Experience: I’ve been to every country in the world

I’ve always been adventurous. That’s why, in 2013, I set myself a goal to travel to every country in the world. I grew up in Louisiana, and my family went on road trips across the US. When I was 13, I visited relatives in Texas and we went to a town in Mexico. It was so different from what I’d known.

When I was a student, I didn’t travel a lot. But in my late 20s, I started working in revenue and merchandise for American Airlines and could get free flights if there were empty seats. Once, there were flights from Dallas to Caracas in Venezuela, so I went by myself to go scuba diving on some remote islands.

My first big trips were to Vietnam and India. I remember arriving in Hanoi and seeing all the motorbikes whizzing by. I had a bucket list of places to visit, including Easter Island and the Great Wall of China. Seeing things built by ancient civilisations reminds you how small you are in the world.

After 12 years at the airline, I joined a technology company, and travelled a lot for the job. In 2012, I counted the number of countries I’d been to. I’d clocked up about 90, so I decided to try to hit 100 – which I did the next year. At that point, I made it my goal to go to all of the 193 UN member states.

There have been many highlights. In 2017, I did an Everest base camp trail and a helicopter tour, so I got to see the peak. It made me tear up. In Svalbard, a group of islands off Norway, I saw a total solar eclipse, which was surreal: everything goes dark. I met a matriarchal tribe in the Bijagós Islands in Guinea-Bissau. The women were really outgoing and the men reserved.

At times, I worried I wouldn’t be able to get to every country. Entering North Korea – it is possible to go if you’re on a guided tour – my friend and I had a problem. You’re not allowed to take in any movies that feature the country. I got through security, but my friend had the movie Salt on his laptop – and Angelina Jolie plays a spy imprisoned in North Korea. He was detained. After a few hours, they let him go, but kept his laptop. We were on edge that whole trip. I’ve had to negotiate geopolitics: I managed to go to Syria in 2019, during the small window when Americans could get visas.

People have often told me that solo travel can be dangerous for women, but I’ve mostly felt safe. There have been a few times when I’ve felt uncomfortable, but I’ve learned to be aware of my surroundings and plan transport in advance.

In the US, we don’t get much time off work, but I used all of mine to travel. Being able to go abroad on business helped, too. I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to do this – maybe $500,000 (£385,000) or more. Since I started my journey, there’s been a lot more awareness of the environmental impact of travel. It helped that many of my journeys used empty seats on planes, or were for business. Now I don’t work full-time, I prefer slow travel and take fewer flights.

In June 2019, I quit my job to take a year-long sabbatical to travel. In March 2020, the pandemic meant I had to go home, which was then Texas. I had only four countries left to visit: Cape Verde, Nigeria, Namibia and Mozambique.

Eventually, places started opening up again. Namibia was first – I spent two weeks there. It’s a magical place: I went to the giant sand dunes and watched cheetahs up close at Etosha national park. In December 2020, I visited Mozambique, the last country on my list. There, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It was the culmination of more than 20 years of travel. I was on my own, but I FaceTimed my friend and celebrated with a glass of wine.

This experience has taught me there’s a lot I don’t know about the world. I’ve learned that even though we all have different cultures, religions and lifestyles, people want the same things: home, family, love and security. I’ve also learned that you don’t need as much as you think to be happy. In 2022, I moved from the US to Lisbon, where people are less focused on consumption.

Visiting every country in the world has made me more comfortable with being uncomfortable, whether that’s travelling, personal challenges, or moving to a new country. I still love being adventurous – and I’ve learned I can push myself more than I think.

As told to Isabelle Aron

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