Michelle Moreno

Round-the-World Traveler

1. When do you leave?
   July 2004

2. How long do you plan to be away?
   6-12 Months

3. How much have you saved?
   Zero so far…

4. How old are you?
   23

5. Nationality
   USA

6. Where do you live now?
   Los Angeles, California, USA

7. Occupation
   Currently unemployed

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?
   Yes

10. What is the route you plan to take/places
    you plan to visit?
    Europe – Asia – Australia/New Zealand – N. America (still haven’t decided
    on the specific countries)

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What
    got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    I first backpacked across Europe in 2002 for about 5 weeks w/ a friend of
    mine. Then in 2003, I decided – my job isn’t going anywhere, might as
    well travel – so I backpacked Europe again for 3 months…this time
    alone. I returned to the States in August and have been home a month. I
    find myself tired of living in L.A. and have a strong desire to do a RTW
    trip for a year. As for the influence – it was mainly meeting people who
    have done RTW trips.

12. What is your biggest fear about this
    trip?
    Running out of money.

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc.,
    supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the
    world?
    It’s a mix, however most people think that I should focus on finding a
    career and not just a job to raise money so I can spend it on travel.

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)?
    JOURNAL!!!!!, CAMERA, PASSPORT, ATM/Credit Card, moneybelt, and
    sleepsheet…oh and some clothes.

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?
    My trips always change me a bit – for the better. I don’t know how it
    will change me – I guess that’s the fun part of travelling – you won’t
    really know until you do it.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings
    about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it
    be?
    Absolutely Amazing!

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?
    You really can’t get to know a place in 1-2 weeks – maybe a city but
    not a country. Also, I think the world would be a lot better if people
    had a greater understanding of each other’s cultures.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have
    about round-the-world traveling?
    Don’t know.

20. Why do you like to travel?
    I like meeting people from different cultures, having the freedom to do
    whatever I want, and the opportunity to escape cruel reality and not have
    to “grow up”.

21. What is your advice for people planning
    their own RTW trip?
    Don’t have any right now – ask me after my trip.

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