- When did you go on your RTW trip?
- How old were you when you took this
trip?
31 - Including your air ticket and other expenses
(from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip
cost?
$3300 - Nationality
USA - Occupation
* Before your trip: Teacher for “at risk youth”
* Now: English Teacher
- How did your travels affect your career when
you got back?
Difficult to come back….stayed in US for 9 months in 2000-2001 - What is the route you took/places you
visited?
PR – Argentina (mostly Patagonia) Uruguay, Paraguay, Brasil, Australia, Nepal, Thailand, Europe (work in Germany and UK) return to
Nepal, India, Back to Europe, Nepal/Tibet, Germany, Thailand, Germany - Why did you decide to take this trip? What
got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I just knew I had to and it was “now or never” feeling 🙂 - Out of all your experiences traveling around
the world, what was the:- Best Moment
- Worst Moment
A lot of tough moments – that seem to disappear when you get a new start - Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
Dealing with beggars in India - Biggest surprise?
How easy it was to do!!
Soo Many – Base of Fritz Roy, Annapurna….visiting the nuns in Tibet… Swimming with the children in Nepal… Connecting with people - Best Moment
- Who is the most memorable person you met on
your trip and why?
Difficult….also too many…but just now I think of an old Indian friend
we just kind connected….there was a deep friendship between us. - How much planning and preparing did you
do?
Winged it a lot - What was your favorite piece of
gear?
Swiss Army Knife, Camera - How did your round-the-world trip change
your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
Opened my eyes a bit and reconfirmed my feelings that we are all the
same…makes it difficult to live a normal day to day life at times – often
homesick for the road. - If you had to sum up your round-the-world
trip in one sentence, what would it be?
It was something I had to do and I am so glad that I did it…it has
changed my life immensely - Are you planning more trips and travels for
the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
Would love to - 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?
Not sure I think everyone should (I met some people on the road that were
a bit embarrassing out there – still tied to old habits back home – complaining about waiting in lines and the conditions of rooms..etc) - What is the most valuable thing you
learned?
To trust in life and myself. - What is the biggest myth that people have
about round-the-world traveling?
In the US (near my home, NJ) people think you are crazy to do it..that it’s too difficult..etc. Others think it is only a party. - Why do you like to travel?
Freedom…People…Nature
The ability to value every moment of the day – seems we get lost living life to pay bills etc back home we waste too much precious time. - What is your advice for people planning
their own RTW trip?
Bring a light pack with things that you wouldn’t care if you lost… trust your instincts on the road… Keep an open mind…. and when you think you can’t do it anymore… give it a week (normally things change within the next hour).
December 1996-January