Kristen Kupniewski's Trip at a Glance
| | |
|---|---|
| Departure Year | 2005 |
| Duration | 1-6 Months |
| Route | Tampa-Los Angeles-Papeete-Auckland-overland to Christchurch-Adelaide-Melbourne-Saigon-overland to Bangkok-Koh Samui-Hong Kong-Los Angeles-Tampa |
| Budget | $7500 (~$12,750 in 2026 dollars) |
| Age at Departure | 29 |
| Occupation | Marketing |
Route
Tampa-Los Angeles-Papeete-Auckland-overland to Christchurch-Adelaide-Melbourne-Saigon-overland to Bangkok-Koh Samui-Hong Kong-Los Angeles-Tampa.
2026 note: Route information from early 2000s travel planning; current conditions may differ significantly.
In Their Words
When do you leave?
October 2005How long do you plan to be away?
1-6 MonthsHow much have you saved?
$7500How old are you?
29Nationality
USAWhere do you live now?
Florida, USAOccupation
MarketingIs this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
I’ll come back if they’ll have meHave you traveled around the world before?
NoWhat is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
Tampa-Los Angeles-Papeete-Auckland-overland to Christchurch-Adelaide-Melbourne-Saigon-overland to Bangkok-Koh Samui-Hong Kong-Los Angeles-TampaWhy did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
Celebrate college graduation-30th birthday-want to complete goal of seeing 30 countries by age 30:)What is your biggest fear about this trip?
That I will eat something bad:(Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Some are supportive-some are worried because I will be alone at times.How much planning and preparing have you done?
Just EnoughWhat are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Clothes, camera, money, passportHow 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 don’t know if it will “change my life”. I love to travel and I hope it will let me experience new cultures.If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Yayyyyyy!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?
If you have the time and money, I think everyone should experience this type of travel. How familiar can you get with a place in one week?What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That it is too expensive.Why do you like to travel?
See and experience new things, of course!What is your advice
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This profile was originally published on BootsnAll. Budget figures have been adjusted for 2026 context.