One of my life goals is to visit every country in the world. Depending on the list I’m using, I’ve been to around 60 (using the U.N. list) or 100 (using the Travelers’ Century Club list, which includes countries and territories). I slacked a bit in my 20s, 30s and 40s. And now that I have two young kids, I’m traveling less, so I’m not going to reach my goal at least until they’re older and they can travel with me. Plus, there are some countries that to me are just not worth the risk that comes with visiting.
In short, there’s a good chance that I may not complete this life goal and visit every country in the world, but I do admire those that have done it. According to Insider.com, Melissa Roy, aka Mapped by Melissa (mappedbymelissa), just became the first South Asian woman to do it. On December 26, 2019, she visited Bangladesh, the last of the 193 U.N. member countries. “Roy,” says the article, “set out to visit 100 countries and all seven continents before she turned 30, a feat she achieved by celebrating her 30th birthday in Antarctica. Four years later, she is now the first South Asian woman to visit every country in the world, ending in Bangladesh the day after Christmas. Even more impressively, the 34-year-old world traveler financed everything herself — a rarity in an age of sponsored Instagram travel influencers and branded #wanderlust.”
Congrats, Melissa!
More travelers like Melissa Roy that have visited every country in the world
We’ve interviewed several of the hundred-and-something people that have achieved the feat as part of our Travel Style series. We’re going to have to get Melissa Roy to do it, but for now we’ll settle for featuring her Instagram. Here are some of those Travel Styles:
