Tal Gutstadt completed an around-the-world journey starting in 2002. Their experiences across multiple continents reshaped how they see the world and travel.
Snapshot
- Departure: 2002
- Age: 30
- Location: Torontor, Canada
- Occupation: Before your trip:Lawyer
The Route
visited?Western U.S. – Tahiti – New Zealand – Australia – Thailand – Hong
Kong – Thailand – Cambodia – Vietnam – Thailand – Nepal – Israel – Spain.
In Their Words
Why did you decide to take this trip? What
got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?I was fascinated and influenced by friends’ stories of long-term travel.
The decision to switch careers and relocate from Manhattan to Toronto
gave me the opportunity to take a time out and go.
What is your advice for people planning
their own RTW trip?Take lots of money, get your shots, don’t worry about anything else, it’s
easy…
What is the biggest myth that people have
about round-the-world traveling?That it’s hard.
How did your round-the-world trip change
your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?Too soon to tell…it definitely gave me the bug to go out traveling
again. It also gave me some perspective on how most of the world lives,
and with that, the confidence to pursue a more fulfilling career than my
previous one.
If you had to sum up your round-the-world
trip in one sentence, what would it be?Living a dream.
2026 Context
- European travel has become significantly more expensive, with accommodation and transport costs rising across the continent.
- Open borders within the Schengen area remain consistent, but Brexit has added complexity for UK travelers.
- Southeast Asia backpacker infrastructure has grown significantly, with better accommodation standards and higher prices than in the early 2000s.