- When did you go on your RTW trip?
October 2000-December 2001
- How old were you when you took this trip?
37
- Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
US$38,900 for 2 (total cost of our trip including advance purchases of gear, vaccines, travel insurance, photography film and equipment – not including souvenirs)
- Nationality
USA
- Where do you live now?
Portland, Oregon, USA
- Occupation
Before your trip: General Manager
Now: Unemployed (by choice)
- How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
No desire to work the corporate life again.
- What is the route you took/places you visited?
Los Angeles, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Palau, Sabah/Borneo, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, Thailand, Los Angeles.
- Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
Wanted to change our routine and escape to enjoy life and experience other cultures. I wouldn't have done it with out my wife's encouragement.
- Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:
- Best Moment
Can't pick only one
- Worst Moment
Severe food poisoning
- Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
Accepting we had to go home
- Biggest surprise?
Kindness of strangers
- Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
Jay the dreadlocked surfer from UK. He has been traveling for 8 years, looking for the perfect surf.
- How much planning and preparing did you do?
Winged it a lot
- What was your favorite piece of gear?
MSR water filter
- What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
Clothing
- How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
My perspective of living changed. I now live and plan on living life more simply. Changed my diet by eating much smaller portions and less meat.
- If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Eye-opening.
- Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
Traveling will be a way of life. Realizing that places around our home still need to be explored. I think we will always be planning some sort of trip.
- 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?
To see outside their protective bubble. Gain an understanding of other cultures
- What is the most valuable thing you learned?
Trust and to listen to my instincts.
- What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That it requires a lot of money.
- Why do you like to travel?
Learning and experiencing new ways of living.
- What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Stop saying " I can't," and just go.