Circumnavigate

A sailor sets out from Spain, heading west across the Atlantic. She passes through the Panama Canal, crosses the Pacific, rounds the southern tip of Africa, and finally returns to her starting harbor after two years. She has traveled in a full loop around the entire Earth. What has the sailor done? She has circumnavigated the globe.

Wander (to move without a fixed course or destination) contrasts with circumnavigate, which means to travel all the way around something, especially the Earth. Circumnavigate implies a complete, planned loop and return to the starting point, while wander suggests aimless, unfocused movement.