Around The World In 18 Months

Cassie De Pecol Came Away From a Trip to 196 Countries Humbled

- Lakshmi Sankaran

The town of Hawf along Yemen’s border with Oman is as innocuous as places go—it’s a hot and dusty dryland that’s not exactly teeming with people. But on February 7 this year, that little spot must have felt like the centre of the universe to Cassie De Pecol. Dressed in a black top, billowing loose grey pants and head covered in a black shawl, there she was, exhausted yet exultant at capping 18 months and 10 days of travel.

De Pecol had visited 195 countries in the world and Yemen was her 196th and final stop on this whirlwind expedition. As a fitting coda to this journey, she was welcomed into a local family’s home with food. Later, in her concluding note on her blog, she would describe that meal of fish, rice, salad and home-made sauces in glowing terms and thank those strangers whom she had trusted her life with.

Touching down in every country is not impossible in today’s hyper connected times. But it’s still a daunting prospect. The 28-year-old’s feat made her the fastest American woman to do so. The caveat was that she became the fastest documented woman to accomplish this—she kept meticulous proof and records of her presence in every nation.

“This project was more than just about following my dreams,” she says in an email conversation from Hong Kong. “I wanted to commit to something greater than myself.” During the trip, which cost $111,000 (approx. ₹71,60,000) to fund, De Pecol travelled solo. But more than the voyage itself, it was marshalling resources beforehand that took maximum effort.