Who visited all the countries in the world?

Has anyone traveled to every country?

Ugh, travel. So much hassle. Planes, visas... the whole shebang. Rauli Virtanen, right? That Finn. Apparently, he's the first to do the whole every country thing. Crazy. I mean, seriously? All of them? That's dedication or obsession, I can't decide which. I'd rather stay home and binge-watch obscure documentaries on Youtube.

He's a writer, right? A journalist even. That explains the wanderlust. I wonder if his writing got better after all that exposure. I bet it did. Different cultures, different perspectives, different smells. Imagine the stories. A book deal is a guaranteed. Who wouldn't read that?

• 2023: Virtanen is the most well-known person to claim visiting every country.
• Rural upbringing. Interesting. Probably instilled a strong sense of adventure.
• Foreign correspondent. Makes sense. Job requires travel.
• First? Maybe. No definitive proof, though. Someone’s gotta be first, right?

My apartment is such a mess now. I need to clean it up. So much paperwork. Bills. Stupid bills. But a trip sounds fun... maybe I will just visit my brother in Canada this year. That's a start. A really small start. Next year, Mexico? Yeah. No. I'll just clean.

Has anybody traveled to every country in the world?

Rauli Virtanen? Yeah, that Finnish dude. He's like the Magellan of tourism, except, you know, without the whole dying halfway thing. Rauli Virtanen, the writer, apparently, saw every country. Every! Single! One!

Growing up in some teeny Finnish village, you wouldn't bet on him seeing past Helsinki. Now he's the first dude to tick off every nation on the map! Betcha he's got one heck of a stamp collection.

Think about it. That's more countries than your average cat has lives. Seriously though, that's a LOT. He wrote about it, too! Books! Probably sold a bunch, considering.

Here's the skinny:

• The guy's Finnish! Born and raised.
• He's a writer. So expect witty travelogues, maybe.
• Traveled everywhere! Like, literally, all the places. No skips!
• First? At least according to some folks.
• His hometown was rural. Go figure.

Is there anyone who has travelled the whole world?

I don't know everyone who traveled the world. It feels like a lot.

• Many have circumnavigated the globe.
• It's likely thousands or more.

Someone traveling without a plan... yeah, I did that once.

• My sister, Sarah, did that.
• Took off after losing her job.
• Just gone.

It was terrifying, honestly. I worried sick.

• She sent postcards.
• Weird places, like Kyrgyzstan.
• Just pictures, no return address.

Later, she came back. Different.

• She said it was freedom.
• Scary, lonely freedom.
• No obligations, no expectations.

But also, she missed things. Her old life.

• She valued routine now.
• Friends, family, even her cat, Mittens.
• Strange, right?

She wouldn't trade it. The trip.

• Said it woke her up.
• Showed her what mattered. And what didn't.
• Like, work wasn't everything.

I guess it's possible. To see it all. Every country.

• Some people dedicate their lives to it.
• It sounds exhausting.
• But then, so is living like me.

I wonder if it changes you. To see so much.

• If it makes you kinder.
• Or just more numb.
• I don't know. I'm tired.

Who traveled the whole earth?

Enrique. Possible. Magellan died. Elcano, a late bloomer.

• Enrique, likely, the forgotten first. Maybe.
• Magellan planned, failed to finish. The journey's architect, a fallen one.
• Elcano, completed Magellan's ambition. Not the first overall, though. A footnote.
• My grandfather knew a similar story. He was in the 'Nam.
• Enrique, history is blurry, or something.

The story's shadow. Details lost, maybe irrelevant. Circumstance. Did it matter? My cat prefers tuna.