Pat Short

1. When do you leave?
   January 2004

2. How long do you plan to be away?
   6-12 Months

3. How much have you saved?
   £10,000

4. How old are you?
   53

5. Nationality
   England

6. Where do you live now?
   Birmingham, England

7. Occupation
   Fundraising Manager for a children's Charity

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?
    I fly to Rio, Brazil in January next year, after 3 days I intend to travel overland to Venezuala. Back to meet a friend in Rio for Carnival. I have given myself approx. 5 months in South America, then on to New Zealand for 1 month, Australia for 2 months. From Darwin I fly to Singapore and spend the remaining 4 months travelling through Asia. I will travel overland to Bangkok, on to Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong - into China. Back to Hong Kong and fly to Delhi. Onwards to Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet back into India and see as much as I can before flying home via Dubai.

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    I have reached a cross roads in my life. As I said before wonderfully, blissfully divorced. My children have grown up and my job has run it's course. So this for me is the ideal time.

    I have travelled to South America twice and having met travellers there and talked to so many freinds who have travelled - the bug has bitten and it is something I just have to do.

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    Loneliness

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Very much so - my kids think it's a brilliant idea. So do all of my friends.

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

15. What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
    This is all so new to me. I am told to pack the barest minimum and buy as I go. So that sounds good enough for me.

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?
    Unbelievably. I hope to come back more tolerant, and more relaxed.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    I have never been so excited or scared or so determined in my life.

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?
    By doing a trip like this I will get to see the "real" Country, not the touristy bits that you get to do normally.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    I don't know - perhaps I'll find out on my travels and prove them wrong.

20. Why do you like to travel?
    It's an adventure, it broadens your horizons and life is too short to stay sitting firmly in that rut.

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Go for it - now!!!