Sarah Jane Armitage is a 23-year-old massage therapist from Leeds, England, who set off on a round-the-world trip in 2007.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2007
- Age at departure: 23
- Nationality: England
- Location: Leeds, England
- Duration: 1-2 years
- Occupation: Massage therapist
- Original budget: $1,600 (approximately $2,500 in 2026 dollars)
- Regions: North America, South America, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Asia, Europe
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Sarah Jane Armitage 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?
Have worked in Turkey, Greece and Thailand before and owned a restaurant in India (south Goa) for a year with my partner, but have always wanted to do an RTW trip to see more of what’s out there. There are quite a few places I have always been interested in.
What is your biggest fear about this trip?
That my funds will run out and I will have to miss out on things.
What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Have fun planning it – it makes the trip so much more exciting then the whole experience lasts for longer. Also avoid monkeys. They are not cute, they are just evil balls of fur and in no way resemble King Louie from The Jungle Book as I first thought.
If you had to sum up your thoughts/feelings about your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
On the road again, just can’t wait to be back on the road again…
What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That they will ‘find’ themselves.
Why do you like to travel?
All the usual reasons, but also there’s a little bit of me that loves it and I don’t know why. It’s all I have ever been interested in – maybe because I am looking for somewhere that I love to stay.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of $1,600 would equate to approximately $2,500 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 56% inflation over the intervening years.