27-Year-Old Woman To Become First Female Ever To Visit Every Country On Earth
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If someone traveled to 50 countries, we’d be impressed. If they traveled to 100 we’d be super impressed. But if they traveled to every single country in the world, and became the first documented female, youngest American, AND fastest traveler to visit all 196 countries on the planet….well, that would leave us pretty amazed indeed.
But that’s exactly what Cassandra De Pecol is doing. The 27-year-old from Connecticut has already visited 181 countries since July 2015, and with only 15 countries remaining and 40 days to go, she’s well on course to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest person to travel to all Sovereign States (plus an additional 11 countries). Her amazing journey is called Expedition196 and she’s traveling as an Ambassador for Peace on behalf of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism. We might not be able to follow in her footsteps, but we can at least follow her inspirational journey via Instagram. Go Cassandra!
More info: Cassandra De Pecol | Instagram | FB | IIPT (Image credits: Caters News Agency)
Ever wanted to travel to every country in the world?
Well that’s exactly what Cassandra De Pecol is doing!
Her amazing journey is called Expedition196
She started off in Palau back in July 2015
And she’s already visited 181 countries since then
She’s hoping to become the first documented woman to travel to all 196 countries
Cassandra only has 15 more to visit in the next 40 days
If she does it she’ll break the Guinness World Record for the fastest person to travel to all Sovereign States
She’s traveling as an Ambassador for Peace on behalf of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism
The trip has cost almost $200,000 so far but the costs are covered by sponsors
She also uses her Instagram as a platform for advertising in exchange for free accommodation
She’s only 27 but she’s already seen more than most will see in a lifetime
From meeting lion cubs
And skiing in the mountains of Colorado
To relaxing on the beach in Kiribati
And taking in beautiful sights like this view of Mostar bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Cassandra doesn’t go anywhere without her camera
And her map of course!
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I lost interest in the story when I saw her pictures with those poor exploited animals :/ one expects more ecological awareness and sensitivity from a "world traveler"!
I had exactly the same thoughts
Keep in mind that it's stated that she is taking pictures to market the places she is staying for free. From the look of all her traveling, the costs are mostly covered by sponsors. Showing real ecological awareness is not what your sponsor want to show the world when you are trying to attract tourists.
I was wondering how she was financing this. Thanks for the note.
I agree with that. I dont know why. But i do know her purpose was traveling to sustainable resorts and you also do not know what they story behind thos photos are. Need to go and check her blogs and see where it is and maybe it is not bad. If it is. Fuck it yeah I wont like her anymore. But i dont think it is. At least i hope not. I know she was traveling for peaceful and sustainable activism. So you dont know
Give it a break. What if those animals are in a sanctuary for rehabilitation and re-homing or re-release into the wild or they were too sick to survive out there.. shame for assuming the worst
It's still not okay. You can't re-relase a lion into the wild, when it was handreared. And lion and tiger cubs are sadly widly exploited just for this type of photos. Genuine sanctuaries do not encourage this kind of interaction between cubs and tourists, as it sends the completly wrong message out there. Also, a lot of lion cubs who are used as photo probs in South Africa, end up as trophies in canned huntings. I don't know where this photo was taken, but on this background you shouldn't take photos with lion cubs. It simply sends out the completly wrong message, as people tend to want to do the same, which in turn feeds a pretty nasty business model.
Yes, a lion is a wild animal, even if it grew up with people. And that's why photos like this send out the wrong message. And you have to think, where are all the cubs going, when they grow too large and too old for this type of photos? And no, they are certainly not attack animals all the time, but they are apex predators, with an amazing strength and bite force. And their prey instinct is still there. So, they may not mean harm, when they lash out at you, but their strength can cause great harm, or even kill you.
Without any shadow of doubt this lion cub has been sedated and is being used for entertainment purposes. I have worked and volunteered at international animal rescue for a number of years. This animal is clearly sedated, and no animal sanctuary in their right mind is going to allow tourist to take photographs and pose with any wild animal in this way.
We shall agree to differ. We do not know the circumstances. I will not judge. The cub looks healthy and happy. No cloudy eyes to indicate drugging and a cub that grew up with people ( for whatever reason it did) is still a wild animal, but not necessarily an attack animal all of the time.
Get over it. She's awesome.
No lion-wish-is-not-on-drugs-or-diyng will allow you to do that
Agree...the sweater puppies need to be released
Good to know you are judgemental just by one pic
My thoughts exactly!
Cock.
I fail to see exploitation. Maybe it's a great place, doing great work with the animals? Just hard to judge based on one picture.
You can't change everyone all at the same time, but I'm sure her trip has brought her awareness to a global sensitivity; furthermore her heart seems to be filled with love. -GENE
Always seem to find whiners everywhere. 2016 is the year of whining.
EXACTLY!!! thank you <3
If you look at her Instagram she advises it is at a sanctuary
Can't see any exploitation what so ever - sad to be automatically negative about someone doing something cool is pretty sad
I'm not being negative! it's a fact! Even if the photo was taken in a "legitimate sanctuary", it still promotes tourist photos with lion cubs. Plus, I checked out her instagram page and there'e no mention as to where this photo had been taken! So yes, I assume it was not "mention-worthy" even though that would be a great advertisement for an animal sanctuary. Plus, there's UAE falconry. Is that not the violation of animals rights? Maybe instead of judging me for my legitimate concerns, you better inform!
Same here. And she's an ambassador for a good cause? Well, she's certainly very pretty and fit. Seems that was enough for the sponsors.
exactly..
my first thought too =(
i lost bla lbkahjfiog bkasfkgv, su fucker
Sorry to be negative, but these pictures are so stereotypical...everyone to his own preference, but for me travelling for the sake of arriving is business travel...travelling for the sake of travelling is leisure!
But she has not indicated anything else except that she is travelling to beat the record.
@Hanna: I am not criticising this woman or saying what she does it not right. In fact, I much hope she enjoys it. I am just saiyng that I find the pictures stereotypical and that I have different ideals of travelling, even though I like to expand the number of places that I have seen.
jeeeeeeeealousyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ouuuuu yeaaah
Scrolling down, reading and looking at all of pictures..... and found this "She’s traveling as an Ambassador for Peace on behalf of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism".. Well, Sorry if I say that I am more than happy if she is sharing about the purpose of traveling rather than those picture. It is good while working while traveling..
Jealously is a sad emotion !
I am sorry that you are jealous, Wayne.
Criticism is usually for the lazy one on the couch with no motivation. PETTY CRITICISM. LMAO! Easy to spot cynical critics who have no ambition or joy for anyone else achieving a personal ...let me repeat PERSONAL goal. Back off of her life journey
Oh and Hans, you are NOT SORRY for being negative :) Stay true all the way if you are bold enough to criticize a woman with a plan
jealous fker
Haha, popo!
i agree, her pictures are boring af
petty! Go on a journey and take your own pics :) Perhaps she has MANY and this is all James Gould-Bourn wanted of her. Celebrate her ambition and don't be petty
nice feat but I totally prefer to visit the world at my pace (and not just getting off a plane, taking a picture of myself on a beach and getting on the next one)
She's 27. I'm sure she'll do a lot more traveling in her life and, when she's not trying to break speed records, she'll do so at a more leisurely pace.
Is sounds like people here r just jelous
I hope she will :)
She got to go to 196 countries for free.. I wouldn't be complaining
She is not doing that. Some places she is staying even 4 days
ouuups...my bad! Thanks Sonja! So that's a country every three days...not sure my previous calculation was even possible ^^" Still pretty quick but at least she get to breath a little bit
@Arty she started in July 2015, so she's already traveling for 16 months ;)
181 countries in 4 month, for me it's like 3 countries every two days...and if she stayed up to 4 days in some she must have rush really more for others. So yes, she is totally doing that!
Ikr.
I lost interest in the story when I saw her pictures with those poor exploited animals :/ one expects more ecological awareness and sensitivity from a "world traveler"!
I had exactly the same thoughts
Keep in mind that it's stated that she is taking pictures to market the places she is staying for free. From the look of all her traveling, the costs are mostly covered by sponsors. Showing real ecological awareness is not what your sponsor want to show the world when you are trying to attract tourists.
I was wondering how she was financing this. Thanks for the note.
I agree with that. I dont know why. But i do know her purpose was traveling to sustainable resorts and you also do not know what they story behind thos photos are. Need to go and check her blogs and see where it is and maybe it is not bad. If it is. Fuck it yeah I wont like her anymore. But i dont think it is. At least i hope not. I know she was traveling for peaceful and sustainable activism. So you dont know
Give it a break. What if those animals are in a sanctuary for rehabilitation and re-homing or re-release into the wild or they were too sick to survive out there.. shame for assuming the worst
It's still not okay. You can't re-relase a lion into the wild, when it was handreared. And lion and tiger cubs are sadly widly exploited just for this type of photos. Genuine sanctuaries do not encourage this kind of interaction between cubs and tourists, as it sends the completly wrong message out there. Also, a lot of lion cubs who are used as photo probs in South Africa, end up as trophies in canned huntings. I don't know where this photo was taken, but on this background you shouldn't take photos with lion cubs. It simply sends out the completly wrong message, as people tend to want to do the same, which in turn feeds a pretty nasty business model.
Yes, a lion is a wild animal, even if it grew up with people. And that's why photos like this send out the wrong message. And you have to think, where are all the cubs going, when they grow too large and too old for this type of photos? And no, they are certainly not attack animals all the time, but they are apex predators, with an amazing strength and bite force. And their prey instinct is still there. So, they may not mean harm, when they lash out at you, but their strength can cause great harm, or even kill you.
Without any shadow of doubt this lion cub has been sedated and is being used for entertainment purposes. I have worked and volunteered at international animal rescue for a number of years. This animal is clearly sedated, and no animal sanctuary in their right mind is going to allow tourist to take photographs and pose with any wild animal in this way.
We shall agree to differ. We do not know the circumstances. I will not judge. The cub looks healthy and happy. No cloudy eyes to indicate drugging and a cub that grew up with people ( for whatever reason it did) is still a wild animal, but not necessarily an attack animal all of the time.
Get over it. She's awesome.
No lion-wish-is-not-on-drugs-or-diyng will allow you to do that
Agree...the sweater puppies need to be released
Good to know you are judgemental just by one pic
My thoughts exactly!
Cock.
I fail to see exploitation. Maybe it's a great place, doing great work with the animals? Just hard to judge based on one picture.
You can't change everyone all at the same time, but I'm sure her trip has brought her awareness to a global sensitivity; furthermore her heart seems to be filled with love. -GENE
Always seem to find whiners everywhere. 2016 is the year of whining.
EXACTLY!!! thank you <3
If you look at her Instagram she advises it is at a sanctuary
Can't see any exploitation what so ever - sad to be automatically negative about someone doing something cool is pretty sad
I'm not being negative! it's a fact! Even if the photo was taken in a "legitimate sanctuary", it still promotes tourist photos with lion cubs. Plus, I checked out her instagram page and there'e no mention as to where this photo had been taken! So yes, I assume it was not "mention-worthy" even though that would be a great advertisement for an animal sanctuary. Plus, there's UAE falconry. Is that not the violation of animals rights? Maybe instead of judging me for my legitimate concerns, you better inform!
Same here. And she's an ambassador for a good cause? Well, she's certainly very pretty and fit. Seems that was enough for the sponsors.
exactly..
my first thought too =(
i lost bla lbkahjfiog bkasfkgv, su fucker
Sorry to be negative, but these pictures are so stereotypical...everyone to his own preference, but for me travelling for the sake of arriving is business travel...travelling for the sake of travelling is leisure!
But she has not indicated anything else except that she is travelling to beat the record.
@Hanna: I am not criticising this woman or saying what she does it not right. In fact, I much hope she enjoys it. I am just saiyng that I find the pictures stereotypical and that I have different ideals of travelling, even though I like to expand the number of places that I have seen.
jeeeeeeeealousyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ouuuuu yeaaah
Scrolling down, reading and looking at all of pictures..... and found this "She’s traveling as an Ambassador for Peace on behalf of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism".. Well, Sorry if I say that I am more than happy if she is sharing about the purpose of traveling rather than those picture. It is good while working while traveling..
Jealously is a sad emotion !
I am sorry that you are jealous, Wayne.
Criticism is usually for the lazy one on the couch with no motivation. PETTY CRITICISM. LMAO! Easy to spot cynical critics who have no ambition or joy for anyone else achieving a personal ...let me repeat PERSONAL goal. Back off of her life journey
Oh and Hans, you are NOT SORRY for being negative :) Stay true all the way if you are bold enough to criticize a woman with a plan
jealous fker
Haha, popo!
i agree, her pictures are boring af
petty! Go on a journey and take your own pics :) Perhaps she has MANY and this is all James Gould-Bourn wanted of her. Celebrate her ambition and don't be petty
nice feat but I totally prefer to visit the world at my pace (and not just getting off a plane, taking a picture of myself on a beach and getting on the next one)
She's 27. I'm sure she'll do a lot more traveling in her life and, when she's not trying to break speed records, she'll do so at a more leisurely pace.
Is sounds like people here r just jelous
I hope she will :)
She got to go to 196 countries for free.. I wouldn't be complaining
She is not doing that. Some places she is staying even 4 days
ouuups...my bad! Thanks Sonja! So that's a country every three days...not sure my previous calculation was even possible ^^" Still pretty quick but at least she get to breath a little bit
@Arty she started in July 2015, so she's already traveling for 16 months ;)
181 countries in 4 month, for me it's like 3 countries every two days...and if she stayed up to 4 days in some she must have rush really more for others. So yes, she is totally doing that!
Ikr.