Jack and Jill Around the World

Here’s my third interview with a travel blogger (check out Phil and Shannon if you haven’t yet), but this time you get a two for one! Jack and Jill just started on their global adventure, but they are already having fun. Fortunately, they are travel veterans so they have a realistic though optimistic view. I want to thank them so much for giving me time while they’re on the road!

1. To Jill: Tell us a little about your background. Why did you leave Indonesia?

I was born and grew up in Indonesia until I was 16. Then we had that big riot in Jakarta where they were targeting the Chinese minority? Well, my parents had always wanted to send me abroad for college, but decided to do it a couple of years early because of the riot. But instead of sending me to cool, multicultural cities such as Melbourne or Sydney, they sent me to podunk Adelaide instead (no offense, I ended up really liking Adelaide).

But I guess it turned out for the better. There was only one other Indonesian in the whole school and it forced me to pick up English much faster than I would have if I had gone to one of the bigger cities.

After I graduated high school in Aussie, I studied art in Seattle and graduated. Then I realized I missed science and decided to go study engineering in California. Which is a very nice segue to your next question.

2. How did you and Jack meet? Was it in Australia?

No. We actually met in college in California. We were both studying engineering and taking the same classes. He was enamored with my mad multicalculus skill (or I guess more with my willingness to let him copy my homework) and we were good friends for 2 years. Then he shaved his facial hair and we started dating soon afterward.

3. Why did you decide to travel around the world? Whose idea was it first?

Why? It’s a tough question to ask. I’ve always, always wanted to see the world for as long as I remember and I guess I must have infected Jack with the travel bug. So in short, we decided to travel around the world because we wanted to.

4. What did you and Jack do before long term travel?

We did web stuff. I did web design and development, while Jack mostly did the back end stuff. Even though we weren’t working for the same company, we worked in the same building on the same project. So, quite literally we were spending 24/7 together – a great exercise for this long-term travel we’re currently on right now.

5. How did family and friends react to your RTW plans?

All of our friends have been supportive. They weren’t too surprised actually. Our families reacted in a different way. Mine have always wanted me to start my own business so they were hoping something other than tons of pics, wonderful memories, sunburned skin, and depleted savings account would come out of this endeavor. They were only lamenting the fact that we didn’t choose to have any kids first before taking off.

Jack’s parents had concerns about safety and job security – the usual thing that any parents would be concerned about.

But in all honesty, it wasn’t too bad. We’re hoping that we might be able to see them on the road sometime and we just might.

6. Why Colombia first?

We liked Colombia because it doesn’t require visa for both of us. And there is something orderly we also like about exploring the continent from top to bottom. It’s the engineers in us.

7. Do you know where you’ll go next? How do you choose the next place?

We have a general idea of where we’re going on the continent scale… and within the continent itself to a certain degree. For example, we know that we want to go from North to South in South America (going back to the whole orderly thing).

On the smaller scale, we do research on the road and count on suggestions and tips from fellow travelers. For example, at the time I’m writing this, we are trying to make our way from Cartagena to San Gil. We’re altering our original plan based on one of our readers suggestion. Our itinerary now will include a cable car trip across this amazing canyon that we’ve never even heard of before, Chicamocha Canyon. How cool is that?

8. You guys seem to have a great sense of humor. Is that important for coping with problems while traveling?

Absolutely. The thing is for us, finding humor in travel misfortunes is next to impossible when we’re tired and hungry. So we always try to make sure that we get a good night sleep (and if we don’t, we try really hard to make sure we will for the next night), and always have a snack handy. A good night sleep and a full stomach does wonderful things to your psyche.

9. What is the most dangerous place you’ve visited? The most relaxing?

Hmm, I don’t think we’ve ever visited a dangerous place or even felt like we were in dangerous situations. Let’s keep it that way

The most relaxing place – I’d have to say Ubud, Bali. We stayed in a nice hotel with my family, rented a motorbike, and just drove all around the place. And we got a massage from a place next door to our hotel every day. Jack even got one of those 2 on 1 massages. Love it.

10. How will you pay for your trip? Savings? Blog income? Work? Trust fund?

Mostly savings. We were doing side freelancing job doing web stuff before and once we get our travel routine down, we’d like to see if it’s something we can do while we’re on the road. That’s why we brought both of our laptops with us. Hopefully something more than blog posts will come out of this 8 lb brick we’re lugging around

Bio: Jack and Jill left their job and comfortable life in California to travel the world. They chronicle their adventures, and sometimes misadventures, at their site, Jack and Jill Travel The World.

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