- When do you leave?
- How long do you plan to be away?
6-12 Months - How much have you saved?
15,000 USD - How old are you?
37 - Nationality
USA - Where do you live now?
Eugene, OR, USA - Occupation
Database Programmer - 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?
Very tenative, the only sure things are New Zealand and Africa. My route will probably look something like this:
Los Angeles – Auckland – SE Asia – Bahrain – Egypt – Tanzania – Europe - Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I’ve been in Eugene my entire life, and have been thinking about moving to a different part of the country. But before I got settled somewhere else I wanted to take a trip to NZ to visit some friends and also go to Africa and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. I decided that as long as I was going to take those two trips I might as well go all out and do a long RTW trip. - What is your biggest fear about this trip?
I’ve never travelled outside the country before, so I think it’s just the fear of the unknown. But that’s also part of the excitement! I’m a very logical, analytical, procedural person, so this is going to be a very interesting experiment. - Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Yes. Most of my friends and colleagues are very excited for me and somewhat envious. My boss was actually very supportive and encouraged my to quit and pursue this while I still can. My parents were less apprehensive than I thought they would be and my mom is actually very excited for me. - How much planning and preparing have you done?
Just Enough - What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Haven’t really figured it out yet. I’ve got a long trip and a lot of different things I’d like to do, but I want to travel as light as possible. I’m a geek, so I’d like to have my cell, camera, ipod, laptop, etc, but am worried about carrying and keeping track of valuables. - 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 honestly have no idea how this thing is going to turn out, but I do know this is something I have to do. I’ve been in Eugene my whole life, just kind of living the life that was handed to me. So I really want to venture out of my comfort zone and try making a life for myself somewhere else. I think the two things I’ll gain the most of is self-confidence and knowledge. I’m hoping this trip will help me figure out what is important to me and what I want to do with the rest of my life. - If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Holy freaking cow! - 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 think that to really experience a place and it’s people you need to get off the beaten path, and not just follow the tourist trail. You should take the time to eat the food, read their books, and play their games. - What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That it requires a lot of money and that it can be dangerous. - Why do you like to travel?
I just want to get out of Eugene. And I want to travel overseas because I want to experience different cultures, countries, climates, etc. - What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Plan a couple of specific things, then spend the rest of the time just winging it. Do your research but don’t get hung up on the details. Just go and do it.
March 2006