A young woman hopes to become the fastest female to travel to all 196 countries - and she's just 27-years-old.
Cassie De Pecol is nearing the end of her epic mission to visit all 193 sovereign nations plus Taiwan, Kosovo and Palestine.
The intrepid traveller from Washington, Connecticut, USA, only began her journey in July of 2015.
On her 25th birthday Cassie started to plan for the trip of a lifetime, 'Expedition 196'.
So far she has ticked off 180 countries, taken over 254 flights and has roughly 26 flights left to go.
The young adventurer's trip has cost $198,000 (£240,000), and she now has 45 days left to visit the final 16 destinations on her list.
Acting as a Peace Ambassador for International Institute of Peace Through Tourism and Skal International, part of Cassie's work involves meeting with university tourism students to discuss responsible tourism and economics.
In addition, Cassie is working with Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation to collect water samples to test for the presence of micro plastics.
Cassie said: "Since school, I've had this desire to visit every country in the world, intrigued to learn more about every culture, natural habitat, and religion.
"In America we are lucky to have such a vast melting pot of cultures and people from all over the world who make the country what it is today.
"I wanted to learn about where these people came from, more specifically, where I came from, with my ancestors originating from Europe.
"I wondered what existed outside of North America and what it was like.
"Is the Middle East really like how they say it is on the news? What about the Amazon?
"Going to every country was for me a personal quest to learn as much as I could about our world, stepping outside my comfort zone and becoming comfortable in the unknown, while also aiming to leave a legacy behind."
After 15 months on the road, Cassie has had both highs and lows and believes that travelling as a solo woman has shaped some of her experiences.
She said: "On average, I spend two to five days in each country.
"It's been amazing meeting with the students and dignitaries, also travelling to off the beaten path locations on my own, places that no one else I know has experienced. I also love long bus rides.
"Lows are flying, being in airports, and not being in a safe enough environment to go for a run.
"I've been harassed and in sticky situations, whereas a man in the same situation likely wouldn't have experienced the same.
"Some like to be believe that they can take advantage of me because I'm a woman, thinking I'm more gullible to cough up more money or talk to them more because they want me to, but I don't tolerate any inequality anymore.
"If I feel that I'm being harassed or taken advantage of, I say how I feel, then I'm out."
The incredible trip was made possible through sponsors such as AIG, Artisan Bags, Dogeared, Eagle Creek, Clif Bar, Travisa, SPOT Globastar, Westcomb and Eagle Creek, and investors, who have also contributed to the making of the educational documentary which Cassie has filmed along the way.
She also promotes sustainable, luxury hotels on her Instagram , such as Six Senses, Soneva and Secret Bay, to more than 12,000 followers, in exchange for accommodation.
Cassie added: "All sponsors and funding is obtained by me while I'm on the road, which is not an easy task.
"If I'm not meeting with the Ministry, giving keynote sessions to university students, collecting samples, obtaining visas, or doing promotion, I travel around the country on my own, but not for long.
"I try to spend the most time in countries where I'm able to promote my Mission to make a difference.
She added: "Though I haven't yet become the first documented woman to travel to every country in the world, I imagine that the feeling of accomplishment and awe will be overwhelming.
"I just hope that I'm able to inspire young women (and men!) around the world to go after goals and feats that so far, people think can only be done by man."
Places visited so far:
Palau
Australia
New Zealand
Samoa
Tonga
Fiji
Vanuatu
Solomon Islands
Papua New Guinea
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
Turkey
Cyprus
Afghanistan
Iran
Saudi Arabia
Oman
Japan
Kuwait
Bahrain
Russia
Azerbaijan
Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Azerbaijan
Armenia
Georgia
Lebanon
Jordan
Portugal
Spain
Andorra
Switzerland
Italy
Germany
France
Belgium
Luxembourg
Austria
Croatia
Denmark
Liechtenstein
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Kosovo
Montenegro
Albania
Macedonia
Netherlands
Greece
Bulgaria
Romania
Hungary
San Marino
Vatican City
Moldova
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Czech Republic
Poland
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Finland
Malta
Monaco
Sweden
Norway
United Kingdom (London)
Iceland
Belarus
Ireland
United States
Mexico
Belize
Guatemala
El Salvador
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Trinidad & Tobago
Grenada
Barbados
Bahamas
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
St. Lucia
Dominica
Antigua & Barbuda
St. Kitts and Nevis
Jamaica
Canada
Tunisia
Ethiopia
Kenya
Morocco
Egypt
Dominican
Republic
Haiti
Cuba
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Nauru
Federated States of Micronesia
Tuvalu
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Cambodia
China
East Timor
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Laos
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
North Korea
Pakistan
Phillipines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Syria
Thailand
Turkmenistan
Vietnam
Yemen
Taiwan
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Ivory Coast
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Republic of the Congo
Rwanda
Sao Tom and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Israel
Palestine
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét