Jim Karakatsanis is a 42-year-old businessman from Australia who set off on a round-the-world trip in 2007.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2007
- Age at departure: 42
- Nationality: Australia
- Location: Australia
- Duration: 6-12 months
- Occupation: Business
- Original budget: $20,000 plus about $300 a week from home as needed
- Regions: South America, Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Jim Karakatsanis shared about their RTW journey:
Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
It’s my career.
Have you traveled around the world before?
Yes.
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
There comes a point in your life where you need to take some time out, and nothing appeals to me more than leaving all my acquired material assets behind. Taking only my backpack, and just going… no responsibilities, no commitments, just me and the world…ahhhhh.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
Diseases, malaria, hep, etc.
Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Yes and no. Some can’t understand why I would leave a comfortable lifestyle; others are envious and wish they could join me.
How much planning and preparing have you done?
Planning is for tourists.
What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Only what fits in my backpack, no luxuries.
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 be a big part of my personal development. Sometimes we are too busy making money that we let life slip by.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
The thought of just me, my backpack and the world excites me.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's $20,000 starting budget from 2007 would equate to roughly $30,000 in 2026 purchasing power (about 50% cumulative inflation), plus the ongoing $300-a-week income he planned to draw from home.