Before airplanes were invented, circumnavigating the world was hard, long, dangerous and expensive. Even today, with planes making around-the-world trips possible, it is a big accomplishment for one to completely go around the world.
As of July, Katie Koontz, a recent Haddonfield Memorial High School graduate, accomplished the feat at the age of 18 in just two weeks.
Traveling from June 20 to July 4, Koontz went from Newark to Rome, to Venice, to Dubai and Beijing, crossing all 28 meridians, before finally coming back home. After her trip, she qualified to be a member of the Circumnavigators Club and has become the youngest current member.
Since she was young, Koontz has always loved traveling. Learning about her grandparents’ experiences through the Circumnavigators Club with traveling, meeting new people and visiting exotic lands, she knew she wanted to be a part of it.
“Through being in the Circumnavigators Club, my grandparents have met many different people with interesting backgrounds that share a love of traveling. I wanted to be a part of such a diverse and accomplished community,” Koontz said.
At the age of 14, Koontz told her grandfather, David Mink, that she wanted to be the youngest member of the Circumnavigators Club, the previous youngest being Matt Guthmiller who flew around the world solo at the age of 19. As you had to be 18 to join the club, Mink planned to give her the trip as a graduation gift.
“She really gets it. She has an interest in the world and what is around her. She wanted to do it in the worst way and experience the world,” Mink said.
After graduation, Koontz, along with her mother Kristen, grandfather and grandmother, set off on the circumnavigation trip to accomplish her dream.
On June 20, they left from Newark airport to Rome. There they toured ancient Rome, the Vatican and many other landmarks around the city. Then they traveled by train to Venice, visiting the sites there, and then were off to Dubai. They went to the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, the gold and spice souks, the beach and the desert before flying to Beijing, where they saw the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Ming tombs and the summer palace. Their trip ended with a plane ride back to Newark, completing their circumnavigation.
For Koontz, she couldn’t choose her favorite experience. She really felt each place was so different and unique the experiences couldn’t be compared.
“Every place was so different, so it’s hard to choose one favorite part of the trip. In Venice, we took a nighttime gondola ride after dinner the first night. It was so dark and peaceful going through all of the little canals at that time. In Dubai, we had a desert excursion where we drove through the dunes, had a traditional Bedouin dinner, rode camels and stargazed,” Koontz said.
“I am so lucky that I got to go on such a great trip with my family.”
Once completing her journey, Koontz, along with her mother, applied to be a part of the Circumnavigators Club. She was accepted and is currently the youngest member.
“It’s exciting being my age and being a part of such an accomplished group, and I know that I have so many amazing experiences ahead of me,” Koontz said.
“It was a wonderful experience for all of us, and I am very proud that Katie had the interest to be a part of this historic club,” Mink said.
Though Koontz was sad her journey ended so quickly, it made her want to travel even more. She hopes to continue to travel and meet new people, especially members of the club. At her college, William and Mary, she hopes to study abroad and major in international relations.
The Circumnavigators Club, headquartered in New York and founded in 1902 before airplanes were invented, is an international organization for people who have made a complete circumnavigation of the world and are of good character. There are about 800 members in chapters around the world.
The club’s mission is to make the world a better place through friendship and understanding. Mink is the first vice president and a member of the Board of Governors.
The club has had many famous members, such as bandleader John Philip Sousa, magician Harry Houdini and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. According to Mink, many people are qualified to join the club, but they just don’t know about it. Mink himself didn’t know about the Circumnavigators Club until 2002 when he read about it in an article from the New York Times.
To become a member, the traveler must have circumnavigated the world, crossing all 28 meridians, be at least 18 years old, have a sponsor and be of good character.
People who are interested in joining can contact their headquarters and they will attempt to find those interested a sponsor. To learn more about the club, go to circumnavigators.org.
