Eric A. Olear - Round-the-World Traveler

1. When do you leave?
   August 2006

2. How long do you plan to be away?
   1-6 Months

3. How much have you saved?
   15,000.00

4. How old are you?
   35

5. Nationality
   USA

6. Where do you live now?
   New York, USA

7. Occupation
   Teacher

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?
    NY to Africa - Mt. Killi, Cairo Europe - Greece, Crotaia, Russia Asia - Beijing, VietNam, Bali Austraila - Sydney, Great Barrier Reef South America - Galopagos, Rio

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    Started with a few trips to Europe, need more!

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    Traveling from Mt. Killi to Cairo (fly?), and being overwhelmed by the number of people in Asia - alone. Visas - they seem elusive.

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    They are all supportive - they are either envious or seem indiferent.

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)?
    Just starting - trying to select the right bag. Money belt, lock, scan important docs, all important. Power bars.

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 will return with an enlightened view of life - whatever ever that is.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    Holy shit, am I really going to do this?

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?
    Once you do the RTW, then you will really be able to do some great 1-2 week vacations. Besides, going to 2nd, 3rd, 4th would countires is not vacation, it is travel - much more challenging from what I see. Its more about education and life's to-do list.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    Hippie, pot-smokin', real liberal, anti-American back-packers

20. Why do you like to travel?
    To quote Elliot Hester: "a lover of leaving"

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    When I get back, maybe I'll have some.