1. When do you leave?
   June 2006

2. How long do you plan to be away?
   1-2 Years

3. How much have you saved?
   nothing yet*

4. How old are you?
   39

5. Nationality
   Germany

6. Where do you live now?
   Portland, OR, USA

7. Occupation
   Financial Planner

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?
    Mexico, Central America (Honduras, Guatemala), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile), Tahiti, Easter Island, New Zealand, Australia (North), Asia (Indonesien, Borneo, Singapore, China, India), Africa (Capetown, Namibia)

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    My US work visa expires and instead having to face a difficult move back to Germany with the constant comparisons of my life here versus there, I decided to fullfill a childhood dream and travel before moving back. This way, I have enough distance to both places and won’t constantly compare one with the other for living. *My travel funds will come from selling most of my personal belongings (and car) prior my departure. My brother is a world traveller and great source of information and infuence.

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    Getting seriously ill or insured.

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Absolutely! Most of them wish they could do the same.

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)?
    One backpack full of necessary items and I’ll put a box with “replacement stuff” at a friends house to ship or to bring for those that visit me along the route. Bought a 1-person tent as backup and might take my mosquito net. Most indispensable item will probably be my credit card.

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, if any. I travelled a lot already and due to serious illness changed into an different person over the past 15 years. I just want to it as long as I’m young and healthy enough.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    Many others have done that before me’ so I can do it too.

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?
    The one can not be compared to the other. Going on RTW is work and requires a lot of courage and the willingness to change. A 1-2 week vacation will seldom leave much of a lasting impression, but a trip around the world will most likely change the travellers life.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    That they can’t do it because it’s too expensive. That they have to wait until the kids grow up. That they would not know what to do with the dog…

20. Why do you like to travel?
    So I don’t have to go back to Germany so soon and because I’m burned out after working for 20 straight years in Corporate Environment.

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Just do it.