Why do I travel? Why is my goal to visit every country? That’s a big question. But it boils down to three things.
People. Plates. Places.
I can’t tell you why I travel because there is no reason. Maybe that’s the beauty of it.
I travel because there’s something primal about eating when I’m hungry, finding food in an unfamiliar place, and consuming things I’ve never heard of.
Travel reminds me that gestures and smiles are more meaningful than words and that they are a universal language.
I travel because the world is imperfect. It is unfamiliar, shocking, and beautiful. It is humbling to pull myself out of a routine and reframe my conceptions. Just as people love watching babies discover the ordinary for the first time, my adult mind expands when exposed to concepts for the first time.
I travel because it makes the world better.
I don’t travel to be better than you. Sure, I hang my hat on the arbitrary number of countries I’ve visited, but only because I can’t quantify the experiences I’ve had or the people I’ve met.
I don’t travel to chase thrills or be wild. Instead, I do what feels right for me.
I don’t travel to check boxes or spread wealth. The whole world puts one foot in front of the other, every day. There are billions of people to learn from and to teach, to share with and to meet. Regardless, travel is a two-way street.
I’m confident that I will visit every country.
Until recently, I did not know that no woman has ever visited every country (or at least not documented it). Of course, I found out that the record was open after it had closed.
A 23-year-old woman from Connecticut traveled to every country in 3.25 years, and had it all funded by a ‘Peace and Sustainability’ organization. The trip cost over $200k, which was privately and crowd funded.
Let that sink in. Not counting for time spent at home in the US, that’s an average of 6 days in each country.
This is where I have opinions.
And that’s all they are. I’d love to open more of a dialogue about these ideas.
The more you spend, the fewer people you meet and you’ll encounter less culture.
Let’s look at two extremes to illustrate my point:
Situation A: You fly first class and don’t see your plane neighbors ($2200). You take a private car($100) from the airport to your hotel and have an English speaking driver(+10), but you paid for data on your phone and do not engage in conversation anyway. Upon arrival at the international hotel chain($200/night) that you have points at, the concierge, check-in desk, and bellhops all speak English. You get to your room, relax in a private bath, and venture out to a restaurant($60) that the concierge recommends, and finish off the night with a glass of wine from the hotel bar ($15). =$2585
Situation B: Flying coach isn’t anyone’s cup of tea; if you’re lucky, the middle seat is open ($400). After plummeting through the air with 200 of your best stranger friends, you arrive at a crowded airport, make your way to the bus lines, and drop a few coins in the machine for a ticket ($4). 45 minutes later, you’ve seen the ‘real’ parts of the city you arrived in and check into a hostel ($20). The people in the lobby are playing cards and pulling together supplies for supper. You stop by the grocery store down the street to contribute to this version of Stone Soup($5). Go back to the hostel, make dinner, and all share a 6 pack ($5) while telling travel stories and making plans for the next day. =$434
Which Is Better?
Plane ticket, Transport, Lodging, Food, Drink. I’m nobody to say who had a richer experience, but I think that my opinion on which situation encountered more of the local vibe is clear.
A personal point: I traveled to 3 central American countries in March and including plane ticket spent about $1000 in 9 days. I traveled to 5 eastern European countries in November and including plane and car rental spent less than $1300. That’s an average of less than $300 per country including plane tickets.
Is Fast Travel Fair?
While we’re looking at numbers, let’s all remember that I’m imperfect. I’ve spent maybe 8 hours total in Luxembourg.. and I’ve been there twice. I spent about 5 hours in Slovenia.
On the flip side of that coin, I integrated into communities in Brazil, France, and Cyprus for at least 2.5 months each.
I can’t spend the 3-5 months that I’d like to in every country. To be fair, if I did, it’d take me at least 43 years to visit every country in the world… not completely out of the question, but also not likely.
What is the ‘right’ amount of time to spend somewhere? I’ll never see every nook and cranny of Rhode Island, nonetheless large countries like Russia, China, Australia, or the US. How will I immerse myself in the culture everywhere, when so many places have so many cultures?
What is traditional American food?
Someone asked me the last time I traveled what a traditional American food is. Great question. BBQ in the south, lobster in New England, meat and potatoes and corn in the midwest… What is a traditional American pastime? Career path? Manner of Speaking?
Here’s My Piece: Traveling Fast, Traveling Slow
I travel to find common ground. I leave every place wanting more.
If I can find one person that I relate to in a place, I leave it happy. If I can connect with people at work or on a farm in Croatia, I have forged a bond between two cultures.
I travel to create a global network, whether that takes an hour or a year.
Cassandra De Pecol is the first female to visit every country in the world, and the fastest person to visit every country. She is 23 years old.
Am I a little jealous? Maybe. I’ll get there eventually, and I’ll do it on my own terms. She had her goals, and I have mine.
I’m 25, I’ve visited 25 countries and 4 territories (Palestine, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Vatican City, Guadeloupe), and I will visit every country before I turn 50. 25 years to visit 6.84 countries per year.
Update: I’m 28. It’s March 2020 and I’m in Germany for Coronavirus. I’m unable to travel. I’ve visited 51 countries and 45 states. With 22 years to complete my goal, I have 145 countries to go. That’s still about 6.59 countries per year.
My feet will lead me to where my heart is. People. Places. Plates.