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Author: Sean Keener

Jack Holmes – Round-the-World Traveler

  1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
    July 2005-August 2005

  2. How old were you when you took this trip?
    61

  3. Including your air ticket and other expenses (from accommodation to souvenir-buying), about how much did your trip cost?
    5500

  4. Nationality
    USA

  5. Where do you live now?
    Andover, MA, USA

  6. Occupation
    Before your trip: Teacher
    Now: Teacher

  7. How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
    No real change. I used a two week Earthwatch archeology project in Mauritius as part of my professional/teacher “continued education”.

  8. What is the route you took/places you visited?
    Boston to Paris (Tour de France), to Dubal to Mauritius. A three week stay on the island with two weeks participating in an Earthwatch project. Home via Singapore, Malacca Malasya, and Hong Kong.

  9. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    Two things; 1. “mauritius” on a RTW special itinerary. (Where is that?) 2. Earthwatch Institute had a two week archeology project on french napoleonic fort.

  10. Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:

    • Best Moment

      It was all a good experience. Jet lag on the first day of landings.

    • Worst Moment

      Lost CHECKED luggage at home at the END of the trip.

    • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?

      Figuring how to get about in and out of Charles de Gaulle Airport

    • Biggest surprise?

      The warmth of the locals in Mahebourg, Mauritius.

  11. Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
    Don, a fellow participant in the Mauritius project. He was a 26 year old grad student. He was able to interact with the young folk and old timers, like me, equally well; Lively, sharing and intelligent.

  12. How much planning and preparing did you do?
    Just Enough

  13. What was your favorite piece of gear?
    autofocus 35 mm film camera with medium zoom lens

  14. What did you bring, that in hindsight you could’ve left at home?
    We’ve been light travelling so long that we take nothing extra. (I think my wife takes a few “extra” cosmetics.) We buy if we need something in a local market.

  15. How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
    I continue to see that people are basically kind and warm. It continues to encourage me to favor diversity in our home country’s culture.

  16. If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    When can I go again?

  17. Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
    Yes. After we graduate (retire ;~}) from school next year, we expect to travel again for month in China. The connections to and from !!??. Lots of places to visit still on our list

  18. 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?
    The connections with people that you make and the experience of the world’s diversity/commoness. These are hard to do when you are sprinting for a week or so.

  19. What is the most valuable thing you learned?
    ?

  20. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    That foreigners are dangerous, or just want to rob you.

  21. Why do you like to travel?
    Different local food and beer. New places to see people in their space, doing their thing, and the opportunity to photograph the country and people.

  22. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    Read about the places to have an idea of what can/should be done and seen. Then ask the locals to help choose the best for you.