Jen Hodgins is a 28-year-old project manager from Canada who set off on an open-ended round-the-world trip in 2002.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2002
- Age at departure: 28
- Nationality: Canada
- Duration: Indefinite
- Occupation: Project manager
- Original budget: approximately USD 15,000 (about USD 27,500 in 2026 dollars)
- Regions: Europe, Southeast Asia, Oceania, Middle East
The Route
Ireland, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Turkey, and England.
In Their Words
Here's what Jen Hodgins shared about their RTW journey:
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 threshold your thinking changes. You are no longer locked into thinking your life has to be the way it is… you are more open to the world and opportunities.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of approximately USD 15,000 would equate to approximately USD 27,500 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 84% inflation over the intervening years.