Jennifer Lynn Carter - Round-the-World Traveler

1. When do you leave?
   September 2005

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

3. How much have you saved?
   $30,000

4. How old are you?
   33

5. Nationality
   USA

6. Where do you live now?
   Seattle, USA

7. Occupation
   General Manager

8. Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
   One more paycheck and I'm gone

9. Have you traveled around the world before?
   Yes

10. What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
    Mediterrean:Turkey/Greece SE Asia: Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam South America: Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    I have selected places that I have wanted to spend an extended period of time exploring versus seeing them during annual holiday. After two years of living abroad in Europe, I came back to the states to work and discovered that 2 weeks off a year to travel just isn't going to cut it anymore...

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    That I will run out of money sooner than I anticipated.

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Extremely supportive! I have found out that my parents, friends and co-workers are my biggest encouragers and have only found one person who is negative (and that's because they are jealous! ;)

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)?
    Packing is a sore subject with me. It's hard to decide what to take with various climates but layers, layers, layers do the trick. Also, a well-planed first aid kit.

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?
    I don't want to have any pre-conceived notions of how my life will change other than I will just "be", hopefully living in the moment each day. I am moving to Argentina to study tango so I have hopes to improve my dancing and take it to the next level.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    I'm so proud of myself that I had the courage to do it!

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?
    First of all, you can actually relax and absorb more as you have no ties binding you (no jobs to return to, no apt/houses, cars, etc.) The gift of time and experience is what you are giving yourself. I have had several fruitful international trips for 2-3 weeks as well but it's the feeling of leaving everything behind and trekking on your own path that is an added addition to this type of traveling.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    I don't know yet...ask me when it's over. But if I had to guess, it's that you are unsafe as an American traveling abroad.

20. Why do you like to travel?
    It's the only time I have ever felt completely free and blissful. All my senses are opened up and I feel truly alive.

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Really think about the places you want to visit and why you want to go versus just checking countries off your list. My itinerary has change over 20 times as I analyzed what I want to experience in each place. The more time in one country is better than seeing snipets of many countries, although that depends on your goal. There's no right or wrong answer. If it is in your heart to travel and explore the world, then don't let your dreams pass you by.