At 27 years of age, Cassandra “Cassie” de Pecol fulfilled her childhood dream to travel around the world, visiting every single country on the planet.
She flew to Palau, the first country on her itinerary last July 2015 and since then, she has embarked on an action-packed sojourn to 196 sovereign nations in 18 months and 26 days. De Pecol flawlessly outscored a Michigan woman in the female Guinness World record category, who journeyed the whole world in three years and three months.
Aside from making social media drool over her overly begrudged angles of Instagram photos showing picturesque sites of each country, De Pecol, who hails from Connecticut, traveled with a hearty mission as an ambassador for International Institute of Peace Through Tourism. She met and dialogued with mayors and ministers and promoted her organizations via “peace through sustainable tourism.”
READ: US woman set to be ‘fastest person to travel all 196 countries’
Likewise, as part and parcel of her “Expedition 196,” she stored water samples from each country for the Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation.
With over 255 flights and five passports stashed with colorful stamps, De Pecol juggled from two to five days in each country. “I personally love finding new, inspiring things, places, culture, environments in countries around the world that are in need of tourism,” De Pecol told Forbes. Funding and visa applications were also an obstacle to her lifetime odyssey, as De Pecol saved up to $10,000 (P500,000) from working odd jobs and acquired $198,000 (P9.9 million) from sponsors.
To spare herself from mountainous accommodation fees, De Pecol used social media platforms to promote her eco-hostels to let her in without charge.
When asked about her favorite region in the world, she indicated that the Middle East is a cultural nirvana for backpackers like her.
“The most intriguing region would have to be the Middle East,” she admitted to the news site. “All of this negative stuff we hear in the news and from politicians about Muslims and the Middle East couldn’t be further from the truth in regards to how kind, helpful and happy the people are, generally speaking. Also, the culture is very unique, the landscapes are beautiful, the food is delicious and the music is some of my favorite in the world.”
Today, De Pecol is preparing to visit the seventh continent, Antarctica, and soon after, she will release a documentary and book about her amazing travels. Gianna Francesca Catolico