Kirstin Mooney is a 34-year-old film art department coordinator from California, USA, who took a round-the-world trip in 2001.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2001
- Age at departure: 34
- Nationality: USA
- Location: California, USA
- Duration: 3 months (April - July 2001)
- Occupation: Art department coordinator (film)
- Regions: Oceania, Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Kirstin Mooney shared about their RTW journey:
How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
It hasn’t so far. Except that I have a lot of great photos that I use for research materials.
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I hadn’t taken a vacation in 3 years and, after a particularly arduous project, decided to take a big break. Actually, planning the trip is what got me through the last 4 months of the project. It started because I was going to visit a friend in Australia. And then, I thought, as long as I’m going this far, I should go see my cousin in Tokyo and then another cousin who is in India. Pretty soon I was going half-way around the world so, why not go all the way? It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I took 3 months and every day was wonderful. I can’t think of any other 3 months of my life that I can say that about.
What was the best moment of your trip?
Seeing everything with my own eyes.
What was the worst moment?
Almost missing my flight to Bangkok.
What was your biggest hurdle, obstacle, or difficulty?
My luggage was toooooo heavy!
What was your biggest surprise?
How easy everything was.
How much planning and preparing did you do?
Just enough.
What was your favorite piece of gear?
Backpack that has a pull-up handle and wheels.
What did you bring that, in hindsight, you could have left at home?
Lots of clothes.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler did not report a trip budget, but early-2000s round-the-world costs are substantially higher in 2026, reflecting roughly 80% cumulative inflation over the intervening years.