Calli Sims is a 38-year-old web guru from Sydney, Australia, who set off on a round-the-world trip in 2007.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2007
- Age at departure: 38
- Nationality: Australia
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Duration: 1-2 years
- Occupation: Web guru
- Original budget: AUD 50,000 (approximately AUD 85,000 in 2026 dollars)
- Regions: Asia, South Asia, Middle East, Europe, Africa
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Calli Sims shared about their RTW journey:
Is this job one that you actually like, or are you only doing it to pay for the trip?
It’s my career
Have you traveled around the world before?
No
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
Desperately needed sabbatical.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
Nothing
Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?
Don’t care what they think.
How much planning and preparing have you done?
Winged it a lot
What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Just absolute basics. Indispensable is the camera.
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?
I think it will make me braver, more inquisitive and adventurous.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
It must be done.
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?
It’s a commitment to an experience. It’s being outside one’s comfort zone. It’s about discovery and living life. A one or two week vacation is easy and predictable and it serves a different purpose.
What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
Not sure.
Why do you like to travel?
Sense of adventure, discovery of new things, beauty of the world, reason to live.
What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Have fun!
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of AUD 50,000 would equate to approximately AUD 85,000 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 70% inflation over the intervening years.