Helen Kirk

1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
   August 2000-July 2001

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   27

3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
   $1200-$1300

4. Nationality
   Ireland

5. Where do you live now?
   Austin, Texas, USA

6. Occupation
   
   Before your trip: bartender
   
   Now: bartender
   

   How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   They didn't really. I actually got my old job back about 2 weeks after returning.

   What is the route you took/places you visited?
   New York, Ireland, England, Thailand, Australia (inc.Tasmania), New Zealand, Fiji, California, back to Texas.

   Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   Firstly as an Irish citizen under the age of 30 I was eligible for a one year work/travel visa for Australia. I initially planned to go with a friend of mine, but she ended up not making it. At that point I was so into the idea, I was going to go no matter what. Also, of course I wanted to go via Ireland, so that was naturally going to be my direction. It's a pretty common route for backpackers going from Europe.

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

   • Best Moment
     That's a tough one! There were many.

   • Worst Moment
     Losing my bank card.

   • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
     Waiting for a new bank card to reach me in Australia.

   • Biggest surprise?
     Finding out I liked camping.

   Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
   There's a couple of people. A guy named Eamon, who I met working on a blueberry farm where we camped for a month. Living out there with nothing around you and to be able to connect and amuse each other was a really great and bonding experience. Also a girl named Madeleine who I ended up travelling with for a couple of months in Australia. We were so in tune with each other and had the same way of thinking, like not caring to make last-minute decisions regarding route or time. We really had a blast travelling together.

   How much planning and preparing did you do?
   Just Enough

   What was your favorite piece of gear?
   lonely planet book (bible!!)

   What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
   Not that much really. Maybe some extra clothes I didn't really need. I kept it pretty simple.

   How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
   I wouldn't say it changed my life. I would say it shaped me as a person in the sense that I know I can take care of myself and am not scared to try new things. It kind of toughens you up a little. It's like an underplayed self confidence that you have as a result, if that makes sense.

   If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
   Loved having total freedom and just going from day to day with no real care in the world!!

   Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
   Yes. Have thought about it but no dates or definite destinations set yet.

   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?
   I really think you get more of your money's worth with around the world travel. It just doesn't seem feasible to pay X amount of money and just spend a couple of weeks there. I guess everyone is different, and you must remember you are on a budget when doing long-term travel, so don't get to spoil yourself much, some people are not prepared to do that.

   What is the most valuable thing you learned?
   Take it one day at a time. For everything not so good that happens, something twice as good happens. Being able to trust people you have just met!

   What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
   It just seems so huge before you do it. It's not. Also people think they wouldn't be able to live on a small budget, but you can.

   Why do you like to travel?
   I like the freedom.

   What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
   Don't stress about it. Don't try to plan it down to specific dates etc., because I can assure you those dates will change at least 10 times. There will be places you find you like more than others and stay longer and vice versa. Don't forget your lonely planet book. Oh yeah,take 2 bank cards if that's how you're funding yourself, you never know.