Kinga and Chopin are a Polish couple - an English teacher and an electrician from Gdansk - who spent five years traveling around the world, from October 1998 to September 2003.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 1998
- Age at departure: 25-30
- Nationality: Poland
- Location: Gdansk, Poland
- Duration: 5 years (October 1998 - September 2003)
- Occupation: English teacher (Kinga), electrician (Chopin)
- Original budget: About US$5 a day, excluding airfare
- Regions: North America, South America, Oceania, Asia
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Kinga & Chopin shared about their RTW journey:
How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
We’re not really thinking in terms of making a career – although, yes it did influence something – I (Kinga) have written a book about our journey which is just being published now. How this will influence any future career – we’ll see. Or maybe there will be no career any time soon, as I’m heading to Africa in the nearest future…
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
We just wanted to see the world.
What was the best moment of your trip?
There wasn’t just one – there were many highlights – hitching a ride with an airplane in Alaska, with a hang glider in Rio de Janeiro or a yacht to Vanuatu – these are just a few.
What was the worst moment?
When we got a ride with a Russian cargo ship from Japan to the island of Sahalin, and when they turned us back for not having a “voucher”.
What was your biggest hurdle, obstacle, or difficulty?
Dealing with bureaucracy – just like in the example above.
What was your biggest surprise?
To find out how small, and at the same time how big our world is.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This couple traveled on about US$5 a day (excluding airfare), which would equate to roughly US$10 a day in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 95% cumulative inflation over the intervening years.