Mike Logan

1. When do you leave?
   February 2004

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

3. How much have you saved?
   $26,000 US

4. How old are you?
   27

5. Nationality
   USA

6. Where do you live now?
   Solomons, Maryland, USA

7. Occupation
   US Air Force

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?
    It's a rough hack, with no true planning (and no contacts outside of Australia). It goes like this: Australia, Indo-Pacific region (NZ, Indonesia or Polynesia), SE Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam), Mongolia (I really want to go?), Trans-Siberian, Eastern Europe, Scandanavia (Family roots), Scotland (family roots), Mediterranean, Canada, South Amrerica, Mars

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    Wanderlust. Those crazy Germans couldn't have come up with a better name for it. It is what fills my blood. I have an innate desire to see as much of the world as I can - and that involves moving around it. Several books have influenced the timing, but the decision was always from the heart.

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    Well, there are a thousand million little fears and worries... but the biggest fear is that I won't take it - that some obstacle will prevent this trip from happening...

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Yes yes yes - everyone who matters to me is behind me 109%.

14. How much planning and preparing have you done?
    Planning is for tourists

15. What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
    Some fancy shmancy "travel clothes". A few locks. Medical kit. 4 books (Multilingual language/phrase book, First Aid book, Globetrotter Dogma, and Vagabonding, pens/pencils/paper, toilet paper, disposable cameras, Teva sandals, Montrail boots, and other stuff I probably can't remember right now.

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?
    Only time will tell. For one, I'll be in better shape. Two, my social skills will be vastly improved. Three, my writing skills will flourish. Ultimately, my three goals can be met: Opening a bar (or three) in prime locales, Being a published writer, and having a harem. I'll have to work a bit on the last one....

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    I simply cannot wait - these next two years are mine alone.

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?
    Vacations are great! Well, when you visit somewhere new and immerse yourself in the culture.... but tourism is a booming industry - even vagabonding is becoming almost an en vogue.... bah - give me beatnik glory days and I'll party with J.K.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    It's expensive....

    I say this because I see people piddle away thousands throughout the year on new SUVs and gas for them, Plasma TVs, screaming kids, home improvements... and it all ads up to about the same amount that I'll be spending on my trip.... you ask me, I'd say I'm getting a much better value than they are.

20. Why do you like to travel?
    The sights. The sounds. The freedom. The movement. The show. The waits. The experience. The people. The solitude. The essence. I was born to travel. I will die traveling.

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Use your gut, listen to your heart, then employ your brain to make it happen.