If you have even the smallest of FOMO (fear of missing out) issues, it’s time to shutdown your electronic device because this 27-year-old on her way to make history is bound to make you envious.
What started off in July 15, 2015 for Cassandra De Pecol was not merely an expedition but an attempt at breaking the Guinness World Record as the ‘Fastest Person to Travel the World’ and also be the ‘First Woman’ to do so. She’s all set to break the record of Graham Hughes, who achieved the feat by visiting 193 sovereign nations at the age of 33; and of James Asqith who travelled all 196 countries in a span of five years and holds the record of being the ‘Youngest Person to Travel all the Sovereign Countries’ at the age of 24.
Hailing from the US city of Connecticut, Cassandra has spent the last 16 months ticking off from the list of 196 sovereign states at a rate one can only dream of. Travelbug Cassandra, who documents her travel experiences on Instagram as @expedition_196, has so far spent $209,060 which has included more than 250 flight tickets. Most of her expenses are either sponsored or have been in exchange for social media posts.
De Pecol, who has currently completed visiting 181 countries, is also filming her travel in all these places for a documentary. She is also an ambassador for the International Institute of Peace through Tourism (IIPT), and is collecting water samples from around the world for research aimed at tackling environmental challenges.
“For the better part of my late teens and early twenties, I travelled. After having completed three and a half years of college, I booked a one-way ticket and travelled across four continents and 26 countries,” De Pecol is quoted telling Traveller.
Cassandra, who wants to be the voice of the millennials to promote peace, is a triathlete who plans to spend her life in a cabin in British Columbia, Canada, to continue inspiring people and travelling.