- It took me about 10 years to travel to every country in the world on an unbroken journey without flying.
- The expedition required sponsorship, fundraisers, and two loans to be financially possible.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 44-year-old Denmark native Torbjørn "Thor" Pedersen. It has been edited for length and clarity. Although world travel isn't well-documented, record-keeper Harry Mitsidis told Condé Nast Traveler that about 199 people had traveled to every country; claims appear to be based on the honor system, the magazine reported. Pedersen spoke to Insider while he was still on his journey. He finally returned home to Denmark on July 26.
I've worked on shipping logistics in a number of different places around the world, so I've always had this interest in cultures.
In January 2013, my dad sent me the link to an article about world travelers, and this was the first time it dawned on me that you could go to every country in the world.
At 34 years old, I'd been to 50 countries. That had cost a ton of money, so I figured you had to be a millionaire, or spend your entire life traveling, to be able to go to every single country. Back then, only about 200 people had achieved this, but no one had done it completely without flying. That struck a chord with me.
@onceuponasaga We reached the final country in a tunnel of countries. The Saga is now SUCCESSFUL. Look forward to the documentary in 2024. #Maldives #accomplishment #everycountrywithoutflying #done #lastcountryintheworld
♬ original sound - Thor @onceuponasaga
These days, it feels like everything has been done — and there's nothing left for the rest of us. I started toying around with the idea, and I thought I'd spend one week in each country for a total of four years of traveling.
It became an idea I couldn't shake off, so I found sponsorships, set a date, and came up with a project name. I left Denmark thinking I would be back after four years.
This has, for the most part, been somewhat of a nightmare. I've been wanting to go home since 2015.
The budget was about $20 per day
I'm a business-oriented guy, and I didn't want to do this if I was going to have to pay for it. I needed to work out something financially.
The project budget has been 20 US dollars per day. Over the course of the 3,576-day project it amounts to about $71,520.
It has covered transportation, accommodations, meals, and visas, and it's been sponsored by Ross Energy — a Denmark-based geo-thermal energy company. The budget didn't include additional costs of medical checkups, new passports, a new laptop, and repairing or replacing items, which would've made the project cost twice as much.
This has by no means been a holiday. This has been a hardcore logistics, hardcore bureaucracy. Pretty much from the get-go, I've been behind the timeline. I've been pushing, and saying, "I have to get this done. I have to get paperwork. I have to go, go, go, go."
Although I'm not limited to only spending $20 — as visas can cost $150 — I'm constantly looking for the cheapest options for travel and accommodations. If there's a VIP bus with windows, air conditioning, WiFi, and hardly any stops between A and B, then it's too expensive.
I've primarily stayed in hostels with other roommates, used couch-surfing apps, and eaten street food for the same reason.
I traveled across the North Atlantic on several different types of ships — fishing boats, shipping containers, and whatnot. I've been on 40 container ships, and I've built relationships with these companies. I would tell them, "This is a historical project. You are taking part in history. If you help me board your ship, you are a part of something bigger."
Sometimes that worked. Other times, they didn't care, and I relied on ferry boats, banana boats, sailboats, and cruise ships.
I traveled for a year and-a-half or so, then I lost my income for the project. So, I depleted what I had in my own bank account, which wasn't a part of the plan.
I sold a tiny old sail boat I had, I took out a loan, and a second loan. Then, I asked the few followers I had and said, "I'm running out of money here. If you like what I'm doing and you want to pay, here's an option."
The crowdfunding coupled with money I earned from speaking engagements and writing articles was enough support until Ross Energy resumed my sponsorship with 75% of the budget.
Then, in 2020, I got stuck in Hong Kong due to the pandemic. After 11 months, immigration forced me to take a job, so I got one servicing container ships that paid a little, but gave me a free place to stay.
This probably won't happen ever again
Two years in, I didn't feel that there was any real respect for what I was doing. I think most people just saw it as a really long holiday on my part, but I was working my ass off.
There was really no reason for me to continue. At the time, I was recovering from cerebral malaria, I'd lost financial sponsorship, and my long-distance relationship to the woman who's my wife today wasn't doing well.
It went from being 99% adventure and 1% work, to being 99% work and 1% meeting people, adventure, and the good stuff.
I was in physical and mental pain. There was a lot of hardship. I just didn't want to give up on the title. I could be the first in history to do something. I figured if I just push harder, I will eventually get through to a point where it gets a little bit easier, and it will get better and every step will be a step closer to the goal.
I wanted people to see parts of the world and see what was going on, and just kind of see the world in a different light — not a negative one. I'm a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross. I've met with the Red Cross in 199 countries around the world.
Within a decade or so it'll be 1,000 people who have been to every country. It gets easier as long as you have all forms of transportation open to you. If you limit yourself so that you cannot fly — especially if you can't go home in between — it's highly unlikely this will ever happen again.
I hope there's still time for more
Over the last 10 years, my wife has come out to see me in various places around the world about 27 times. My family has come to see me, and I've met tens of thousands of people along the way. I've lived with strangers in exchange for culture and companionship, and I became a brand ambassador for sports equipment company Salomon.
I'm working with some filmmakers on a documentary set to come out in 2024, and I'm working on a book that I hope will be ready in the same year. I want to see if I still have a chance to start a family with my wife or if it's too late.
I've been gone for nearly a decade, so I'm going to have a hard time returning home. Some days are going to be better than others, but I'm now among the most traveled people in the world.