Gregory White - Round-the-World Traveler

1. When do you leave?
   October 2005

2. How long do you plan to be away?
   6-12 Months

3. How much have you saved?
   12,000

4. How old are you?
   37

5. Nationality
   USA

6. Where do you live now?
   Seattle, USA

7. Occupation
   Photographer

8. Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
   It's my career

9. Have you traveled around the world before?
   No

10. What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
    New Zealand or Ausralia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Italy, Croatia, Prague, Paris, Belgium, Netherlands

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    Girlfriend of 5 years dumped me, and I finally got paid a bunch of money I was owed from 3 years ago from a client.

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    My 14 yo cat being mistreated or dying or someone in my family getting sick while I'm away. Getting my photo gear ripped off.

13. How much planning and preparing have you done?
    Winged it a lot

14. What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
    Photo gear and laptop w/dvd burner - still not sure how to best carry it. Otherwise, the basics. Most indispensable item: my brain.

15. How do you think your round-the-world trip will change your life? How do you think it will affect and change you as a person?
    It will open my eyes, fill me with passion, feed my art, and make me feel alive.

16. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    Life is either a daring adventure, or it's nothing. - Helen Keller

17. 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?
    Getting out of one's comfort zone is the best way to grow, that just isn't going to happen on a 2 week vacation. It takes at least 2 weeks just to get in the groove, and the last week, you are thinking about going home and all you have to do when you get back.

18. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    It's for hippies and drop-outs.

19. Why do you like to travel?
    Getting out of one's comfort zone is the best way to grow.

20. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    I don't know - this is my first trip. I'll tell you when I get back.