Round the World Trippers: Gerard and Kieu of GQtrippin.com
Meet Gerard and Kieu of GQtrippin.com- newly career breakers from the Bay Area. They left their comfy corporate jobs last December to travel. So far they've bungy jumped in New Zealand, snorkeled the Reef in Australia and are currently eating their way through Asia.
What inspired you to leave it all behind and travel the world?
Gerard's job quit him. We've talked about it for a while now, but that was definitely the mother of all signs to put the ball in motion. We realized life is too short to be wanderlusting over a virtual world on your desktop computer anyway. The world is a big place and to see it two weeks at a time just wasn't enough for us. We're not getting any younger so why not.
Do you plan your trip as you go, or did you select all of the destinations before starting your adventure?
We're obsessive compulsive planners. While I'd love to do the 'go-where-the-wind-blows' motto, it just doesn't suit my nerves. Our destinations are pre-selected including the route. However, we follow a loose itinerary once there so we do go wild once in a blue moon. So far, we've tweaked little to the original itinerary so maybe we're not that nuts to begin with.
Traveling gives one the chance to participate in some amazing, adrenaline-pumping activities. What has been your favorite activity so far? We may sound like a complete bore when it comes to planning, but we're total adrenaline junkies! That's why we added New Zealand to the map! We went zorbing in Rotorua, luging in Queenstown, bungy jumped The Nevis and rode the world's largest swing on Q's 29th birthday. It's not a typical destination for the normal long-term travelers. And while it gashed a massive hole in our round-the-world budget, it was definitely worth the leap. Quit literally.
Food is one of your favorite forms of cultural exchange - what has been the most amazing food you've discovered on your travels so far?
Ah man, this is a tough one because we travel for food! Let's see… chai tea from India, mangos from Thailand, but most memorable would be Shanghai dumplings (fried and steamed) and pretty much everything in Japan. It's been an amazing five months of over indulgence and our waistlines are paying for it for sure.
Where are you most excited to head next?
Vietnam and we're less than a week away! We're Vietnamese and really miss food from home. Since the bay area is still another two months away, we're heading to our second home... a true home away from home to visit family and friends and, of course, eat heaps of Vietnamese food until we both keel over. And then continue to eat more.
What is your top tip for anyone embarking on a round-the-world adventure?
I may sound like a hypocrite when I say this but oh well - Don't think, just do. As much as we've planned ahead ourselves, some of our greatest memories are from moments when things unravel and go awry. And, it's OK if you don't check everything off "the list". Succumbing to travel fatigue is a bitch. Slow down, take breaks and don't wear yourself out. Enjoy the ride.
Check out more from Gerard and Kieu on their joint Tripping profile as well as their website - as well as a list of all the places they've been!