Wisdom of a Solo Traveler Who's Been Everywhere

Written by: Thor Pedersen

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July 10, 2024

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Time to read 4 min

In this personal and informative travel blog series, Thor Pedersen will share the experiences and travel stories he learned during his epic journey of becoming the first person to visit every country in the world without flying. Thor's adventure both inspires and educates, offering valuable tips for solo travelers on embracing new experiences, overcoming challenges, and building connections with strangers.

Part One of solo traveling stories and tips on safety

My name is Thor Pedersen. I’m an adventurer and explorer from Denmark and in 2023I became the first person to reach every country in the world completely without flying. Today I continue to be the sole person to have accomplished that.

Less than 500 people have managed to visit every country, while more than 600 people have been to space and more than 6,000 have summitted Mt. Everest.

This journey took almost a decade to complete and covered 382,083km, which is akin to9.5 times around the equator or a journey to the moon. It was donesolely by surface journey using scheduled ground transportation, primarily trains, buses, and boats.

As a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross,I visited 199 countries out of the targeted 203 while raising funds and awareness. The journey became an education of unimaginable proportion, self-awareness and personal growth. I look forward to sharing some of my experiences with you.

"LUCKILY, NOT ALL STRANGERS ARE BAD "

There is indeed faith in humanity and human kindness. Allow me to share one of my favorite travel memories that beautifully illustrates how strangers can be genuine and kind.

I believe in formal education, but I also believe in the education we gain crossing borders, meeting people, and exploring new environments. Traveling helps us broaden our understanding of the world and the people we share it with.

Back in December 2013, I was getting ready to leave Warsaw in Poland. I had a three-hour train ride ahead of me to Suwalki, where I planned to spend the night before taking a bus to Lithuania the following day. The hostel I was staying at in Warsaw had assisted me in finding a host in Suwalki since I couldn't find any options online. I was informed that the man hosting me wasn't particularly friendly, but it was only for one night, so I didn't mind. The address had been written on a piece of paper, along with a phone number. As I didn’t have a SIM card, as I was trying to save money, my plan was to meet someone in Suwalki and ask for directions. However, when the train arrived late at night, there was nobody around to ask. It was snowing, dark, and there was no sign of life anywhere—only numerous snow-covered houses and cars.

I decided to walk in a random direction, but even after 15 minutes, I hadn't come across any people. Then, while I was standing at an intersection, a door suddenly opened 3-4 houses away from me. I hurried over to the door and saw a woman standing there. I greeted her and asked if she spoke English. "Yes, I do. I'm actually an English teacher," she replied. Well, that was lucky?! I proceeded to ask for directions, but she interrupted me, asking, "What on earth are you doing here?" After explaining that I was enroute to Lithuania, she suggested,"Why don't you just stay here? We can call the number and tell the man that you won't be coming."

I pondered for a little while, then I accepted her offer. Despite the late hour, she kindly prepared a late dinner for me, and we engaged in conversation. Her name was Maria. I spent the night in a guest bed, had breakfast the following day, and then Maria drove me to the bus terminal. She pointed at a bus and said, "That one will take you to Lithuania." We bid farewell and went our separate ways.

I cherish this story because it aligns with the motto I traveled with:

"A stranger is a friend you've never met before."

Whenever someone asks me what my top safety tips are for travelling, here’s what I tell them:

→ Avoid waving around large sums of cash.

→ Be cautious with expensive items: phones, jewellery, cameras etc.

→ Hide some emergency cash somewhere safe.

→ Try not to draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

→ Listen to local advice.

→ Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return.

→ Do not do anything which is illegal or frowned upon.

I have always travelled with padlocks on my luggage and with my Pacsafe gear for several reasons.

First of all,I believe that if my backpack is next to someone else's and mine is locked while the other one isn't, it becomes less likely that my backpack will be robbed as it creates more of a hassle for potential thieves. I also find that it reassures authorities at checkpoints and border crossings that I am in control of what is within my luggage. Padlocks and locking mechanisms also provide an extra layer of security in general.Finally, it makes it more difficult for smugglers to use me as a mule.Some smugglers employ a tactic where they discreetly place something in an unsuspecting person's luggage and wait for that person to clear security before retrieving the item themselves.

This risk is almost eliminated if the backpack is locked.Here’s my go-to anti-theft carry-on backpack: Pacsafe EXP35 Anti-Theft Travel Backpack.