Claire Fayers - Round-the-World Traveler

1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
   May 2003-April 2004

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   28

3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
   $20,000

4. Nationality
   Canada

5. Where do you live now?
   Calgary, Canada

6. Occupation
   
   Before your trip: Communications Coordinator
   
   Now: Communications Manager
   

7. How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   After working for my present employer for 2 1/2 years, I applied and was granted a leave of absence for one year. Upon returning just over a year ago, I came back to the same job. About four months ago I was offered a promotion. In my opinion the year abroad helped me to mature so that when I returned I was able to take on leadership and prove my decision making abilities.

8. What is the route you took/places you visited?
   My boyfriend and I planned our RTW trip to start and end in London as his family lives in Northern Ireland. The beginning part of our trip (Canada & U.K) were not part of the RTW ticket. Canada - England - N. Ireland - Ireland - England - U.S. - Tahiti - Cook Islands - New Zealand - Australia - Indonesia - Singapore - Thailand - Malaysia - Cambodia - England - Canada

9. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   My partner and I both thought about traveling before we met. I was going to go to the U.K. for a year and he was thinking of teaching and travelling in Asia. When we met we started researching the possibilities and came up with a great itinerary that allowed us to work and travel.

10. Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:
    
    • Best Moment
      Snorkelling off Perhentian Kecil Island - Malaysia

    • Worst Moment
      Food poisoning in Thailand

    • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
      Trouble finding short term work in Australia

    • Biggest surprise?
      How inexpensive but clean/comfortable backpack travel can be S.E. Asia

11. Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
    We met a great crew of people while kiwi-fruit pruning in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. Our Hungarian friend kept us in stitches the whole time. He'd ask me to sing Spice Girl songs all the time.

12. How much planning and preparing did you do?
    Winged it a lot

13. What was your favorite piece of gear?
    Camera

14. What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
    Hiking boots. I wore my walking sandles way more than boots. Plus they gave me blisters. In hind sight, hicking shoes would have been more compact.

15. How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
    In so many ways... My relationship with my boyfriend was put to the ultimate test - and survived! I met so many amazing people and I gained new philosophical, spiritual and emotional wisdom from the every land and culture. I'm no longer looking at decisions and events from purely a "Canadian" context anymore either.

16. If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    An awe-inspiring journey for the body, mind and soul.

17. Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
    We are planning shorter trips for the future. The Carribean is next, then South Africa. Another RTW would be amazing but won't likely happen for awhile.

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?
    I have nothing against short trips or package vacations. I love being a tourist on any level. However RTW trips give you so much more time to explore, converse with locals, travel throughout a country to learn of regional diversity, etc. A RTW trip is like a video, wheras a short vacation is like a photo. You can see the same sites in both, but the RTW trips give more depth to the experience!

19. What is the most valuable thing you learned?
    To value every day and every experience, even those that were scary, difficult or uncomfortable.

20. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    There is a common myth that most people can't afford to stay away for a full year. The truth is that if you save for a few months before you go (or sell your car like I did), get working holiday Visas for the appropriate countries, and live within your means, you can travel comfortably and experience as much as any other tourist wherever you go.

21. Why do you like to travel?
    I crave activity, social interaction and learning about new cultures. Travelling defies boredom.

22. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Use web sites such as Bootsnall.com, books and other resources to soak up knowledge before you go or when you need advice along the way. But also rely on your intuition and learn from other travellers as you go.