- When do you leave?
February 2004
- How long do you plan to be away?
1-6 Months
- How much have you saved?
Me, $6,000
- How old are you?
23
- Nationality
USA
- Where do you live now?
Yonkers, NY, USA
- Occupation
Temp
- 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
- Have you traveled around the world before?
No
- What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
We are flying into London then starting our trip from there. London - Singapore - Bangkok - Singapore - Sydney - Queenstown - Auckland - Rarotonga - Tahiti - LA - London.
- Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
My boyfriend is a hard core traveler, and I have done traveling but nothing as extentive as this. We are sick of living in this crappy town in this little apartment. He is dying to go and although am a worrywart, I know in the end that I will love it.
- What is your biggest fear about this trip?
I am totally scared because I've never gone places without a real plan. I don't know HOW to just go somewhere, make friends, hang out for a few weeks, go wherever you feel like, etc etc. I fear getting sick or being in bad situations. I worry too much.
- Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Most friends are totally supportive and think it is great. My parents worry about me and think I don't have enough money to do it.
- How much planning and preparing have you done?
Winged it a lot
- What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
I bought some zip-off pants. Also got bug repellant, sunblock, and soap to wash clothes with. Also a pak-towel thingy and some protein bars, an inflatible airplane pillow and some locks.
- 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?
I think it will change me completely. I worry that when I get home, how will I ever be able to just work at a boring job again??
- If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Nervous
- 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?
RTW trips make you really LIVE in a place, not just walk by and look at stuff then leave, which is what I always did in prior travels.
- What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That it is outrageously expensive... we got our tickets for $1600 + $330 to London, so that is $1930 just for tickets! Not bad, I think! And the cost of living in many of the places we are going is low.
- Why do you like to travel?
I LOVE to learn and experience things I never new existed.
- What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Well, I can't really give advice until I've taken mine already... then we'll see if I did a good job in planning!
Follow Kelly's trip via her BootsnAll Travel Blog: Kelly's Travels