Will I be able to visit every country in the world? It’s a question I ask myself more and more as I encounter challenge after challenge but never a question, I get from anyone else.
THERE IS NOW TOO MUCH ON THE LINE NOT TO FINISH
Visiting every country is a huge challenge, but many think it’s just about moving from one country to another. That’s far from the truth. I thought the same…
HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?
Your passport and travel destination determine the challenges you will face. My passport works well until I apply for tricky visas in Africa and the Middle East. Challenges like these, plus logistics, discourage many people and make me wonder if it’s even possible. I’ve heard many firsthand stories about African visas. A friend of mine was refused a visa because the consul decided there was no tourism there. The bureaucracy and lawlessness are insane.
VERY FEW HAVE COMPLETED IT
Only 300 people have accomplished this feat, half the number of those who have traveled to space. Some go at their own pace, taking one country at a time, while others face so many challenges they’re still working on it 40 years later. I’m aiming to do it in 10!
I was surprised to learn how many started this journey but didn’t finish due to logistics, money, or life changes.
BUT WHY AM I DOING IT IF IT’S SO DIFFICULT?
I know I’ve said a lot about it being so difficult so why am I doing it? I’m obsessed, I’m obsessed with everything I set out to do and achieve it at any cost! This means that the terrible food, 24 hour bus journeys, the sh*ts are all part of the experience and without these challenges it just wouldn’t be the same.
For all those things that happen, you get to meet amazing people, see stunning views and most importantly learn a lot about yourself. Not only do you learn a lot about yourself while on the road but it also turns you into a better version of yourself, horrendously cliché! Seeing people less fortune, surviving on less yourself, trying new things and opening your mind can only stand you in good stead.
RELATED READ: A TRIP TO THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
IT DOESN’T GET EASIER
With every country I visit the finish line gets closer and closer, I’m all too aware of that. But as I move further into unchartered territory the journey continues to get more and more difficult as you are met with new challenges you need to overcome.
The key in these challenges are staying safe and taking your time. Making quick and unnecessary decisions can cost you further time and money and if you are visiting every country in the world then that’s something you want to keep an eye on.
FINAL THOUGHTS
So far I’m just over 2/3s through but with most of my works still left in Africa and South Pacific, the real challenges are yet to come. I’ve already had my fair share of headaches, getting held at gunpoint LINK and getting robbed by policemen LINK but because of the unlimited good times and the love for the process I only see one end result. So whether it takes me until 2027 or 2057 I don’t plan on stopping until I’m done.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
To watch videos of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
Question Time
- Do you have any travel ambitions?
- Which countries would you be most concerned with visiting?
Let me know in the comments below . . .
