Who? Why?

Who are Kelly and Quang?
How do you pronounce Quang’s name?
Where are Kelly and Quang from?
How long have Kelly and Quang known each other?
Why are Kelly and Quang roaming the globe?
Have Kelly and Quang ever traveled like this before?
What are Kelly and Quang most excited to see?
What are Kelly and Quang nervous about?
Did Kelly and Quang have to get special shots?
How will Kelly and Quang pay their bills?
How are Kelly and Quang paying for this?
What did Kelly and Quang pack?

Who are Kelly and Quang?

How do you pronounce Quang’s name?

Quang's name sounds like "Wong."

Where are Kelly and Quang from?

They are from the Twin Cities—Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

How long have Kelly and Quang known each other?

Kelly and Quang have known each other almost their entire lives. They went to elementary, junior high and high school together. They even grew up right down the street from one another. But they haven't been together all that time. They remember "going together" in seventh grade, but after that they had little contact with each other. They went to separate colleges, started their own careers, built their own lives and then reconnected at their ten-year high school reunion. Yet even then, they didn't date for long. Then one day—two years later and completely out of the blue—Quang called Kelly and asked her on a date. They've been together ever since.

Why are Kelly and Quang roaming the globe?

The Global Roam was Quang's idea. When he proposed, he asked Kelly to travel the world with him. That was two and a half years ago. Now they are married, the trip is planned, and they are actually on their way. Quang wants to travel the world because there are so many places he has never been. He wants to see all the great monuments he learned about in school, cities he's seen only in movies and countries he's only heard about from other people. Kelly wants to travel around the world because she loves to travel. She's willing to go just about anywhere because she knows she will find something fascinating no matter where she goes. Both Quang and Kelly realize this trip is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Neither one of them is willing to let it slip through their fingers.

Have Kelly and Quang ever traveled like this before?

Kelly and Quang have traveled together, but never for this length of time, and never under these circumstances. However, both of them have traveled on their own for long periods of time. Quang spent six weeks in Vietnam in 1996. Kelly's first trip overseas was to Spain where she spent a semester abroad as part of her college studies. Since that time she has stepped foot in many European countries; plus, she has traveled throughout Latin America. She lived in Buenos Aires and taught English in 1997—1998.

What are Kelly and Quang most excited to see?

Quang wants to see monarchs in Mexico and penguins in Patagonia. He wants to see the Great Wall in China, plus any and everything in Europe. He also wants to go horseback riding on the beach in Uruguay.

Kelly wants to see a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico, the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina and Halong Bay in Vietnam. She can't wait to eat gelato in Venice, Italy. She also really, really wants to see penguins in Patagonia.

What are Kelly and Quang nervous about?

Both Kelly and Quang are nervous about Mexico City—it's the biggest city in the world! Kelly is worried about having to eat really funky foods, and Quang is worried about getting bored on long plane rides, long train rides and long bus rides.

Did Kelly and Quang have to get special shots?

Both Kelly and Quang got a tetanus shot and a flu shot. Both of them took a round of five pills to be immunized against typhoid. Quang got shots for hepatitis A and B. Kelly didn't have to get those shots because she already had them a few years ago. They will be taking malarone (anti-malaria pills) when they are in malaria-infected areas. They will also take along azithromycin (antibiotic pills).

How will Kelly and Quang pay their bills?

Kelly and Quang will pay bills online. There are internet cafés everywhere.

How are Kelly and Quang paying for this?

Kelly and Quang saved money for a year and a half.

What did Kelly and Quang pack?

In Mexico City, just five days into their trip, Kelly and Quang decided they packed way too much stuff! Each one of them had packed a big backpack, plus a smaller one. All in all, the multiple backpacks were way too heavy to carry for any distance with any amount of comfort.

So, they dumped everything out, sorted through it and made of pile of "keep" and a pile of "ditch." Then, they tried to mail the "ditch" pile home. But there was too much paperwork to fill out and too many photocopies of papers to collect. That darn Mexican beaurocracy! So instead of mailing stuff home, they packed one backpack full of everything they didn't want to haul around for a month in Mexico. Then, they got a hotel in Mexico City to store it for them until they come back through the city.

They pulled the same trick in Argentina and Chile. They found a hostel with a luggage storage closet, stashed that really-big-backpack-full-o-stuff, and forgot about it. In fact, two months passed and they didn't even open that backpack up. When they passed back through the United States in January, they sent the big ol' backpack home, along with many other items.

Their motto for Asia was "pack light."

Here is the Asia packing list, more or less:

Electronics (generally divided and carried as to which one of us uses it the most, but may end up in any of our three bags):

1 digital camera
1 re-charger for camera battery
1 set of international plug-ins for camera battery re-charger
2 camera batteries
2 digital memory cards
1 memory card reader to use with laptop
1 laptop computer
1 electrical cord for laptop
1 USB memory stick
1 hardbacked CD carrying case
1 travel Playstation
3 games and headset for Playstation
1 electrical cord for Playstation
1 set international plug-ins
1 voltage converter to use with all of the above
(The converter is the heaviest item in our entire packing list!)

Communal goods that end up in either backpack:

1 headlamp
2 small flashlights
insect repellent wipes (25% Deet)
1 small bottle insect repellent lotion (20% Deet)
1 small bottle 100% Deet
anti-bacterial hand wipes
SPF 30 sunscreen (2 bottles, 1 face stick)
travel packs of tissue
1 deck of cards
1 travel cribbage board
guidebooks
Photocopies of passports, marriage certificate, Quang's naturalization papers, Kelly's birth certificate, travel health insurance plan and ID cards, vaccinations, prescription for glasses

First Aid Kit

Neosporin, assortment of band-aids, gauze pads, first aid tape, alcohol wipes, latex gloves, hydrocortisone cream, itch-stick, aloe vera gel, Visine, thermometer, Tylenol, Advil, Theraflu thin strips, Cloraseptic thin strips, chewable Pepto Bismo, Rolaids, Alka-Seltzer, Advil Cold & Sinus, anti-diarrhea pills, laxatives, motion-sickness pills, cough drops

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