“I will be travelling to every country in the world,” declared Torbjørn C. Pedersen (who also goes as Thor), a Danish man who set out in 2013 with a determination to travel the entire world. Despite obstacles such as COVID-19, he successfully completed his travels to 204 countries in March 2023.
A lot of people choose to explore the world, but Pedersen’s journey stands out because he was committed to travelling without using flights. Furthermore, he aimed to visit every country on the map and spend at least 24 hours in each.
In 2013, he also became a Goodwill Ambassador for the Danish Red Cross and has since visited and raised awareness for the organization in over 185 countries.
Pedersen is an excellent inspiration for those who want to travel the world despite financial limitations. He has shared on his website that he saves money by avoiding flights and instead opts for alternative modes of transportation such as trains, boats, and even renting vehicles from locals.
According to Pedersen, his expenses for travelling around the world were only $20 per day, which included meals, transportation, accommodation, and visas. “This project will show you that you need not be a millionaire to travel, cross borders, discover cultures and make new friends,” he states on his website.
Additionally, he saved money on travel by finding free places to stay and using budget-friendly public transportation options.
On his blog, Pedersen shares how his journey evolved from being just a “country project” to a “people project.” While travelling, he found that everyone is a potential friend, even if they are strangers, and that we should treat them as such.
Further, for Pedersen, the glass tends to be half full. “It is my absolute greatest honour to be able to give every country I visit some form of representation in a positive way. Every country in the world has the right to be viewed as the potentially best country in the world,” he shares on his website.
Pedersen doesn’t see travelling the world as simply checking off a list but rather as a way to gain a broader understanding of global events and countries that are often overlooked by the media.