Jeffrey Ballard is a USA surgical assistant embarking on a round-the-world journey.
The Snapshot
- **Departure:** 2002
- **Duration:** 1-2 years
- **Age:** 40
- **Budget:** $64,200 USD (2026 equivalent)
- **Nationality:** USA
- **Occupation:** Surgical Assistant
The Route
Start from the west coast of the U.S. and just head east. Developing the route at this time. Nothing set in stone. Just moving. Probably China first, then south through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and then wherever.
Regions: Southeast Asia
2026 Note: Travel conditions, visa requirements, and costs have evolved significantly since this profile was originally recorded.
In Their Words
Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip? One more paycheck and I’m gone
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go? I love to travel. I have always wanted to “drop out” and just go some place, or places. A couple of years back I went to South America and just bummed around. This time I want to use the experience to provide some fodder for a book. I don’t think I’m the next Bill Bryson, but maybe somebody will want to read it.
What is your biggest fear about this trip? Not having enough money. And flying. I hate planes.
How do you think your round-the-world trip will change your life? How do you think it will affect and change you as a person? I think that I’ll finally get to relax a bit. I work as a surgical assistant and hate my job. I’m looking to just go places, see things and be swept up in the moment wherever I’m at. I think that this will profoundly affect me and change me. I’m hoping it will make me be able to smile again. I’d like to smile again.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be? Why did I wait so long to do this?
Why do you think people should go on round-the-world trips? Why not just take a regular old one- or two-week vacation instead? To truly get away from the “rat race” and to find something in themselves that is there but that they don’t know exists. To obtain a sense of peace.
2026 Context
- This profile was recorded before departure. Many travelers never return home quite the same.
- This journey is now 24 years in the past. The world has changed significantly.
- Exchange rates and travel costs have shifted considerably since the original planning date.