Has anyone ever been around the world?

Has anyone ever went all the way around the world?

Yep, people have circled the globe like a caffeinated fly. David Kunst? That guy’s a legend, a walking testament to the power of sheer stubbornness. He strolled around the planet between 1970 and 1974, clocking a whopping 23,250 km. Talk about a serious case of wanderlust! It was like a four-year-long, incredibly sweaty game of Marco Polo, but instead of finding people, he found himself.

Key takeaways:

• He walked. For years. This wasn’t a jaunt; it was an odyssey. Think of it as a really long, really dusty pilgrimage.
• Guinness verified it. No armchair adventurers here. This was the real deal, officially sanctioned world-circling.
• Four continents. Not just a quick trip to Europe; he truly covered some ground. That’s more impressive than my yearly attempt at decluttering my sock drawer.

Think of the blisters! The sheer volume of questionable street food consumed! The countless encounters with questionable characters! The stories he must have! Seriously, I’m jealous of his impressive collection of travel stories. He probably has enough anecdotes to fill a library, a REALLY big library, the kind with a moat and a resident grumpy librarian who shushes you even in your dreams.

More recently, countless others have followed in his footsteps, though perhaps with a slightly more technologically advanced approach (I doubt they relied solely on paper maps and sheer grit). The world’s become a smaller place, but the achievement remains monumental. My dog can’t even walk around our garden without getting distracted by squirrels. He’s got commitment issues, I swear.

Has anyone ever sailed all the way around the world?

Ugh, solo circumnavigations, right? Crazy. 49 days! Coville, that dude’s a machine. 2016, that record-breaking year, wow.

Ellen MacArthur, 71 days in ’05. Amazing. She’s inspiring, but I wonder what the mental toll is? Seriously, the pressure!

Multihulls, huh? Faster, sure. But less challenging, maybe? I mean, it’s different. I’d go for a monohull any day. More traditional. More real.

Joyon, twice. 72 then 57 days. The improvement is nuts. Technology, I guess. Makes me wonder what’s possible in the next few years. 2024 will be insane, I bet.

What about women? MacArthur’s a legend. More women should do this. More women should do anything, really.

I need to read up on this. This whole thing. The logistics! The planning! So much work. It’s unbelievable. The sheer guts alone. Seriously, I’m impressed. I wonder what they eat.

• Francis Joyon: 2004 (72 days), 2008 (57 days)
• Ellen MacArthur: 2005 (71 days)
• Thomas Coville: 2011 (61 days), 2008 (59 days), 2016 (49 days)

So many details. I wish I could just hop on a boat. Even a small one. I’d rather be on the open water.

My friend Mark is trying to build a wooden sailboat. He says it’s almost done. It’s going to be amazing.

This whole sailing thing…It’s so far removed from my reality.

This is all so cool!

Has anyone ever traveled everywhere in the world?

Luisa Yu, at 79, reportedly completed her global trek in November 2023. What a feat!

• Nomad Mania lists her as a UN Master.
• This distinction signifies travel to all 193 UN-recognized countries. Talk about dedication.

Yu is supposedly one of two Filipinos to achieve this. I always wonder about the logistics, you know?

That’s quite an accomplishment. I guess dreams really do come true.

It is like a never-ending quest; each border crossed is a story to tell.

Has anybody been to every country in the world?

No.

A globe spins… endlessly. No one, truly no one, has touched every shore. A dream, yes, a foolish dream.

The count changes. Borders shift, blur. Lands close, open, close again…

Think of it… my own list, incomplete. Always incomplete. The visas alone… ugh, a mountain.

The world, it breathes. It resists. Complete travel? An illusion. Just…a faint glimmer.

Everest conquered, but the world? Nope.

• The sheer number: Countries morph. New ones born from old. It never stops.
• Access: War zones. Restricted zones. Bureaucracy, a thick fog.
• Logistics: Funding. Health. Just…life.
• Official Documentation: Prove every step? Impossible.
• Political Instability: Coups. Revolutions. Chaos.

It’s a quest. Always just out of reach, always. So, the true traveler, the one who sees every place? A beautiful myth. It is. Just a myth, I swear it is.

Has any person been to every country?

Every country… I wonder.

Rauli Virtanen, yeah. That name sticks.

A Finnish writer, like some kind of wandering soul.

He’s probably the first I can think of who saw them all. Every last border crossed.

• He was a writer, right? I picture him with a worn notebook.
• Growing up in some village. So far from everything.
• Did he ever feel…lost?
• I bet the places he saw changed him.
• Wish I knew how he did it.

I think of my grandma. Her stories about Finland. Far away.

Travel. It seems simple.

But it’s about leaving.

Has anyone ever been to all the countries in the world?

Rauli Virtanen, a Finnish writer, seemingly holds the title of the first person to visit every country. Growing up far from everywhere in a small village probably fueled his wanderlust, you know?

Is it really about just ticking off boxes, or is it something deeper? Like, a quest for understanding, perhaps?

The lure of “every country” is interesting, though. How does one even define “country” these days?

• UN member states
• Territories with limited recognition
• Disputed areas. What counts?

My own travel dreams are a bit less ambitious, admittedly. I’d be happy just visiting Iceland, and seeing the Northern Lights, to be honest.

Has anyone ever walked all the way around the world?

Okay, so, like, yeah, def people have walked all around the world, it’s pretty wild to think about, right?

Steven Newman totally did it, all alone, back in the ’80s – started in ’83, finished in ’87. That’s insane!

Then there’s Jean Beliveau – he walked from 2000 to 2011. He walked for, like, ever! His thing was promoting peace and kids’ rights. That’s really cool, huh?

Like, there’s prolly more that did walk around the whole world. There’s a list of around-the-world walkers.

I mean, it’s a hard feat, for sure. I’ve walked across my living room a bunch of times, but that’s about it for me, lol. The walking list is long:

• Karl Bushby
• George Meegan
• Arthur Blessitt

It is not an easy thing to do. I mean, think about all the different places you’d have to go and, wow, the weather. Imagine the heat in Australia, or being stuck in a desert. It sounds rough, you know? Oh and I love the TV shows about traveling around the world, its the best tv!

Has anyone sailed all the way around the world?

Yeah, a handful of crazy people have done the whole globe-trotting thing solo on a multihull. Like, seriously, these folks are tougher than a two-dollar steak.

Francis Joyon: Dude’s a speed demon. He did it twice! Once in 72 days, the other time – like, ridiculously fast – in 57 days! Faster than my cat can chase a laser pointer.

Ellen MacArthur: This lady’s a legend. 71 days. That’s less time than it takes me to finish a season of my favorite show! She’s like a nautical ninja.

Thomas Coville: Three times, the guy’s nuts! 49 days is insane! 61 and 59 days too! Seriously, he must be powered by pure caffeine and sheer willpower. Makes my morning commute look like a leisurely stroll.

These folks are not normal. They’re more like superheroes… with really good sea legs and a high tolerance for salt spray. I bet their laundry smells like the ocean. Permanently.

• Record-breaking speeds: These sailors smashed previous records to smithereens – they’re like the Usain Bolts of the sailing world.
• Amazing endurance: Seriously, imagine being alone at sea for almost two months. That’s more time than I spend showering in a year.
• Crazy skills: These people aren’t just sailors, they’re master navigators, mechanical engineers, and gourmet chefs (if only they have a decent galley!).

My personal favorite: Joyon’s 57-day record. That’s just bonkers! I’d probably get seasick after 57 minutes. These are people who live to push limits.

How many people have traveled to all 195 countries?

465… yeah. That’s about it.

Feels lonely, doesn’t it? Only 465. After all these years.

Like, what’s the point of even trying?

It’s not… I don’t know.

I think my aunt Sarah knew someone once.

• Globetrotters: 465 souls, give or take.
• Year: End of 2024.

The thought of seeing everything… it changes you, I reckon. Sarah never talked about him much. Probably thought it was showing off.

Wonder if they found what they were looking for.

What percentage of people travel the world?

Globally, international travel remains low. 70-80% haven’t left their home country. A tiny fraction circumnavigate. Think about it: Earth’s vastness. Your limited scope.

• Minimal global travelers. The number is shockingly small.
• Air travel: A sliver of the total. 2023 data shows a slow recovery post-pandemic, but it’s a small percentage overall.
• Financial constraints. The cost. A significant barrier. My own trips to South America in 2022 were expensive.
• Time. A luxury many lack.

World travel? An elite club. Forget percentages; it’s a statistical anomaly. A privileged few. The vast majority? Stagnant. Stuck.