This man has visited every country in the world without quitting his job. Unbelievable!

Gunnar Garfors became the youngest man to travel to 198 countries for a hobby.

The first country he visited was Greece. Then he was only a year old. At 17, he began traveling without parents, along with a friend on a train, they swept through 13 countries of Europe. “That's when I got caught, travel completely captured me,” Gunnar says.

But, despite the fact that by the age of 37, Garfors had traveled all over the world, he managed to do this while maintaining his permanent job in Norway.

“In Norway, we have 5 weeks of paid leave, plus about 2 weeks last national holidays,” he explains. “I went on a trip whenever possible, on any holiday and day off.”

Even with so much free time, how can you afford to travel so much? “Be decisive and save money,” the traveler advises.

“Many people claim that they don’t have money, but the thing is how they prioritize and what they strive for. They have money, they just need planning. After all, you can spend the night on someone on the couch using such sites like CouchSurfing or the Hospitality Club. You’ll not only get a free bed, but also a free guide and maybe a great friend. "

Garfors also recommends leaving your suitcase at home.

"It’s convenient and you don’t have to pay for baggage. You just need to pack your things wisely. For five weeks I traveled only with hand luggage."

On May 8, 2013, Garfors arrived at the final destination of his journey and the last country on his list - Cape Verde - where he was accompanied by two brothers, a sister and 11 other friends. Although Gunnar's mother could not keep him company, in honor of such an event, she prepared a letter that his sister read to the traveler:

"Congratulations on the successful completion of the mission! For this, it took you a tremendous amount of time and money. We have been sharing you with the world for so many years," the letter said. And then a comic post followed: "But for you, your family is still in the first place, sometimes."

On his website, Garfors explains how he counted 198 countries:

"The UN includes 193 countries of the world. I count them all. There are also 2 UN observers - the Vatican and Palestine. Three additional countries are recognized by 195 of the above states. Therefore, I also consider Kosovo, Western Sahara and Taiwan."

After Garfors completed his journey of 198 countries, he decided to visit 19 countries in just one day.

Among them were Greece, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

One of Garfors's top travel tips is to smile.

“Suddenly you will receive an invitation to a party, dinner or hike in the mountains,” he says. “Now I smile a lot more often than before. And it seems to me that works. I was recently told that my image would be suitable for a postcard about happiness.”

Despite the fact that the young man visited 198 countries, he is devoted to his hometown, Garfors admitted that “although his attitude is a bit biased,” Norway remains his favorite.

The Norwegian also published a book entitled: "198: How My Country Run Out".

Watch the video: Quit My Job To Travel - 3 Years Later (May 2024).