Janelle Dianne Tilden – Round-the-World Traveler

Janelle Dianne Tilden is a 53-year-old science communicator from Brisbane, Australia, who set off on a round-the-world trip in 2007.

Want to go to conference in Italy, visit friend in USA and return to the Indian Himalaya (where I’ve been twice before). My job finishes just before I leave. It will probably be my last chance to do a trip of this kind.

The Snapshot

• Departure: 2007
• Age at departure: 53
• Nationality: Australia
• Location: Brisbane, Australia
• Duration: 3-6 months
• Occupation: Science communicator
• Original budget: USD 10,000 (approximately USD 15,900 in 2026 dollars)
• Regions: North America, South Asia, Europe

The Route

From Brisbane to New York and around the USA, then New Delhi and the Indian Himalayas (Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh), on to London and around Europe — Greece, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia — finishing at a conference in Italy before returning home to Brisbane.

In Their Words

Here's what Janelle Dianne Tilden shared about their RTW journey:

What is your biggest fear about this trip?

I can’t think of any fears. Maybe that my health won’t stand up to it. It’s a long time for an old bag like me to be travelling around. The longest I’ve been overseas before is 5 weeks, trekking in Kashmir and Ladakh in 1984.

Are your family, friends, co-workers, etc., supportive of you? What is their opinion of your going around the world?

They are very supportive.

2026 Context

• Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of USD 10,000 would equate to approximately USD 15,900 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 59% inflation over the intervening years.