Allan Fawcett

1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
   June 2001-December 2001

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   45

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

4. Nationality
   USA

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

6. Occupation
   
   Before your trip: Computer Consultant
   
   Now: Computer Consultant
   

   How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   Yes. Although I continue in the same profession, my personal and financial goals have dramatically changed. I'm now married for the first time in my life, and am on track for early retirement within 18 months. And the opportunity for a 1+ year RTW trip.

   What is the route you took/places you visited?
   San Francisco, Los Angeles, Peru, Sao Paulo, Paris, Provence, Zurich, Munich, Frankfurt, New Dehli, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kathmandu, Annapurna Trail, Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, New Zealand, Hawaii & Kona.

   Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   Before my RTW trip, I've travelled to 20+ countries, but in trips of 2-3 weeks. Taking 6+ months to travel allowed me the time to see the world at my own pace.

   Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:
   

   • Best Moment
     Annapurna Trail

   • Worst Moment
     Stranded 'cause of 9/11

   • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
     Security Check on Returning to US soil

   • Biggest surprise?
     The USA had become a totalitarian state during my absence

   Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
   My current wife. By joining me in Australia, she added an extra dimension to my travels, and to my future.

   How much planning and preparing did you do?
   Control Freak

   What was your favorite piece of gear?
   Zip-loc Sandwich bags. Keeps everything clean and organized.

   What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
   Refractometer. Never looked for gems. Hiking boots. New Balance running shoes were my all-terrain solution.

   How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
   Six months of travel allowed me to clarify my personal goals: The abililty to earn income while anywhere in world (trading & Ebay). To combine creative and technical abilities (patents). And to live within my skin (marriage).

   If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
   The road to self-realization requires seeing the variety of the world.

   Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
   Next RTW trip starts in Jan 2005.

   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?
   Whether taking a 6-month sabatical at home or travelling around the world for 6 months, six months is needed to see the world afresh. Six months that lead to new insights into one's soul, or six months to be reborn.

   What is the most valuable thing you learned?
   Passion for life has become forgotten in today's modern world.

   What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
   Danger and crime. Most places around the world are far safer than the news media describe. Don't be afraid to stray off the beaten path.

   Why do you like to travel?
   Travel opens one's eyes and brain. Nothing is comparable.

   What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
   Keep travel flexible. Allow yourself the flexibility of staying as long as you desire in the places you enjoy, and don't be cramped by tight time schedules.