Vlad Katz is a 28-year-old web developer from San Francisco, USA, who set off on a round-the-world trip in 2004.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2004
- Age at departure: 28
- Nationality: USA
- Location: San Francisco, USA
- Duration: 1-2 years
- Occupation: Web developer
- Original budget: $22,000 (approximately $38,400 in 2026 dollars)
- Regions: Europe, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Asia, South America
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Vlad Katz shared about their RTW journey:
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 loved traveling and and have wanted to take a long trip. I’m very interested in exploring other cultures and seeing how others live. Also, I think that people are very influenced by their environment, and I’m very interested in seeing what I will be like when I’m taken out of my usual environment for a whole year.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
My biggest fear is that I won’t have enough cash to make it for a whole year.
What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
At some point when you’re deciding whether or not to go, you will have a lot of fears, etc trying to keep you at home. Don’t listen to them… just go for it. Years later when you look back, you’ll be so glad that you went out and experienced the world instead of sitting at home.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Life is too short to just sit still in one little corner of the world.
What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
I think the biggest myth is that a RTW is only for people who are incredibly rich, or people who are very irresponsible. In reality, with a decent amount of preperation, most people could take some time out of their career or whatnot and put together a RTW.
Why do you like to travel?
When you live in one place, your world view is very limited and to some degree, you always think that everyone else out in the world live just like you. Traveling is definitely an eye opener for me to get a better understanding of people in general. Also, I love to experience new things and explore.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of $22,000 would equate to approximately $38,400 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 75% inflation over the intervening years.