Susan Taylor
Round-the-World Traveler Round the World Travel GuideYour One-stop Source to Plan & Book Around-the-World Trips
Over the years I have realised how fragile life is, and that you don't have long to fulfil your dreams. You have to go and make your dreams happen, and this is partly why we want to travel again.
We are packing head torches, a mozzie net, breathable waterproofs, sterile medical kit, guide book, universal sink plug, trekking pole, pac safe and toilet roll.
Most indispensable item is a pack of Diareze tablets, which saved us from a very embarrassing moment on Mount Sinai as the sun was rising.
Travelling is a great leveller – I often find the people that are the poorest are the most generous. I was envious of the kids I found playing with a flip-flop, on a tiny island in the Philippines. There was no TV, transport or crime on the island – everyone appeared to be happy with their lot.
Don't let other travellers put you off of going to a country/place. Go and find out for yourself – you may be pleasantly surprised.
July 2002
1-2 Years
£30,000
31
England
Berkshire, England
IT
One more paycheck and I'm gone
Yes.
9 countries in Africa, travelling through Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. This is followed by a trip to Asia travelling through India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and South West China.
We decided to start saving for this trip 3 years ago, after going on two unsatisfactory backpacking trips to Egypt and Israel and the Philippines, which only lasted for 3 weeks each time. This meant we were rushing around like headless chickens, trying to see as much as we could. We realised then that we wanted to take a year off, which we did seven years ago to do an RTW, and do some real travelling.
Getting malaria in Africa (I've heard the mosquitoes are the size of prawns and take no prisoners). Being accepted into the group that I will be travelling with on the truck in Africa. Also having to face extreme poverty and starving people in Malawi and Zimbabwe. Asia doesn't bother me that much.
Most people think we are bonkers, to be honest. Some cannot understand why we want to give it all up – the security, our jobs etc. Life is very short, and it is not a dress rehearsal. You have to go and do as much as you can while you are healthy.
Control Freak
I should explain that my husband is the control freak, and if he can compile a list for something – he will. He currently has a couple of Excel spreadsheets on the go. I've already done two dry runs of packing my rucksack under his careful supervision.
I hope to become completely chilled out again. I also hope to broaden my mind and get rid of all my prejudices. I find that no matter how much you read or watch the news reports on TV, there is no substitute for going to a place and seeing it for yourself. I learned that lesson when I visited Israel.
Full of trepidation and enthusiasm at the same time.
It is important to get a real sense of timelessness when travelling and see the real country, to soak up the culture and meet the local people. This is really difficult to do when you have a time constraint.
Being unemployable and appearing unreliable to an employer when you get back.
When I step outside in the morning when I am travelling, I know that I have no idea what will happen that day – even the most mundane journeys become mini-dramas. Life becomes unpredictable and sometimes risky. In the West, we live in a society that likes to minimise risk at all costs, which makes day-to-day life rather boring.
Make sure you have enough money to do all the things you want. For me, I really wanted to see the mountain gorillas in Uganda. If you have to do that extra shift or work that little bit longer – do it.
