Cassie De Pecol is no ordinary 27-year-old woman. An Entrepreneur, Athlete, Explorer, and Environmental Activist, she is always looking for new challenges and is now on the verge of creating history. Cassie wants to be the fastest woman in the world to travel all the 196 nations in 3 years and 3 months and she is pretty close to accomplishing the feat.
Out of 196 countries (193 sovereigns + Taiwan, Kosovo, and Palestine), she has already ticked off 181 and still has a month left to complete the remaining.
Her round the world journey and its blog titled ‘Expedition 196’ began last year in July 2015 and was a result of a thought she had on her 25th birthday.
So how does this 27-year-old manage to take her extraordinary round the world adventures?
A Peace Ambassador for International Institute Of Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) and Skal International, Cassie’s travels for a purpose. She meets and delivers speeches to University students of tourism about responsible tourism and economics.
Additionally, Cassie also works with adventurers and scientists for Water Conservation and collects samples for them to check for micro plastics.
Coming over to her travels..
Cost: On an average, Cassie spends about 2-5 days in each country So far Cassie has spent around $198,000 on her travels and has taken over 254 flights.
Sponsorship: Cassie also collects sponsorship from various organizations who believe in her cause and all of her sponsorship meetings are done during her travels only.
Hotel Stays: She also promotes sustainable eco-friendly hotels on her social media accounts in exchange for stays at their properties.
The rest of her journeys are done on a budget and includes making the most out of whatever each country has on offer!
What she adores about traveling the world?
The list is endless. From witnessing the grandeurs of the world to meeting and interacting with new people to delivering speeches, working for the environment, and sustainable tourism industry – Cassie enjoys the perks of being a solo traveler. Additionally, she loves wandering on her own, discovering spectacular and not so spectacular places and in general learning from the world around her.
The annoying bits
Cassie hates flying and waiting at the airports. During her travels, she may unexpectedly find herself at not so safe places or in sticky situations. Being harassed by the locals is another annoying situation that she encounters frequently during her travels.
Suggested Read: In Pictures: 20 Craziest, Most Dangerous Extreme Adventures Of The World
With a desire to see the world since school, Cassie’s reason behind her solo world journey stemmed from her country – America, a place which she herself describes as a melting pot of cultures.
Wanting to be the first documented woman to travel every country in the world, Cassie hopes to inspire women (and men!) from all spheres of life.
Her dream of seeing sustainable tourism adds incredible value to her endeavors and truly makes her a shining example for everyone who wants to enjoy a fruitful traveling experience and at the same time attach a purpose to their journey.
