Amanda Oudin

1. When do you leave?
   October 2003

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

3. How much have you saved?
   $5000

4. How old are you?
   25

5. Nationality
   USA

6. Where do you live now?
   San Francisco, USA

7. Occupation
   Research Scientist

8. Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
   One more paycheck and I'm gone

9. Have you traveled around the world before?
   No

10. What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
    Los Angeles - Spain - Thailand overland to Singapore through Malaysia - Bali - Australia - New Zealand - Fiji.

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    I decided to take this trip about 3 months ago and was saving up for it, but because of layoffs at my company and severance I'm able to go on the trip much sooner than I expected. Yeah! A few friends have done a trip similar to this and their stories intrigued me and stoked my desire to take off.

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    Being a woman and traveling alone.

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Everyone is very supportive of this trip. Many of them said they wouldn't do it on their own and admire that I am. Some of them are trying to come out and visit somewhere on the trip.

14. How much planning and preparing have you done?
    Winged it a lot

15. What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
    Very few clothes, some books to read and trade, an mp3 player, camera and tons of film. The film once it's taken will be the most indispensable.

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'm not sure how it will change me. Hopefully it will give me a greater perspective of others in the world and lifestyles outside of corporate America. I don't think as a person I will change, but some of my ideas probably will.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    I'm very excited, but very nervous at the same time.

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?
    Even if it's not a RTW trip, I think spending months away from your life in foreign countries teaches you a lot about yourself and others. It's the difference between vacationing and travelling. I think you're more open when travelling.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    I'm not sure - maybe that it's too hard to plan and expensive?

20. Why do you like to travel?
    I like travelling to meet new friends and experience things I couldn't back home.

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Just do it. Someone told me to always say yes.