Jen Hodgins is a Canada project manager embarking on a round-the-world journey.
The Snapshot
- **Departure:** 2002
- **Duration:** indefinite
- **Age:** 28
- **Budget:** $27,500 USD (2026 equivalent)
- **Nationality:** Canada
- **Occupation:** Project Manager
The Route
Ireland, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Turkey, England
Regions: Europe, Southeast Asia, Oceania
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? When I returned from my last trip, I knew I needed to leave again. It was just something I knew I needed to do… more than once.
What is your biggest fear about this trip? Being robbed or attacked. Never happened, people just tell you the bad stories and make you paranoid.
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? It will make me less dependant upon material things, and help me decide what I want to do when I grow up… if I ever do.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be? Best decision I could ever make.
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? Once you pass the 3-4 week threshhold your thinking changes. You are no longer locked into thinking you life has to be the way it is… you are more open to the world and opportunities.
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.