Emmanuel "Bid" Bidegain

Bid's seizing the day when he and his partner Renee head off for their RTW.

1. When do you leave?
   June 2002

2. How long do you plan to be away?
   I Ain't Never Comin' Back

3. How much have you saved?
   US$40,000

4. How old are you?
   30

5. Nationality
   France

6. Where do you live now?
   Atlanta, Georgia, USA

7. Occupation
   International Trade Consultant

8. Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
   One more paycheck and I'm gone

9. Have you traveled around the world before?
   No

10. What is the route you plan to take/places you plan to visit?
    Eastbound starting with Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, and Latin America.

11. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    I love to travel and I get bored with doing any one thing for an extended period of time (aka work). By traveling, I never stay in any one place for a long time, and it is different everywhere you go. As well, I found the perfect person to go with, a person who enjoys travel as much as I do.

12. What is your biggest fear about this trip?
    Snakes such as "The Black Mamba". If I run into Jeff Corwin or the Crocodile Hunter anywhere along our trip, then I know snakes are nearby.

13. Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
    Yes, everyone is very supportive and they are ready for us to leave. After September 11th, a few people have been surprised that we are still going on our trip, but I tell people that it is stupid to live in fear. We are not cancelling our trip for anything or any one event.

14. How much planning and preparing have you done?
    Just Enough

15. What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
    The bare minimum, as everything we need can be purchased anywhere in the world. My most indispensable item would seem to be my boots, although it is difficult for me to say exactly what that item may be as we have not left yet.

16. How 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 believe that it may drastically alter my life, in that I may not want to come back and lead a "normal" life, one that our industrialized society has deemed "normal" with the house and the white picket fence and the 2.4 kids. I know that a trip like this will give me a much greater appreciation for life and a greater respect for mankind in general. It will also make me realize how fortunate and grateful I should be in having the opportunity to travel around the world, meet different cultures and visit these different places.

17. If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    Carpe Diem – Seize the Day

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?
    A regular one- or two-week vacation has a start and an end. During that period, you know that there is a quick end in a few days. You know that you have to go back to the grind when you get back. Subconsciously, you only begin to relax when it is time to leave. As well, on a regular vacation, you usually only go to one place, one location; you can only see so much. Going on an RTW trip, you are able to spend the time to learn through other cultures and peoples rather than just do a touch-and-go landing into that area.

19. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    People say that they will never have the time or money.

20. Why do you like to travel?
    Freedom

21. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    I don't want to sound like a cliche, but I'm going to anyway:

    JUST DO IT!!!!

Follow Bid and Renée's two-plus year RTW trip with their travelogue, Chasing the Sun.