Kristina Johnson

1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
   August 1998-May 1999

2. How old were you when you took this trip?
   30

3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
   US$38,000 (for 2)

4. Nationality
   USA

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

6. Occupation
   
   Before your trip: Chef
   
   Now: Accountant-Restaurant Corp.
   

   How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
   Went back to work for same company. No problem, except lost seniority which is bad because I had been there 7 years already. Had to start over with less vacation time.

   What is the route you took/places you visited?
   LA, Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand (both islands), Australia, Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Macao, Taiwan, Thailand U.K., Holland, France, Spain Portugal, Italy Switzerland, NY, LA

   Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
   Always wanted to do it. Got the travel bug early, on a train trip in Mexico when I was 15. Did my first backpacking Europe trip at 20 and never looked back.

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

   • Best Moment
     Can't pick one.

   • Worst Moment
     Thanksgiving (non-existent) in Bangkok/very homesick!

   • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
     Deciding where to go after the first 4 months, which we had pre-planned.

   • Biggest surprise?
     24/7 with my husband without killing each other.

   Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
   Hiran, our trekking guide in Nepal. Set him up with a Hotmail account and have since recommended him to dozens of other travelers. Still in contact with him. He changed our lives, and I think we've changed (or at least impacted)his.

   How much planning and preparing did you do?
   Control Freak

   What was your favorite piece of gear?
   My travel pillow! Most guesthouses in Asia have bricks for pillows!

   What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
   The kite my husband carried the whole time. We never flew it, but did use the string to hang our mosquito net.

   How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
   I look at the world differently now. I think I'm more sensitive to cultural differences than some people who have never left the US. It made me more open-minded and maybe even more patient.

   If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
   It was worth every penny and more!

   Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
   Yes. Have been back to Bangkok, London, and went to Honduras. Planning a trip to Cambodia, or maybe Peru this summer. Would love to do another RTW, but it gets harder as I get older and have more responsibility (house, car, maybe a kid...).

   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?
   It allows you to see a more in-depth picture of the places you go. You learn things about yourself, your limitations and your strengths. You become responsible for yourself in a very basic way; find food and shelter every day. You learn how to order coffee in multiple languages and that McDonalds has different specialty burgers in every country ;-)

   What is the most valuable thing you learned?
   See above.

   What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
   That it's a "vacation". After the first few weeks it becomes a full-time job to feed, clothe, and house yourself every day. And, most people can't travel at the same standard of living that you can during a 2-week vacation, so it becomes even harder when you have to watch every penny. It's not always fun, and sometimes you just want to get on the next plane and come home.

   Why do you like to travel?
   I like to experience other cultures, see how their lives are different than ours. I like to eat different, authentic food.

   What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
   Do it! Go! Save more money than you think you will need. Budget for pre- and post-trip expenses. Make sure you have enough money to come home to, unless you have a job lined up. I only traveled for 9 months, but didn't work for 14 months. That costs a lot!

Kristina has also written many articles for BootsnAll about her travels. Her author bio lists her stories and tells you more about Kristina, and she has a web site that talks about her round-the-world trip.