- When do you leave?
- How long do you plan to be away?
6-12 Months - How much have you saved?
£2000 - How old are you?
26 - Nationality
England - Where do you live now?
Leamington Spa, England - Occupation
IT Sales - 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?
Asia, Thiland, Phi Phi, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands, Los Angeles, San Francisco, back to blighty. - Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
Friends which have done it already and have made me jealous. An urge to get away from the mundane 9-5 slog and see something in the world and do something different before I get tied down. - What is your biggest fear about this trip?
Coming back! And finding enough work on way round. - Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Generally supportive – just a few “You irresponsible #@$!” from mother, but she’s coming round to it. - How much planning and preparing have you done?
Just Enough - What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Digital camera – a must to remind me when I get back. Still to plan the rest of the backpack. - 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?
Hopefully improve my outlook on life in general. Hope to meet plenty of like-minded people. - If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Can’t wait – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that has to be taken to the full. - 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?
You can never get a proper appreciation of different cultures and lifestyles by staying in a hotel and doing the tourist thing. - What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That it’s difficult and that backpackers are lazy soap dodgers. - Why do you like to travel?
England is too small and cold! - What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Start pretty early to get you head around all that is necessary, but don’t over-plan as a year is a long time and your plans/outlook might change on what you want. Make sure that you can change flights/itinerary with not much hassle.
September 2003