Let me tell you about my incredible journey of visiting every country in the world. It was a massive undertaking that took a lot of time, effort, and money. There are 197 countries, and getting to each one was no small feat. While I love traveling overland, sometimes flying was the only practical option, especially when I wanted to see the best of what a country had to offer.
I started my journey in 2006, and it involved a lot of overlanding. I traveled from China to Ireland, Cape Town to Cairo, China to East Timor, Cameroon to Morocco, the USA to Panama, and Colombia to Antarctica. Overlanding is a fantastic way to travel, but it’s not always possible. For instance, I couldn’t miss out on the Galapagos islands or Easter Island, and I didn’t want to spend half a year figuring out how to travel through the 13 Caribbean countries without flying.
Flying also allowed me to maintain my personal life and business. I could visit my family during Christmas, attend reunions with friends in Thailand, Australia, the UK, and Ireland, and speak at conferences.
My journey involved a lot of flights and some crazy experiences. I’ve been the only passenger on a flight twice, met Mick Jagger in Barbados, and had flights canceled and delayed more times than I can count. I’ve slept in airports, flown economy, first-class, and everything in between.
When I started my journey, I was broke and teaching English in Thailand and South Korea. I was living off $10 a day. But then I learned how to start a blog and began earning a healthy travel blogger salary. From 2012, my life changed, and I could afford to travel more frequently.
Here’s a breakdown of my flights to every country in the world:
- 2006-2012: 58 flights
- 2012- March 2017: 261 flights
In total, I took 303 flights from 2006 to 2017. Not all of these were necessary for my journey to every country. Some were for personal reasons, like taking my wife and mom to places, and building clinics and playgrounds with my non-profit charity.
After completing my journey, I went through a slump and even felt depressed. It took me six months to recover. But now, I’m set on being the first person in history to climb the seven summits, reach the north and south poles, and visit every country.
Remember, always have travel insurance when you travel! I use HeyMondo, which is super cheap and covers almost everywhere. If you’re interested in starting a blog, I can help you with that too. Just email me at [email protected].
If you work remotely or are a digital nomad, you need insurance too. I use SafetyWing for my digital nomad insurance. It’s just $10 a week and covers me while I live overseas.
So, if you’re ready to change your life, travel the world, get paid to travel, create a positive influence on others, and be free of offices and ‘real world’ rubbish, let’s get started!
