Carlton Grooms & Family - Round-the-World Travelers

1. When do you leave?
   July 2005

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

3. How much have you saved?
   +$100k

4. How old are you?
   37

5. Nationality
   USA

6. Where do you live now?
   St. Petersburg, FL , 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?
   Yes

10. What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
    Southern Africa, Dubai, SE Asia, Australia. With two kids we must base ourselves for around 2 months for school and to have some feel of stability for them. We will hit 28 countries in total overall.

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    We are young, healthy, financially able and our kids still like us. (They just entering Middle School and we want to avoid "That" period).

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    Coming home.

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Yes. Most don't understand the motivation and are scared of the unknowns for us. (We are not).

14. How much planning and preparing have you done?
    Just Enough

15. What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
    120 lbs. for four. 80 lbs of daily items. Most indespensible is an entire new warddrobe with no clothing contiaining more than 10% cotton, five changes each. No money in the budget for laundry so everything has to be sink washable and line dry. Remaining 40 lbs. is camera equipment. We are professional photographers and will produce a book about Women and Families around the World. Our kids will produce a book about kids by kids as well. Plan to loose some/all of your things due to whatever reason. Carefully inventory, and photograph all your things. We bought Exo Mesh to wrap our packs for security. Know ahead of time what you'll do if you loose your stuff. It probably won't happen. But if it does, it will not de-rail your great trip!

16. 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?
    Not sure it will change us much. We have travelled extensively already. We are who we are. It will allow us to continue to be motivated to remain who we are and avoid cultural pressures.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    Anticipation of what is around the next corner.

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?
    People shouldn't do this unless they are personally motivated. They shouldn't be motivated by anything else but themselves.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    It's one long vacation.

20. Why do you like to travel?
    The world is a great and large place. Why miss it and life by sitting in a small corner of it?

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Plan your gear list carefully. Buy it early so as to test it out and make sure you really need it and you know how to use it. Don't plan your schedule carefully. Let the tide of new places and new faces move you along.