- When did you go on your RTW trip?
November 2002-May 2003
- How old were you when you took this trip?
32
- Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
15,000
- Nationality
England
- Where do you live now?
Kent, England
- Occupation
Before your trip: Sales
Now: Awaiting sale of house to move to New Zealand
- How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
They would not have affected it at all apart from my lack of interest to work here now.
- What is the route you took/places you visited?
Canada, Vancouver Island, USA, Arizona, Nevada, LA. Visting Disney World, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Santa Monica, Las Vegas. Cook Islands, New Zealand 6 week tour most major towns, Taupo, Queenstown, Wanaka, Bay of Islands, Kaikora, to name but a few, through to Bali, then home.
- Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
Earning a bit of money on a house and deciding rather than to invest materially to invest in knowledge. Excellent opportunity and worth every penny.
- Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:
- Best Moment
Las Vegas and scenery in New Zealand
- Worst Moment
Bali: the poverty after the bomb etc
- Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
Money: making it last
- Biggest surprise?
The strength of our pound and the cost of living everywhere else
- Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
Nula, an Irish girl we met and the likeness of minds and her friendliness.
- How much planning and preparing did you do?
To the Nth Degree
- What was your favorite piece of gear?
Flip Flops.
- What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
Clothes: nearly all of them. Travel iron.
- How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
It has changed me totally. I now know that the world is a huge but welcoming and accessible place. I know that England is not the best place to live financially, and I know that I am moving to the most beautiful country, in my view, in the world: New Zealand.
- If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Life-changing adventure.
- Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
Yes we will, definitely. Once we have lived the new Zealand dream.
- 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?
Living the culture, way of life. The freedom and non-routine way of life. The relaxation and excitement of not knowing where you will fancy going tomorrow.
- What is the most valuable thing you learned?
Stress is pointless.
- What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That all travellers live out of ruck sacks.
- Why do you like to travel?
Because you have not lived without seeing some different ways of living. your way is not the only way.
- What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Use the internet. By planning you will save fortunes on accommodation. Always barter on price.