- When do you leave?
- How long do you plan to be away?
 6-12 Months
- How much have you saved?
 10,000
- How old are you?
 37
- Nationality
 USA
- Where do you live now?
 Seattle, USA
- Occupation
 photographer
- Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
 It’s my career
- Have you traveled around the world before?
 No
- What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
 Thailand-Laos-Viet Nam-Indonesia-India-Nepal-Cyprus-Egypt-Syria-Italy-???
- Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
 My girlfriend dumped me.
- What is your biggest fear about this trip?
 My cat will die while I’m away. (he’s 14 years old.) Also, that my gear will get stolen.
- Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
 Very supportive, envious.
- How much planning and preparing have you done?
 Winged it a lot
- What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
 Camera, laptop. Most indispensable? My passport. My shoes, visa card.
- 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 think it will help me find peace, patience, and understanding. I hope it helps me to figure out where I want to live in the world.
- If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
 This may be the first time I go around the world, but I don’t think it will be my last….
- 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?
 Because most people are morons, and I mean that in the nicest way. I imagine it’s much more difficult to remain a moron after you have travelled around the world for a year.
- What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
 It’s impossibly expensive. It’s such a huge commitment.
- Why do you like to travel?
 It recharges my creativity and lust for life.
- What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
 Don’t sweat the details. Get a general idea of you plan and just go. Things will fall into place.
October 2005