Every Action has a Reaction

As Christine and I were getting ready to let our family, friends, and co-workers know about our impending RTW, we weren't really sure about how those closest to us would react.

Now that we've let the cat out of the bag, I've categorized the general reactions we've received:

1) The Excited

a) "I'm so excited for you guys!"
These people are the most common; they are genuinely excited for us and wish us well and safe travels.

b) "Let's meet up somewhere!"
These people are rare, but the best reaction; upon hearing about our plans, being fellow adventurers, they plan to pack up a bag and meet up with us somewhere in the world. Awesome!

c) "I'm planning a trip!"
Also a great reaction. These people enjoy traveling, and are now inspired to take a trip with their 2-4 weeks of vacation some time this year.

2) The Envious: "....wish I could do something like that" / "...always wanted to do that"

These are probably the 2nd most common. These are people who have always wanted to do something, but are more than willing to live vicariously through us. They tell us to take alot of photos, and put up a blog post every once in awhile.  They will give a number of reasons as to why they can't take a career break or travel, such as student debt, mortgages, or car payments (or children).
 For those with children, I understand. For reasons related to money, if you make saving for something like this a priority, it is very possible. Yes, sacrifices will have to be made (e.g. getting that $6 frappucino from Starbucks everyday, that online shopping addiction, or that newest and latest iToy device), but it's definitely worth it.

3) Career People:   "What...? What about your job?"

These are people who I like to call "career people", who take their careers very seriously, and probably dream about traveling in between their daily commutes to/from the office but never follow through because they're too dedicated to project they're working on.

4) Interrogators:  "How much will it cost? How are you affording this?"

These people may be of a cross-breed between Career People, and The Envious. They want to know every single detail. "How are you affording this? Are you using up your entire life savings? How much did you save? Where are you staying? Where are you going? How did you save up so much money? What's your plan when you come back? Why did you decide to do this?"

While most of these questions arise from a natural curiosity, these people take it to the next level! 


5) Great for You: "That sounds great...for you!"

These people are excited for us, but mention that it isn't something that they would ever do as they don't find it appealing to travel long-term (due to various reasons), may have other interests, or prefer a more grounded life.

6) Non-Reactionary: "Oh nice, have a good trip, see you later"

These people don't seem to be interested or have much of a reaction.