When I meet people and talk about my trip, I notice that many of the same questions keep coming up. Here are some frequently asked questions and my responses:

Why are you going on this trip?

Because I won a RTW ticket! Also, because it’s fun.

Would you have gone on a similar trip if you didn’t win a RTW ticket?

I love traveling. So yes - I definitely travel even when I don’t win contests. But I doubt I would have quit my job, moved out of my house, and gone on such a long trip alone. Now that I’ve done that though, I know how amazing traveling alone is and I’ll likely go on a big trip again in the future. But next trip, I’ll definitely travel by land more and visit less places for longer periods of time.

Where are you going and for how long?

Lots of places! Check out my itinerary. The rules are that I have to cross both oceans, end up in the same country that I started in, continue in the same direction without backtracking, and complete my trip within the mileage limit (39,000 miles). I was allowed a maximum of 15 destinations and 1 year of travel. So, I’m taking full advantage and doing exactly that. I can change the dates and times as I go, but there is a fee for changing the destinations once they’re booked.

How did you choose the countries on your itinerary?

There’s really no particular theme to the places I chose. Some are places I’ve always wanted to visit, some are places where I have friends, some are places that are expensive to fly to (so I prefer to go when my ticket is free), some are travel hubs I needed to stop at to work within the guidelines of my RTW ticket, and some just made sense because they connected the dots in between.

Why not Africa? Why not South America? Why not (fill in the blank)?

Most of Africa didn’t make sense for this trip because the only onward flights I could find were sending me to Paris or Frankfurt (meaning that since I can’t backtrack, I’d miss all the places in between). I chose not to go to South America because it’s close enough to the United States and I’d rather visit it later when I have more time to travel all over the continent. If I went with this trip, I’d just end up flying to one country and then having to leave. As for all the other places I’m not going to….the world is a huge place and I’d love to see every country eventually. I decided to just pick a handful and focus on those rather than stress about all the others I’m not going to visit on this trip. I’ll be back!

Which place are you most excited to go to?

The answer to this question changes constantly. Whatever country I’m currently visiting is usually the one I’m most excited about.

Which place so far have you liked the most?

I’ve loved every place I’ve been so far and there never seems to be enough time. After being on the road for a while, a year starts to seem very very short. When it comes down to it, I think the most exciting places have been all those little towns in between the obvious tourist destinations - the ones that aren’t traveler hubs and don’t get any hype from the guide books. I’ve also happened across many places by accident.

How can you afford to do this?

Luckily, I won a RTW ticket from a Lonely Planet photo contest. Star Alliance provided the ticket, so all my flights are paid for. I’ve known about this trip for over a year now, so I’ve been working hard and saving lots of money to cover my other travel expenses. In general, I consider myself to be pretty low maintenance (both at home and when traveling), so I don’t expect my habits to be much different this time around. I plan to go camping, sleep on couches, stay in hostels, cook my own food when possible, and collect lots of pictures for souvenirs. True, traveling alone is often more expensive, but I hope to share rides and rooms when possible.

Are you nervous about traveling alone?

Not at all. I definitely get lonely sometimes, but I like doing a lot of things alone anyway. It’s hard to organize groups of people – especially if everyone has their own interests, personal philosophies, and ideas of what an ideal trip should look like. When it’s just me, I can have my own adventures without having to compromise my plans for someone else. If I want to spend an entire day searching for the perfect restaurant, visit the same museum 3 days in a row, or take endless amounts of pictures of the same bug, no one will be around to tell me I should be doing something else instead. Besides, I’m never really alone. People tend to talk to me more when I’m by yourself. I can make new friends, hang out with them for a few days, then not feel bad about leaving to do my own thing when I don’t want to be with them anymore.

How do you pack for a trip like that?

Well, this is the first time I’ve packed for a trip like this, but I have some ideas. And don’t think it should be too much different than any other trip. You can check out my travel packing page to see what I plan to bring and why. I imagine that after a year of traveling, I’ll have a much better idea of necessary/non necessary items to bring on a long trip, so I’ll reevaluate that page periodically and update it when I get home.

Why do you have all that vegan stuff on your site?

Veganism is something I feel really strongly about, and there isn’t a lot of information out there about vegan travel. I know there are people out there who are nervous about visiting certain countries because they’re afraid they’ll have a hard time finding suitable things to eat. I’m collecting resources and posting them to this site so I can help myself (and others) be vegan while on the road.

Will you make exceptions to your vegan diet while you’re traveling?

No. I don’t intend to.

It is worth saying that many of the horrific conditions present in the US meat and dairy industry don’t apply to rural areas outside wealthy western countries. And it is important to learn about what food means to other people in other parts of the world. With that said, I think it’s always best to stick to ones beliefs no matter where you are. And while I can respect other people’s eating habits within their particular context, I still don’t feel it’s necessary for me to compromise my own values and partake in it as well.

I know I won’t become deathly ill if I accidentally eat soup with fish sauce. And I know I won’t be destroying the world if I eat some curry with a small amount of gee. I still try to avoid these products as best I can. I do make mistakes (some even without my knowledge), so I don’t beat myself up over it when these instances happen occasionally. But with proper planning, patience, and a little extra effort, avoiding animal products is pretty easy in most instances.

Aren’t you worried about offending your hosts if you refuse their food?

It’s true that in many parts of the world, vegetarianism (and especially veganism) is not a well-understood concept. However, I do think it’s possible to stick to my ethical beliefs without coming across as fanatical, arrogant, or disrespectful. People are usually pretty understanding and accommodating if I’m nice. And I’ve managed to avoid most awkward eating situations by remembering to politely explain my eating habits before a meal is prepared.

As long as I’m a polite, gracious guest, my hosts are never annoyed or angered by my desire to eat only vegetables. They may be curious, weirded out, confused, intrigued, or even inspired…but never upset. If someone has agreed to invite me into their home, I would assume they’re probably already pretty open to new people and ideas. And honestly, eating only plants shouldn’t really be a very controversial or threatening idea.

Do you get upset when people eat meat around you?

While I wish it wasn’t the case, most people eat meat (including my family and most of my good friends). I don’t judge them for it – I just choose not to do it myself.

As long as people don’t make rude or annoying comments about my eating habits, I don’t bother them about theirs. And honestly, most people who hang around me long enough usually end up eating less meat. It isn’t because I make them feel weird about it - it’s because I open their eyes to all the other delicious things they were missing out on.

So why are you vegan anyway?

I’m vegan because I think it’s cruel and unnecessary to raise animals for food. And there is always such a large variety of delicious things to eat that I’ve never been bored or felt that I needed meat to be healthy.

Animal issues aside, there are many other reasons why a plant-based diet is beneficial to everyone involved. According to Treehugger.com, a leading media outlet dedicated to sustainability, “Meat is the most resource-intensive food on the table and eating less of it can be the single most green move a person makes.”

If you want more information about reasons to become vegan, here’s a good overview:

http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/

If you want more information about why meat production is bad for the environment, here are some additional links and bullet points:

http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html

• Livestock production generates 18 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.

http://www.goveg.com/environment.asp

• Nearly half of the water and 80 percent of the agricultural land in the United States are used to raise animals for food
• We feed more than 70 percent of the grains and cereals we grow to farmed animals, and almost all of those calories go into simply keeping the animals alive, not making them grow.

http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2005/10/12/meat/index.html

• Meat-based diets use about twice as many environmental resources as soy-based diets.

http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/factsheets/

• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) create one of the nation’s most dangerous water pollution problems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hog, chicken and cattle waste has polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states.

So enough of that vegan stuff. What are you going to do while you’re traveling?

That’s a good question. I plan to meet interesting people, eat a lot of good food, and stay open to whatever comes my way. I also plan to take good notes so I can share my experiences with all you guys.

What do you miss most about home?

Family, friends, boyfriend, cat, Barton Springs, breakfast tacos!

What are you going to do when you get back?

I think it’s safe to say that I have no clue. I’m happy with that answer.