
   
   Before your trip: music therapist
   
   Now: music therapist
   

   How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   My boss was very angry with me because I took some extra time off from work but she got over it.

   What is the route you took/places you visited?
   Detroit,Thailand, Malasia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Argentena, Chili, Peru, Detroit

   Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   I wanted to do something with my girls (ages 11 and 13) that would give them a broad scope of the world. Something to focus on outside of themselves and our own little lives.

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

   • Best Moment
     staying with the Karen people in Thailand

   • Worst Moment
     my daughter caughing around the world

   • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
     my other daughter being bit by a dog

   • Biggest surprise?
     Getting home relatively safe and sound

   Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
   a nice young may at the corner grocery store who arranged for a cake for my 11 year old who was turning 12. He was so sweet and thoughtful and expected nothing in return.

   How much planning and preparing did you do?
   Planning is for tourists

   What was your favorite piece of gear?
   Our backpacks on wheels or maybe my vest I made with zippered pockets that I wore under my clothes.

   What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
   We should have taken smaller sleeping bags

   How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
   We gained a lot of respect in our little community. At first people thought we were crazy but when we returned safely they were in awe.

   If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
   I wish I could do it again!

   Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
   Last summer, the summer after the RTW trip we spent the summer in Southeast Asia. It was just too depressing to think of staying home.

   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 don't begin to really know a country in a week or two. In a month you can get a little better idea of a country. I love getting out of my own environment and experiencing world music, food, art and customs.

   What is the most valuable thing you learned?
   It was not nearly as scary and dangerous as I feared. The dangers were our health and not from other people.

   What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
   That it is dangerous and that you can't stay in clean and comfortable hotels for less than $100 a day

   Why do you like to travel?
   To experience other cultures and all that the culture entails.

   What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
   Just do it. Don't do too much planning. Take a guide book such as "Lonely Planet".