Meet the man who has visited every country on Earth

Would you like to visit every country?

Why would it hard to visit every country?

He is only 27 years old and he is one of the youngest people to have done this.  It all started with him wanting to catch up with old school friends from the United World College boarding school. In this school there were students from over 100 countries.

He started travelling between 2009 and 2015 when he was visiting around 15 to 20 countries each year while studying or working full time. In 2016 he had already been to 115 countries. So he left his job as an Investment Analyst in Abu Dhabi in 2016 and decided to finish his travels.

He was always eager to see the diversity in societies around the world. So instead of researching only one place, he would visit its neighbours as well to understand how each was unique.

“I tried to enter Ivory Coast by two different land borders

… but each was closed; the third time I was lucky. My Libyan visa was delayed three weeks, but it finally came and I was happy. I was supposed to be in South Sudan on the day they became the world’s newest country in 2011, but the border closed – that is my biggest travel regret – luckily I was able to visit last August.

In August and September I visited the “danger zones”

… of Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan. I was lucky that in each one I was hosted by family of friends I have known for years.”

These are all places that are perceived so negatively. The are known almost exclusively for their conflicts. However, within each of these countries life continues as, of course, it must! People still smile, love, and are human. From smoking hookah and watching football matches in Libya, to attending weddings in Syria, and paddling in swan boats in Afghanistan, I experienced such wonderful things in each of these countries.

Iraq was the 144th country he visited 

In these countries he tried strange foods. In one country he ate a bat.

He said Kenya was an interesting place. They have an ideology called “Tuko pamoja” which means “we are together.” This means that the whole village or group feel the same emotional pain as the one person.

“I’ve learned that there is beauty and positivity everywhere in the world

… and that usually that beauty is within people. I am yet to meet a person that I am unable to connect with and feel similar to. From my guide in North Korea, the chief in southern Venezuela, my motorbike driver in Guinea, the refugees in Iraq and Nauru, sheikhs in Abu Dhabi, political protestors in Timor, Mexican Christians speaking in tongues, Brazilian cross dressers, and playful kids in Tuvalu. When I look at a map I see faces.”

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=2, B=1, C=8, D=7,E=5, F=3, G=6, H=4

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

to catch up with

1. I am eager to see that new K Pop band.

2. New York is famous for its diversity of different types of people.

3. Ginko trees are unique to Korea.

4. Vietnam is perceived as a hot country. But did you know there are cold places.

5. You need a membership to enter this club. This club is exclusively for members only.

6. Let’s talk. We need to reduce the conflicts between the students.

7. The biggest ideology in the USA is personal freedom.

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1. If you have friends living in other countries how eager would you be to catch up with them?

2. Would you like to travel and experience the diversity of the world? Why or why not?

3. What is unique about some countries that you know?

4. How much do you think your perceptions of some countries might change if you could visit there?

5. Do you think travelling the world is something exclusively for rich people? How could you see many countries?

6. Do you think if we could all travel the world it would reduce conflicts? Why?

7. What is your ideology of world travel?