Avihu Kiselsteinn

1. When do you leave?
   July 03

2. How long do you plan to be away?
   I Ain't Never Comin' Back

3. How much have you saved?
   $8000

4. How old are you?
   60

5. Where do you live now?
   Rosh Pina, Israel

6. Occupation
   marketing consultant

7. Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
   It's my career

8. Have you traveled around the world before?
   No

9. What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
   Dharamsall, India; Rajistan, India; Karala, India; and Ladakh, India. Next is Thailand, I have not mapped out where and when I want it to flow, then maybe Bali, Indonisia and maybe to New Zealand.

10. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    I dreamt about this trip in high school when I had to write a piece about what is the thing I like to do best and of couse it was travelling the world. I decided to make this trip alone in order to get to know myself better. I always travelled with another person and it is a different experience.

    What influenced me was the knowledge that time is going by [I am 60], and if I won't do it now, I probably will never do it. I am in good shape physically and I want to live life to the fullest. What influenced me to go was my partner in life. She did it twice and she told me about the different exeperiences she had.

11. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    That I will be taken advantage of because I tend to trust people and also I am afraid that I will lose things.

12. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Most do and some familly members think that I am not responsible enough.

13. How much planning and preparing have you done?
    Just Enough

14. What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
    A good back pack and sleeping bag, a good fleece jacket, cloth and souveneirs from Israel that I want to give as presents.

15. 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 believe that it will broaden my exeperience in life, enjoy and appreciate cultures that are different than mine. I want to study Buddhism and mostly I want to connect with earth and the people from all over the world.

16. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    Mystery that is going to unfold

17. 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?
    Taking RTW trip can change a person. A person sees how the rest of the world lives and he can appreciate that "his bag" is not so difficult, especially when you see how other people live. Also you can start understanding that the assets that you accumulated are not that important. As a matter of fact they can hinder you in the voyage of life.

18. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    Do not know.

19. Why do you like to travel?
    Experience life to the utmost and live in the present.

20. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    "I believe that what I am saying is true for me at this stage in my life. A person have many stages in his life." – Gail Sheeny in her book