Joshua Saul is a 23-year-old student from the USA who set off on a round-the-world trip in 2004.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2004
- Age at departure: 23
- Nationality: USA
- Location: USA
- Duration: 6-12 months
- Occupation: Student
- Original budget: Not specified
- Regions: Oceania, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, Middle East
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Joshua Saul 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?
I’ve always liked to travel and be adventurous. Lately I’ve been getting into a hellishly boring routine. Plus I recently just graduated from college and want to travel for 6 months to a year before grad school.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
I’m really just afraid of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and this is something you can’t always help. I just want to feel safe even if I don’t always know where I am or where I’m going. I think I let all the horror stories get to my head even though they are fairly rare.
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?
No clue. The possibilities are endless.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
For now… broke is the joke I don’t think is funny… I need a better job.
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?
One or two weeks only gives you a taste. Who goes to eat a meal and only takes one bite?
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler did not specify a budget; an early-2000s round-the-world trip would cost substantially more in 2026, reflecting roughly 74% cumulative inflation since 2004.