• Extraordinary Travel Festival
• How Many Countries Are There In The World video
• Support Counting Countries at Patreon
• The new Counting Countries Merch Store

Mette and I had been connected on Facebook via Every Passport Stamp, but we recently crossed paths in Jeddah for an evening of dinner and shisha with a group of extreme travelers.    We were connected by former guest Henrik Jeppesen who was aware that both of us were traveling in KSA.  While I was aware that Mette was a seasoned traveler, over dinner I heard more of her stories and thought she would be a great fit for Counting Countries.  

After my conversation with Mette, I will be checking in with Thor Pedersen again, of Once Upon A Saga.  I have been documenting Thor’s journey to every country in the world and all of the challenges he has been facing with this pandemic.  You will hear a snippet of this conversation but my patrons will hear the entire conversation.  

The next episode will be the 100th episode.  Our first episode was in 2016.  I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons:  Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, and Adam Hickman for supporting Counting Countries. They help pay for the production of this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries.  You can also support Counting Countries be writing a review or sharing this podcast with a travel lover. 

I have already interviewed three Danes, Henrik Jeppesen, Jakob Oster, and Thor Pedersen, yet I thought Mette’s lived travel experiences provided a unique voice.  Mette shared a very candid explanation of the changes she made in her life to Chase 193.  Mette also travels constantly with her children, who have racked up impressive numbers.  We have a wide ranging conversation, everything from the Danish Travel Club to Nomad Mania to Every Passport Stamp, while name checking extreme travelers like Ramblin Randy, David Yang, and Lucy Shoe.    

As many of you have heard, Stefan Kraswoski and I have teamed up to host the Extraordinary Travel Festival, the world’s largest gathering of accomplished travelers. This will take place in Yerevan, 2022.  We are excited to produce this event to help grow our community while organizing great events, and hosting some amazing experiences.  Please go to ExtraordinaryTravelFestival.com to see our speakers, our sponsors, and some of the trips we are hosting.  Check back often since there are frequent updates.  If buying a ticket, please use code ETF to save $50.  Hope to see you in Yerevan.     

I was in Chicago for this recording while Mette was in Copenhagen.   Please listen in and enjoy.   

Thank you to my Patrons …. Phillip Jones, Thor Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims.

More About Mette Ehlers Mikkelsen Counting Countries:

• Born: Denmark
• Passports: Hold Danish passports 
• Book: Kronisk Rejsefeber volume 1-2-3 - Cronical TravelAddiction - a Danish series of books with the selected best travel stories written and published by member of the Danish Travelers Club during the 25 years, the Club has existed. I have an article in each volume on Faroe Islands, Libya and Sudan 
• Film: David Attenborough - everything. For cozy weekend: Eat, pray, love. TV: Danish television on Danish Diplomats from 2021 
• App: BEEN, Polarsteps, Danish MFA. Sustainable: TripDoodler 
• Must carry: The purse to organize all passports and vaccine documents for me and my children by Swedish Ordning and Reda 
• Food: Try all local as principle - spiders in Cambodia, bat in Palau before covid 
• Drink - Ecuador whisky in Scotland as it was Al Capone’s favorite - admire they got permission to export it to the USA during the period where this was forbidden 
• Hotel: Guldsmeden. Dragon Fly 
• Airline: SAS
• Blog: www.expandingourhorizon.net
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/expandingourhorizon/

About Counting Countries

Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who’ve spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space.

Theme music for this podcast is Demeter’s Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. 

About GlobalGaz

Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl.  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia.  

Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com

How Many Countries Are There?

Well… that depends on who you ask! 

• The United Nations states that there are 193 member states.
• The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories.
• The Traveler’s Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands.
• The Most Traveled Person states that there are 949 unique parts of the world.
• The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions. 
• SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world.  
• Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way.

An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori.  

Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if from some of these links like if you order from Amazon/Agoda/etc. Or book a trip through G Adventures.  PS  Thanks!