Marie Javins – Around-the-World Traveler

Marie Javins is a 35-year-old comic book colorist and editor who considers New York home and took an overland round-the-world trip in 2001, travelling almost entirely without airplanes.

I’ve been excited about travel since I was 17 and went on an exchange program to Finland. But what really changed everything was when I saw an ad for a $650 trip down the Amazon. It was only a week long, and was in ’91, but it opened up a whole new world as I was presented with options I’d previously thought of only as remote daydreams.

The Snapshot

• Departure: 2001
• Age at departure: 35
• Nationality: USA
• Location: New York, USA (still on the road in Australia at the time)
• Duration: About 1 year (January - December 2001)
• Occupation: Comic book colorist and editor
• Original budget: USD 32,000 (approximately USD 59,600 in 2026 dollars)
• Regions: Southeast Asia, Asia, Central Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East

The Route

Went mostly without airplanes. Crossed the USA by Amtrak, the Pacific by freighter, crossed Indonesia by ferry and minivan, to Singapore by ferry, through Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia by local transport, Vietnam south to north by train, then around China by local transport. Across Mongolia and Russia by Trans-Siberian, train loop through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Moscow to St. Petersburg by train, bus through the Baltics to Poland to Germany, cargo ship to Cape Town, bus and local minivans through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, canoeing in Zimbabwe, train to Tanzania, safari through Tanzania, local transport to Uganda and Kenya, overland truck through Ethiopia, local truck through Sudan, train through Egypt, bus to Israel, cargo ship to Italy. Trains through Italy, Switzerland, France, ferry to UK. Cruise ship to Florida, Amtrak and bus to New York.

In Their Words

Here's what Marie Javins shared about their RTW journey:

What is your advice for other travelers?

Be sure to build flexibility into your schedule. Leave time for cancelled trains, and don’t cut anything too close.

What is the biggest myth people have about round-the-world travel?

It’s a vacation. It isn’t. It’s hard work.

2026 Context

• Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of USD 32,000 would equate to approximately USD 59,600 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 86% inflation over the intervening years.