In a remarkable tale of determination and wanderlust, Torbjorn Pedersen from Denmark has accomplished an extraordinary feat by visiting 195 countries across the globe without ever stepping onto a plane. His journey, spanning over six years, saw him navigate through a myriad of transportation methods, covering an astounding 260,000 miles while spending a mere $20 a day.
Torbjron Pedersen embarked on his unparalleled adventure in October 2013 with a train journey from his home country to Germany. What was initially planned to be a four-year endeavour turned into a six-year odyssey, which concluded when he returned to Denmark via boat. Armed with only essential items such as clothes, footwear, a jacket, and a first aid kit, Pedersen relied on a diverse array of transportation modes, including cars, trains, buses, taxis, boats, shipping containers, and even travelling on foot, to traverse the globe.
Throughout his journey, Pedersen faced an assortment of challenges, ranging from visa issues to personal safety concerns. Yet he persevered, spending at least 24 hours in every country he visited. Sleeping arrangements were often in the form of rented dormitories or beds, keeping costs low to maintain his daily budget.
While the journey through Europe presented relative ease, Pedersen encountered his first major hurdle when attempting to travel by sea from Norway to the Faroe Islands, experiencing a three-day delay due to a lack of available boats. The young traveller’s determination was put to the ultimate test in 2015 when he was diagnosed with cerebral malaria during his stay in Ghana. The struggle to find proper medical care and adequate nourishment during this period threatened to halt his journey, but he managed to overcome these adversities and continue on.
Pedersen’s travels through Africa brought their own set of adventures, and he recalled his experiences in North Korea as particularly challenging. The year 2020 marked a global turning point as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, ushering in widespread travel restrictions. While in Hong Kong at the time, Pedersen found temporary refuge within a local church, where he spent two years and continued to contribute through work.
In 2022, after his long and arduous journey, Pedersen finally returned home to Denmark. His journey, though unconventional and filled with unexpected twists, culminated in a heartwarming twist of its own: he married his fiancée upon his return.
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