Back in 2010, I wrote a blog titled "100 Country Rollerblades and Red Bull Tour". It was the start of a travel story and a manifestation to reach all four corners of the planet. For those of you in marketing, that blog went viral and spent several years on Page 1 of Google SEO for both keywords Rollerblades and Red Bull!
In my first 35 years, I had traveled to 9 countries. It would take 16 more years to reach the next 91! It also included seeing all 7 continents, 7 wonders of the world, 50 States (only missing New Mexico now), and 10 Canadian Provinces.
Since 2014, it has also included traveling with two children to all 7 continents including Antarctica. I should also mention that Michelle and I work full-time in demanding jobs and only 3-4 weeks per year are available to travel.
Having a sense of adventure and love for travel is different than reaching a target that only a few thousand people in history have achieved. It was actually inspired by the Bucket List movie from 2007 with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It reinforced the perils of waiting to retirement to really start living. Life tends to get in the way of living with families and careers take over most of our focus.
On the topic of personal bucket lists, here are 4 others beyond this 100 travel goal.
Why 100 countries?
Simple. I wanted it to be remarkable, challenging, but yet attainable. Knowing that out of 193 countries recognized by the United Nations (Vatican City makes 194) dozens of countries are in perpetual war (civil or otherwise), new threats pop up every few months, and a large number are small islands spread around the world, I chose a round number representing half the world.
Here is how the 100 looks on a map:
(This is an iPhone app called Been if you want to create your own travel map)
A bit more complicated than just 100 countries...
Being an industry analyst means there is more to planning travel than just a round number. I downloaded all 193 countries and sorted them by land mass and population. In terms of targeting where to go next, we tend to look at size and global importance of the destination.
While 100 countries represents 52% of the world's countries, it represents 79% of the world's population and 71% of the land mass. Seeing where 8 out of 10 people live (8.1 billion and counting) is a pretty cool achievement!
| |
| | |
| 100 | | 52% | 78.62% | 71.15% |
| # of Countries | | Of countries visited | Population | Land Mass |
| x | 🇨🇳 | China | 1,345,610,000 | 9,640,821 |
| x | 🇮🇳 | India | 1,210,193,422 | 3,287,240 |
| x | 🇺🇸 | United States | 311,950,000 | 9,826,675 |
| x | 🇮🇩 | Indonesia | 237,556,363 | 1,904,569 |
| x | 🇧🇷 | Brazil | 195,112,055 | 8,514,877 |
| x | 🇷🇺 | Russia | 141,927,297 | 17,098,242 |
| x | 🇯🇵 | Japan | 127,387,000 | 377,873 |
| x | 🇲🇽 | Mexico | 107,550,697 | 1,958,201 |
| x | 🇵🇠| Philippines | 92,226,600 | 300,076 |
| x | 🇻🇳 | Vietnam | 85,789,573 | 331,689 |
| x | 🇩🇪 | Germany | 81,757,600 | 357,022 |
| x | 🇪🇬 | Egypt | 80,143,443 | 1,001,449 |
| x | 🇹🇷 | Turkey | 77,804,122 | 783,562 |
| x | 🇨🇩 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 68,692,542 | 2,344,858 |
| x | 🇹🇠| Thailand | 64,232,760 | 513,115 |
| x | 🇫🇷 | France | 62,793,432 | 551,500 |
| x | 🇬🇧 | United Kingdom | 62,041,708 | 243,610 |
| x | 🇮🇹 | Italy | 60,200,060 | 301,318 |
| x | 🇿🇦 | South Africa | 50,586,757 | 1,221,037 |
| x | 🇰🇷 | South Korea | 48,456,369 | 99,538 |
| x | 🇺🇦 | Ukraine | 46,936,000 | 603,700 |
| x | 🇪🇸 | Spain | 46,087,170 | 506,030 |
| x | 🇨🇴 | Colombia | 46,083,384 | 1,138,914 |
| x | 🇹🇿 | Tanzania | 43,739,000 | 945,087 |
| x | 🇦🇷 | Argentina | 40,091,359 | 2,780,400 |
| x | 🇰🇪 | Kenya | 39,802,000 | 580,367 |
| x | 🇵🇱 | Poland | 38,163,895 | 312,685 |
| x | 🇨🇦 | Canada | 33,740,000 | 9,984,670 |
| x | 🇺🇬 | Uganda | 32,710,000 | 241,038 |
| x | 🇲🇦 | Morocco | 32,223,787 | 446,550 |
| x | 🇵🇪 | Peru | 29,461,933 | 1,285,216 |
| x | 🇳🇵 | Nepal | 29,331,000 | 147,181 |
| x | 🇲🇾 | Malaysia | 28,306,700 | 329,847 |
| x | 🇹🇼 | Taiwan | 23,069,345 | 35,980 |
| x | 🇲🇿 | Mozambique | 22,894,000 | 801,590 |
| x | 🇦🇺 | Australia | 22,828,648 | 7,682,300 |
| x | 🇷🇴 | Romania | 21,466,174 | 238,391 |
| x | 🇲🇬 | Madagascar | 20,653,556 | 587,041 |
| x | 🇱🇰 | Sri Lanka | 20,238,000 | 65,610 |
| x | 🇨🇱 | Chile | 17,277,793 | 756,096 |
| x | 🇳🇱 | Netherlands | 16,690,000 | 41,526 |
| x | 🇰🇠| Cambodia | 14,805,000 | 181,035 |
| x | 🇿🇼 | Zimbabwe | 13,009,530 | 390,757 |
| x | 🇨🇺 | Cuba | 11,306,183 | 109,886 |
| x | 🇬🇷 | Greece | 11,306,183 | 131,957 |
| x | 🇧🇪 | Belgium | 10,827,519 | 30,528 |
| x | 🇵🇹 | Portugal | 10,636,888 | 92,391 |
| x | 🇨🇿 | Czech Republic | 10,532,770 | 78,866 |
| x | 🇩🇴 | Dominican Republic | 10,090,000 | 48,671 |
| x | Haiti | Haiti | 10,033,000 | 27,750 |
| x | ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º | Hungary | 10,013,628 | 93,032 |
| x | 🇷🇼 | Rwanda | 9,998,000 | 26,338 |
| x | 🇧🇾 | Belarus | 9,755,106 | 207,600 |
| x | 🇸🇪 | Sweden | 9,366,092 | 449,964 |
| x | 🇦🇹 | Austria | 8,372,930 | 83,858 |
| x | 🇷🇸 | Serbia (excluding Kosovo) | 7,800,000 | 77,474 |
| x | 🇨🇠| Switzerland | 7,761,800 | 41,284 |
| x | 🇮🇱 | Israel | 7,697,600 | 20,770 |
| x | ðŸ‡ðŸ‡³ | Honduras | 7,466,000 | 112,492 |
| x | ðŸ‡ðŸ‡° | Hong Kong | 7,003,700 | 1,104 |
| x | 🇯🇴 | Jordan | 6,316,000 | 89,342 |
| x | 🇩🇰 | Denmark | 5,532,531 | 43,094 |
| x | 🇸🇰 | Slovakia | 5,424,057 | 49,033 |
| x | 🇫🇮 | Finland | 5,389,683 | 338,145 |
| x | 🇸🇬 | Singapore | 5,076,700 | 710.2 |
| x | 🇳🇴 | Norway | 4,936,900 | 385,155 |
| x | 🇦🇪 | United Arab Emirates | 4,599,000 | 83,600 |
| x | 🇮🇪 | Ireland | 4,581,269 | 70,273 |
| x | 🇨🇷 | Costa Rica | 4,579,000 | 51,100 |
| x | ðŸ‡ðŸ‡· | Croatia | 4,443,000 | 56,538 |
| x | 🇳🇿 | New Zealand | 4,315,800 | 270,534 |
| x | 🇵🇸 | Palestinian territories | 4,100,000 | 6,020 |
| x | 🇵🇷 | Puerto Rico (US) | 3,982,000 | 8,875 |
| x | 🇧🇦 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3,843,126 | 51,129 |
| x | 🇺🇾 | Uruguay | 3,463,197 | 175,016 |
| x | 🇵🇦 | Panama | 3,454,000 | 75,517 |
| x | 🇦🇱 | Albania | 3,195,000 | 28,748 |
| x | 🇱🇹 | Lithuania | 3,053,800 | 65,300 |
| x | 🇯🇲 | Jamaica | 2,719,000 | 10,991 |
| x | 🇱🇻 | Latvia | 2,248,961 | 64,600 |
| x | 🇳🇦 | Namibia | 2,171,000 | 824,292 |
| x | 🇸🇮 | Slovenia | 2,079,344 | 20,256 |
| x | 🇱🇸 | Lesotho | 2,067,000 | 30,355 |
| x | 🇧🇼 | Botswana | 1,950,000 | 581,730 |
| x | 🇶🇦 | Qatar | 1,409,000 | 11,000 |
| x | 🇪🇪 | Estonia | 1,340,021 | 45,100 |
| x | 🇸🇿 | Swaziland | 1,185,000 | 17,364 |
| x | 🇫🇯 | Fiji | 849,000 | 18,274 |
| x | 🇲🇪 | Montenegro | 630,548 | 14,026 |
| x | 🇲🇴 | Macau (China) | 541,200 | 29.2 |
| x | 🇱🇺 | Luxembourg | 502,207 | 2,586 |
| x | 🇧🇸 | The Bahamas | 342,000 | 13,878 |
| x | 🇧🇿 | Belize | 322,100 | 23,000 |
| x | 🇮🇸 | Iceland | 318,452 | 103,000 |
| x | 🇻🇺 | Vanuatu | 240,000 | 12,189 |
| x | 🇦🇼 | Aruba (Netherlands) | 107,000 | 193 |
| x | 🇰🇾 | Cayman Islands (UK) | 56,000 | 264 |
| x | 🇲🇨 | Monaco | 33,000 | 1.95 |
| x | 🇬🇮 | Gibraltar (UK) | 31,000 | 6.8 |
| x | 🇻🇦 | Vatican City | 826 | 0.44 |
Travel timeline
1. North America (1972-80) - living in Canada and the United States, and travelling several times to Mexico allowed me to complete the continent (and a ton of land mass) early in life.
2. UK & France (1996)
3. Portugal & Spain driving tour (2002)
4. Bahamas, Cuba via vacations (2003-04)
5. Greece (2008) - including Athens, Mykonos and Santorini.
6. 13-country driving & rollerblade tour across Europe starting in Germany, then circling through Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland & Czech Republic (2008)
7. China (2009) - including rollerblading through Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong & Macau.
8. Italy (2009) - trip with my mom.
9. South America tour - including rollerblading through Argentina, Uruguay & Brazil - both Rio and Sao Paulo (2010)
10. Caribbean cruise - Haiti, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel (2010)
11. 7-country South Africa driving and rollerblade tour - Johannesburg, Cape Town, Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique & Swaziland (2010)
12. 5-country Scandinavian tour with Michelle (first trip together!) - Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway & Finland (2011)
13. 7-country SE Asia tour with Michelle - Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines & Singapore (2011)
14. 7-country ex-USSR tour with Michelle - Russia (both Moscow & St. Petersburg), Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania (2012)
15. Down-under driving tour with Michelle - Australia & New Zealand (2012)
16. "Wonders of the world" honeymoon with Michelle! - Morocco, Egypt (Cairo & Luxor), Sri Lanka, India (Mumbai, Delhi, & Taj Mahal) & Nepal (Mount Everest) (2013)
17. Asia tour with Michelle and Brooklyn on Mount Fuji for her first birthday - including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea (2015)
18. A very long drive through the entire countries of Ireland, England, Scotland with Michelle, Brooklyn, and Cali, tracing my family roots back to Nottinghamshire, England and Inverness, Scotland. (2016)
19. A beautiful tour down under to Australia and to the South Pacific to Thailand, Indonesia, Vanuatu, and Fiji with Michelle, Brooklyn, and Cali. (2017)
20. A panoramic cruise to the Panama Canal with stops in Aruba, Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica with Michelle, Brooklyn, and Cali. (2017)
21. As part of Michelle's MBA from Manhattan College we visited multiple parts of Peru including Machu Picchu and the Amazon rainforest with Brooklyn, and Cali. (2018)
22. An epic 15-country journey on the way to Australia for a speech, including new country visits to Monaco, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. (2019)
23. Covid stalled our travel for a couple of years but we picked up again by hitting my 7th wonder of the world - Chichen Itza in Mexico (2022). The other 6 were the Taj Mahal (2013), the Colosseum (2009), Machu Picchu (2017), Christ the Redeemer (2010), Petra (2019), and the Great Wall of China (2009).
24. We also hit the Bahamas (Atlantis) in 2022 and then finished the year in epic fashion with an adventure to Antarctica - our 7th continent! We saw Chile and landed in Argentina after the cruise to a newly minted World Cup in soccer. Messi was the world champion and months later would soon land in Miami to play! (2022)
25. We hit the ground running in 2023 with a spring break cruise through the Caribbean - hitting new countries of Honduras and Belize. During summer break we also took an epic cruise to the North Pole (kinda) - Alaska! (2023)
26. The Taylor Swift European driving adventure through London, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. Also included Disney Paris, Harry Potter show in London, and staying at the majestic Port Lympne Reserve "Lion Lodge" in England. (2024)
27. The ultimate 7-country safari through Africa via Qatar, including gorilla trekking in Uganda, quick trips across the borders of Rwanda and Congo, then safaris through the Serengeti in Tanzania and Masai Mara in Kenya, and finishing with country #100 in Madagascar! (2024)
Where next?
As I mentioned earlier, many countries of the world are off-limits to travel due to safety. This can change often as we learned the day we landed in Egypt during the Arab Spring. Here are some thoughts...
- Eastern Caribbean cruise - Dominican Republic, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago & Aruba.
- Second SE Asia tour - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar & Laos
- Western Africa tour
- ex-USSR "Stan" tour
Even though the Middle East and much of Africa have been in a constant state of turmoil for centuries, I do hope in my lifetime to see these countries.
The next generation of travel will also involve sailing the blue ocean on a catamaran. More on that here.
Ending the journey at 194 countries isn't a specific goal but it would be a happy coincidence!
