Counting Countries | Travel The Entire World

Hey now!  Welcome to the third season of ETF news and updates. The destination for ETF III will be back to Bangkok, Thailand! The dates will be October 22-25, 2026. Join today to lock in great prices with these discount codes. ETF3 - $140 DISCOUNT – EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 24 ALUMNI - if you are an alumni of ETF I or II please contact me for a bigger discount - expires September 24 as well Tickets are non-refundable, but you may sell your ticket.  It will be your responsibility to find the buyer. For more details.  www.extraordinarytravelfest.com

Thor Pedersen has been to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Thor returns for the 4th time to Counting Countries in addition to 7 other episodes for patrons.  During this conversation, we speak about his newly published book, The Impossible Journey ().  Despite knowing his journey well, this book shares more stories and additional context to his quest.  We also overview what he has been doing over the last 2 years since his return from his nearly 10 year journey.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu and Ryan Knott for supporting this podcast.  You can supp

Zsuzsanna Berencsi has been to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Zsu Berencsi shares with us her awesome travel adventures to every country in the world with a big celebration this past December in her last country, Jamaica.  I have met Zsu twice before at both ETFs and she promises a third.  I got it on tape.  I also reconnected with Zsu at April Peregrino’s 193 party in Bratislava where Zsu arranged a special field trip.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, and Dana Mahoutchian for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content

Michael Zervos has been to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. This is a bonus episode with Michael Zervos.  I interviewed Michael back in December of 2023, before he had started his quest.  His quest?  To travel to every country in the world in the quickest possible time.  We have heard this before … someone who wants to break the GWR.  And many in the community would ask what is the point?  This is not a race.  What will the traveler gain from spending just a day or two in each country?   And once the record is broken, it will be broken again.  First it was Cassie de Pecol, and then Taylor Demonbreun, who currently holds the GWR for quickest at 554 days to every country in the world.  The current male GWR holder is Robson Jesus at 772 days.  On a random note, I met Robson in Phuket, his second country on his quest.  Former guest, Indy Nelson claimed 539 days to every country.  Anderson Dias traveled 543 days to every country in the world, also claiming a record, both unverifi

Jenna Pava has been to 181 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I had the pleasure of meeting Jenna Pava at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok, only to discover that we were also  (distant) neighbors in the city. This conversation offered another fantastic opportunity to dive into the story of a truly compelling traveler in our community. Jenna’s early life was marked by a tug-of-war between her birthplace in Russia and her new home in the United States, shaping a deep sense of resilience from a young age. Remarkably, her travel journey took two major turns for the better—both triggered by moments of disappointment when friends let her down. In this episode, we explore the transformative power of those experiences and much more as Jenna makes her way toward visiting all 193 countries.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phu

We Married Adventure have been to 149 & 148 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I met Angela and Michael Ballard, the couple behind We Married Adventure, who I met at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok.  Angela and Michael at times pushed and pulled between a 9-5 lifestyle and travel.  A wedding vow, an insane travel sabbatical and a retirement from work propelled them fully into the world of extreme travel.  I am fortunate to have these amazing conversations to learn about my guest’s amazing and unique lives.  Angela and Michael did not disappoint.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sam

Sam Goodwin has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  This conversation was a long time in the making.  In fact, this interview was originally scheduled in 2020.  But as we say, better late than never.  Sam Goodwin back in the day was just one of us … Chasing 193.  But his life was changed forever during his visit to country 181, Syria.  As 193ers, we are constantly pushing the envelope.  What we consider standard or normal travel is to others somewhere between poorly conceived to outright insanity.  Soon after entering Syria, Sam was imprisoned by the Assad government and spent over 60 days in prison.  This is the real deal, the stuff of nightmares.  This is an incredibly, compelling conversation, and a reminder of the risks we take in the community.     I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Sime

Hey now, this is your host, Ric Gazarian.  And today, we have a special episode.  The mission of this podcast is to speak to travelers who have been to every country in the world or who are in the process of completing that goal.  And, this is an amazing community of individuals which I am fortunate to get to speak with. This episode is a bit different since Vance is not Chasing 193, but he is very well traveled.  He comes more from the 2nd passport / permanent residency world, which overlaps here and there with some members of the 193 community. Vance has been a virtual friend of mine for several years.  I have been hosted twice by Vance on his podcast, My Latin Life.  You can check out on your favorite podcast player in February.   I wanted to use this opportunity to learn more about Vance and his world. I was in Boston for this conversation while Vance was in Portugal.  Please listen in and enjoy.

Sandy Cohen has traveled to 102 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  We are back with a new guest, Sandy Cohen.  I have known Sandy for years on social media, and I was fortunate to meet her at both Extraordinary Travel Festivals.  But, this conversation was my opportunity to learn more about Sandy, her life and travels, and I found it to be a fascinating conversation.  Sandy shared tales of her life, from being a chocolatier to hosting a top travel TV show for over a decade to running drugs in Guinea-Bissau.  Well, not exactly.      I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa “fully nomadic” Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sam Williams, and Scott Day for support

Pav Mbeda has traveled to 106 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  We are back with the second episode of 2025.  I hope your travels are off to a good start.  Today, I am happy to share this conversation with Pav Mbeda.  Pav was one of the 250 participants of the sold out Extraordinary Travel Festival.  I reach out to all ticket buyers and was happy to note that Pav was from Kenya.  Whether it is ETF or this podcast, it is great to hear different perspectives and life experiences.  And speaking with Pav, I am reminded how different my upbringing was compared to someone like Pav’s.  Pav shares her travel stories … everything from traveling in Kenya as a kid, to work trips throughout Africa, pursuing a masters in Europe, and then spreading her travel wings further to explore the seven continents.    **Public Service Announcement   Jonny Beardmore, the Galapagos Postman, has spent the last year hand-delivering 50 postcards from around the world.  He picked up these 50 postcards from a fabled 18th ce

Yooshita has traveled to 108 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  A giant Happy New Year to all of you country counters!  We are back today with a new episode after a small break.  Over the past year, you’ve likely heard me mention many times the Extraordinary Travel Festival on this podcast. In November, I had the privilege of organizing this incredible sold-out event in Bangkok, hosting 250 participants over four action-packed days. With 30 inspiring speakers and lively evening events and some amazing sponsors, it was a truly memorable experience. I’m excited to share that planning is now underway for the next festival in 2026. Stay tuned for updates! Today, we are speaking with Yooshita Fathi.  I had the pleasure of meeting Yooshita in Bangkok at ETF after seeing her for years on social media and having many common acquaintances.  Besides travelling to over 100 countries, Yooshita has lived in 9 different countries.  She shared many stories and experiences but I will definitely not forget her

Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Well not really.  Today I am sharing an interview of me hosted by Matt Bowles who hosts the Maverick Show Podcast.  Matt and I had great conversation and wanted to share it with my listeners.  So, please check out this conversation and also make sure you subscribe to the Maverick Show Podcast.  He has over 300 episodes to binge.  A ton of interesting people.  Including the 2nd part of our conversation on our feed.   The other reason I don’t have one of my typical interviews is things were a bit overwhelming with the production of the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok on November 15th.  I will recap the event at a later point, but I am guessing many of you have seen tons of photos flying around social media.  So make sure you are following ETF on FB and IG.   I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik

Hey now!  This is it, the last episode before the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok.  Still a little time left to join.  Use code BANGKOK. My special guest is speaker and sponsor Charles Veley, founder of the Most Traveled People, and considered one of the most traveled people in the world.  Charles teases some of the updates he will be sharing in Bangkok, from updates on the App to next location of the MTP Summitt.  Please listen in and enjoy.   www.extraordinarytravelfest.com

Phillips has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Today, we are speaking with Phillips Connor.  I had the pleasure of meeting PC in Singapore with a group of extreme travelers and I am very pleased that he will be attending the ETF in Bangkok.  Phillips is extremely well traveled, nearing 1000 regions on the NomadMania list.  Phillips shares it all on this episode … starting travel early with a corporate job, moving to Singapore and Chasing 193.      Time is definitely running out!  Don’t get #FOMO with over 225 extreme travelers attending this event.  The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Use discount code BANGKOK for $60, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . I’ll give an ETF recap at the end of this episode. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons.  You know them, you love them!  Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Ph

Hey now, I am your host Ric Gazarian on the 10th update for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  We have a lot of news to share with you today.  So grab that coffee of if in Thailand, grab a chamanow and please listen in. The event is now about a month and a half a way.  But still time to join, use code BANGKOK to save at . Some quick updates ... we have added three new speakers, Luisa Yu, Matt Bowles and Sabbatical Tommy.  Luisa is well known in the community for her determination and her multi-decade quest to visit every country in the world.  She finished at age 79! So impressive.  Matt is the host of the super entertaining the , where he speaks with amazing travelers from around the world.  He will be speaking on his 10 plus years of being a digital nomad.  Tommy is a travel content creator on and also a polyglot!  That's cool. Are you scared of ghosts?  Did you know that ghosts play a cental role in Thai culture?  We have partnered with Bangkok Haunts to provide you with an introduction to ghosts and spi

Andy Hicks Counting Countries has traveled to 120 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Today, we are speaking with Andy Hicks.  I have had the pleasure of meeting Andy at the first ETF in Armenia and the TCC meeting in May in the Azores.  Andy was raised in a non-travel environment, but a couple of pivotal trips propelled him into the 193 community and with his stated goal of every country by 50.   If you want to meet Andy Hicks and 206 other travelers join us in Bangkok. The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Use discount code BANGKOK for $60, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . I’ll give an ETF recap at the end of this episode. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “JL” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Sou

I am excited to introduce to you two partners of the Extraordinary Travel Festival, Matt Bowles and Ian Cumming. Matt is a 10 year plus digital nomad, who hosts the very successful as well as a real estate investment company.  Matt can be found around the globe setting up shop in cities as diverse as Nairobi, Lagos or Luanda.  I am pleased to announce that Matt will be one of the speakers at the ETF.  You can connect with him here on . Ian Cumming is the founder of Travel Massive, a global networking platform for people who work in travel or are passionate travelers.  There are scores of chapters around the globe hosting events or meet people on the network whether they be entrepreneurs or content creators.  Travel Massive is also hosting our meetup on Thursday, November 14.  . I believe there are 3 main pillars of why you might want to consider attending the ETF, this November in Bangkok. First is the destination. Maybe BKK might seem too common. Well as a resident I would posit that this city offers so muc

Luisa Yu has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I am excited to have Luisa Yu on the podcast.  She is well known and beloved member to many in the community.  For those not in the know, Luisa just visited her last country this year.  She accomplished this goal as a 79 year old.  When many in her age group have retired to more placid and serene pastures, Luisa has demonstrated grit and determination.  And Luisa has not slowed down .. trips since she has completed the quest include Mogadishu, the north Caucasus, and the Kalash Festival in Pakistan.  Truly, she is an inspiration.  A quick show out to Phillipe for assisting in scheduling my conversation with Luisa.     A public service reminder, the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Discount code BANGKOK for $100, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . This $100 discount will be reduced starting September 1.  What I did not mention is at E

Join us in Bangkok for the in November of 2024. Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $100 (the discount will be reduced starting September 1). Reserve your place today. On this episode, I speak to 3 amazing people who you will also meet at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok on November 15-17. First up is Fadi Assi. Many people in the extreme travel community are familiar with Fadi and his generosity. He has welcomed many of us to Syria. Fadi is the founder of .  Fadi will be one of the speakers in Bangkok and will be sharing his wealth of knowledge.  If you are considering visiting, make sure you check in with Fadi. Second is Jon Beardmore.  Jon is an accomplished traveler and has undertaken a fascinating project, The Galapagos Postman Project.  We all love travel and sometimes incorporating in an additional quest has the potential of really adding to your travel experiences.  The Galapagos Postman Project is one of those really cool quests.  You can follow along on his quest on . And third is Evelt