The real reason I traveled to 196 countries | Cassie De Pecol | TEDxMileHigh

Summary

In this inspiring talk, the speaker recounts her unprecedented solo journey to 196 countries, breaking two Guinness World Records. She shares the meticulous planning, financial struggles, and the profound cultural experiences that shaped her worldview. From navigating visa challenges to overcoming personal battles with depression, her story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of travel, ultimately urging others to pursue their passions with dedication.

Takeaways

• 🌏 The speaker embarked on an unprecedented solo journey to all 196 countries, breaking two Guinness World Records in the process.
• 📝 To achieve the record, the speaker had to adhere to strict rules, including using only scheduled public transportation and proving her presence in each country with various documents.
• 🚫 Traveling to North Korea was highlighted as particularly challenging due to restrictions on using phones and credit cards, and the lack of passport stamps.
• 🕒 The rule limiting stays to 14 days in each country posed a significant challenge, especially when visa delays threatened the expedition in Yemen.
• 💰 The speaker had to devise creative funding methods, including business plans and an educational documentary, as she did not come from a wealthy background.
• 🗓 The planning for the trip, initially expected to take six months, actually took three years, highlighting the complexity of the endeavor.
• 🌈 The experience was described as a mix of exhilaration, exhaustion, fear, and enlightenment, emphasizing the personal growth and cultural discovery.
• 🤝 A powerful story of human kindness was shared from Cuba, where a taxi driver and his family offered help and hospitality during a financial crisis.
• 🌊 The speaker's travels allowed her to experience unique phenomena like swimming with whales in Tonga and the stark contrast of tranquility in Antarctica after enduring a treacherous passage.
• 🏆 The speaker's motivation for the expedition included making history, challenging misconceptions about women, and testing her physical and mental endurance.
• 💔 The underlying reason for the journey was a personal battle with depression and a desire to find purpose and make a positive impact on society.

Q & A

What unique achievement did the speaker accomplish that no other woman on the planet has done?

The speaker accomplished the unique feat of traveling alone to 196 countries and breaking two Guinness World Records.

What were the main challenges the speaker faced in terms of the Guinness World Record rules?

The speaker faced challenges such as only being allowed to take scheduled public transportation, not being allowed to drive a car during the record attempt, and having to prove her presence in each country through various means like photos, videos, tickets, and GPS coordinates.

How did the speaker document her presence in countries that do not stamp passports?

She collected photos, videos, countless tickets, GPS coordinates, signed witness statements, credit card bills, and phone logs as proof of her presence.

What was the most challenging rule for the speaker regarding the Guinness World Record attempt?

The most challenging rule was that she was not allowed to spend more than 14 days in any country, which was problematic due to unpredictable visa approval times.

What difficulties did the speaker encounter in Yemen that almost ended her expedition?

The speaker faced difficulties such as the U.S. Embassy not letting her in due to high terrorist activity and the Oman authorities not letting her out, risking her being stuck in Yemen.

How did the speaker fund her expedition, and why was it a necessity?

The speaker had to find creative ways to fund her expedition, including developing business plans, finding financial backers, vlogging, and filming an educational documentary, as she did not come from a wealthy background and had to put herself through college.

What was the emotional impact of the speaker's experience in Cuba when she had insufficient funds?

The speaker felt ashamed and broke down in tears on the side of the road because she could not pay the hotel or the taxi driver due to having insufficient cash and Cuba not accepting U.S. debit or credit cards.

How did the kindness of a Cuban taxi driver and his family impact the speaker?

The taxi driver and his family's kindness, offering her a place to stay when she had no money, deeply touched the speaker and reinforced her belief in the goodness of people.

What were some of the speaker's responsibilities and activities during her expedition?

The speaker spoke to over 16,000 students, collected water samples, planted trees to offset her carbon footprint, met with mayors and ministers, and filmed an educational documentary while using social media to showcase the beauty of different countries.

What personal struggles did the speaker face before and during her expedition?

The speaker faced struggles with depression and feelings of unexplained sadness, which she initially ignored and later had to learn to manage during her expedition.

What was the turning point for the speaker that led her to embark on the expedition?

The turning point was when the speaker hit rock bottom in Los Angeles, questioning her impact on society, and then deciding to pursue her passion for travel as a means to overcome her struggles.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Solo World Expedition: A Record-Breaking Journey

The speaker, a Guinness World Record holder, recounts her incredible 18-month solo journey to 196 countries, a feat no other woman had accomplished. She shares the meticulous three-year planning and fundraising process, the strict rules for record validation including the use of public transportation and the challenges of proving her presence in countries that don't stamp passports. She humorously highlights the difficulties of traveling in North Korea and the tense situation in Yemen that almost ended her expedition. The speaker also dispels misconceptions about her financial background, explaining her humble origins and the creative efforts to fund her trip, including business plans and an educational documentary.

05:02

💔 Overcoming Personal Struggles Through Travel

The narrative shifts to the speaker's personal battles with depression, which she initially ignored but later confronted during a month-long trip with her brother. Despite the public scrutiny and online harassment she faced after appearing on a reality TV show, she found solace and purpose in travel. Her expedition was not just about breaking records but also about managing her melancholy and discovering the inherent goodness in people across the globe. The speaker's experiences, from the kindness of a Cuban taxi driver's family to the breathtaking adventures in Tonga and Antarctica, have profoundly shaped her worldview.

10:02

🚀 From Rock Bottom to Inspiring the World

In the final paragraph, the speaker reveals the true, darker motivation behind her expedition: her struggle with depression and a near-suicidal episode. She emphasizes the transformative power of travel in her life, which helped her to not only manage her mental health but also to inspire and educate others. Despite financial setbacks and the fear of not surviving her journey, she persevered, driven by her commitment to her sponsors, family, and supporters. The speaker concludes with a call to action, urging everyone to find their passion and pursue it wholeheartedly, as she believes in the importance of taking the next step and growing through the journey.

Keywords

💡Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records is an organization that verifies and records the extremes of human achievement and natural wonders. In the context of the video, the speaker has broken two of these records by visiting 196 countries alone, which is a significant feat that underpins the theme of the video, showcasing personal achievement and exploration. The mention of the rules for the record highlights the rigorous standards and the meticulous planning required for such an endeavor.

💡Expedition

An expedition is a journey or voyage undertaken with a particular purpose, often involving exploration, discovery, or adventure. The video's theme revolves around the speaker's expedition to 196 countries, which is a central narrative that demonstrates the spirit of adventure, determination, and the pursuit of unique experiences.

💡Public Transportation

Public transportation refers to vehicles and systems that provide transportation to the public for a fee. In the script, the speaker mentions that as part of the Guinness World Record rules, she was only allowed to use scheduled public transportation to travel between countries, emphasizing the challenge of planning and adhering to specific modes of travel.

💡Documentation

Documentation is the process of providing written or photographic evidence to verify facts or events. The speaker had to document her presence in each country through various means, such as photos, videos, and GPS coordinates, which is crucial for proving her record-breaking journey and adds to the complexity of her expedition.

💡North Korea

North Korea is a country in East Asia, often known for its strict regulations and limited access for foreigners. The video uses North Korea as an example to illustrate the unique challenges faced during the expedition, such as the inability to use phones or credit cards, and the need for creative documentation methods.

💡Visas

A visa is an official document or stamp in a passport indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period in a country. The script discusses the unpredictability of receiving visas, which almost ended the expedition in Yemen, highlighting the logistical challenges and the need for adaptability in such a global journey.

💡Fundraising

Fundraising is the process of collecting money or other resources to finance a project or cause. The speaker had to find creative ways to fund her expedition, which included developing business plans and seeking financial backers, showing the entrepreneurial aspect of her journey and the necessity of financial planning for such an ambitious project.

💡Cultural Experience

Cultural experience refers to the personal encounters and interactions with the customs, traditions, and ways of life of different societies. The video emphasizes the value of individual experiences in each country visited, such as the speaker's transformative encounter in Cuba, which exemplifies the power of human connection and cultural understanding.

💡Depression

Depression is a common mental health disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. The speaker's personal struggle with depression adds a deeper layer to the narrative, revealing the internal battles and the role of travel as a means of coping and finding purpose.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The speaker used social media to showcase the beauty of different countries and inspire others, demonstrating the power of digital platforms in sharing experiences and influencing perspectives.

💡Legacy

Legacy refers to something that is handed down or received from one's predecessors, or the impact or influence one leaves behind. The speaker's desire to leave a positive legacy is a driving force behind her expedition, illustrating the importance of making a meaningful impact and inspiring others through one's actions.

💡Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was an American aviator and a pioneer in female aviation, known for her record-breaking flights and her inspirational quotes. The speaker quotes Earhart to emphasize the importance of taking action and the power of following one's passion, which ties into the video's theme of courage, determination, and the pursuit of one's dreams.

Highlights

Traveled alone to 196 countries, breaking two Guinness World Records.

It took three years to plan and raise money for the 18-month trip.

Had to follow strict Guinness World Record rules, like only using scheduled public transportation.

Documented presence in each country through photos, videos, tickets, GPS coordinates, etc.

Faced challenges like not getting visas on time, almost ending the expedition in Yemen.

Grew up without a lot of money, had to find creative ways to fund the expedition.

Spent countless hours developing business plans, finding backers, vlogging, and filming a documentary to fund the trip.

Describes the experience as exhilarating, exhausting, scary, and eye-opening.

Emphasizes the importance of personal experience rather than the number of countries visited.

Shares a touching story of a taxi driver in Cuba offering help and hospitality when she had no money.

Had over 196 life-changing experiences, gaining a unique perspective on every country visited.

Gave speeches to over 16,000 students, collected water samples, planted trees, and filmed an educational documentary.

Faced constant exhaustion, fear, and danger while traveling alone as a woman in many countries.

Shares a harrowing experience arriving at border control in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Despite the challenges, discovered the goodness in people all around the world.

The expedition started from a darker place, as a way to overcome depression and find purpose.

Encourages finding what brings excitement and devoting oneself to it, as it can lead to a beautiful and life-changing experience.

Inspiring message: The most effective way to do it is to do it, and the next step you take matters the most.

Transcripts

Translator: Susanne Fisch Reviewer: Cihan Ekmekçi

Who in their right mind would travel alone to 196 countries?

When someone finds out I've done something

that no other woman on this planet has done,

and broken two Guinness World Records,

they usually have a few questions for me.

They want to know how I pulled it off,

what my experience was like, and why I even did it in the first place?

Today, I'm excited to share with you

how it took me three years to plan and raise money

for the 18-month trip,

what my experience was like traveling alone as a woman,

and I'm going to talk about something I've never talked about publicly before:

the real reason why I did this expedition.

So how did I do it?

196 countries sounds easy enough, right?

I knew this expedition was going to be a huge endeavour,

and the first step was figuring out all the rules

for breaking a Guinness World Record.

There are so many rules, both big and small,

like how I was only allowed to take scheduled public transportation

to and from each country.

I wasn't allowed to drive a car while in the Guinness clock

and there were limitations as to how far I could travel in a taxi.

I also had to prove that I'd been in each country,

which is harder than you think.

Many countries throughout Europe and Central America don't stamp passports,

so I had to find different ways to document everything.

I collected photos, videos, countless tickets, GPS coordinates,

signed witness statements, credit card bills, and even phone logs.

Next time you go to North Korea, you can forget about bringing your phone.

They don't stamp passports, you can't use your credit card,

and Kim Jong Un is not going to give you an autograph.

(Laughter)

You can, however, send the pre-approved propaganda postcard

showing a fist crushing the pentagon.

(Laughter)

And then there was the most challenging rule of all:

I wasn't allowed to spend more than 14 days in the country.

This didn't seem like a big deal at first,

but I wasn't always able to predict when I'd receive my visas.

This rule almost ended my expedition in country number 196:

Yemen.

First, the U.S. Embassy wouldn't let me in due to high terrorist activity in Yemen,

and then the Oman authorities wouldn't let me out

due to the situation in Yemen.

I faced a major risk of being stuck on the mainland of Yemen.

But after two attempts of trying to cross the border,

I watched in the night as the rusted steel gates pushed back.

And I was finally let back into Oman.

But then the challenge came:

How do I pay for this expedition?

Most people think that I must be rich

or that I'm just this young blond American girl,

leisurely traveling the world, not having to do a single day of work.

But they couldn't be more wrong.

I didn't grow up in a family with a lot of money.

In fact, I had to put myself through college,

and I wasn't able to finish my degree because I couldn't afford it.

So I knew that with this expedition I'd have to find creative ways

with having to figure out how to fund it.

I spent countless hours developing business plans,

finding financial backers, vlogging, filming an educational documentary

so that I could pay for it all on my own.

Remember the time and effort it took you to plan your last vacation?

(Laughter)

Now imagine doing it 196 times and all on your own.

What I thought would take me six months to plan

actually took me three years.

So what was it like?

In four words: It was exhilarating, it was exhausting,

it was scary, and it was eye-opening.

Whether you've been to five countries or 150,

you probably have your own personal, unique experience related to each place.

We all have our own way of traveling and discovering a culture,

and it doesn't matter what you see or where you go;

what matters is your own experience while you're there.

Some people think that only spending a week or an hour in a country

doesn't allow you enough time to see it,

but if there is one thing I know to be true,

it's that just one brief experience can shape your whole life.

It was 11 p.m. on a Saturday night when I arrived in Cuba.

After traveling 12 miles in a taxi,

I realized I only had 20 dollars cash on me.

Cuba didn't accept U.S. debit or credit cards,

so when I got to the hotel,

I was unable to pay the hotel or the taxi driver.

I was so ashamed of the mistake that I'd made.

I rarely cry, but that night I just sat on the side of the road

and completely broke down.

The taxi driver came over to me and said something like,

(Spanish) "Yo tengo tres hijas. Yo entiendo. Ven."

And with my broken Spanish, I understood that to be something like:

"I have three daughters. I'd hate for them to be in your position.

You can come stay with my family for the night."

At first I refused, but then sheepishly agreed.

I didn't know what his wife would think of him

bringing home a young, blond American girl at midnight.

(Laughter)

But when we arrived to their little concrete home,

she greeted me with a kiss on the cheek and made the bed for me.

It wasn't until the next morning

when I saw her sleeping on a one-inch thick foam pad

on the kitchen floor with a floral sheet draped over her.

She had given me her own bed to sleep in.

I had experiences like this over 196 times.

I had just a taste of what every country in the world is like,

which for most people is unimaginable.

I know that non-muslim women can enter Saudi Arabia alone

and without covering their heads.

I know that you can swim with whales in Tonga,

and that you can cross the Drake Passage to Antartica

in 60-mph winds and 30-foot waves

only to find tranquility and penguins on the other side.

These experiences will forever shape my view of the world.

But while this expedition was exhilarating,

it was also quite exhausting.

I spoke to over 16,000 students on countless issues.

I collected water samples and planted trees

to offset my carbon footprint.

I met with mayors and ministers and filmed an educational documentary.

And I used social media

as a means to showcase the beauty of countries around the world,

and encourage others to travel in ways that they never had before.

But what you don't see on Instagram

is the constant exhaustion of working 15-hour days

or the raw fear that I felt.

I was a woman traveling alone.

And many countries that I traveled to were either inaccessible or dangerous

or both.

Imagine arriving to border control at 2:00 in the morning

in Mogadishu, Somalia,

and then getting into an armed vehicle surrounded by pick-up trucks

filled with men with machine guns.

Then imagine passing through four security gates

just to get to the compound,

and then them showing you to your room

and then nonchalantly pointing out the safe room

where you go in case you hear an explosion.

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to tell my family

if I'd be coimg home or when,

and we all knew that it was a possibility that I wouldn't make it back safely.

But I wouldn't trade these experiences for the world.

They were hard and scary, yes.

But I discovered the goodness in people all around the world.

Because of my expedition,

I've been featured in tons of news channels around the world,

and hundreds of thousands of newspapers, magazines and articles.

And when I only have 30 seconds to answer the "Why?" question,

this is what I tell them:

I saw the opportunity to make history by breaking a speed record.

I wanted to break down misconceptions about women,

and as a triathlete, I wanted to test my physical and mental endurance

while also experiencing as much of the world as possible.

I wanted to inspire others and enhance the world we live in,

and leave a positive legacy behind.

And while all of that is true,

this expedition actually started from a much darker place.

At the age of 13, I started feeling like something was off,

but I was never able to pinpoint it.

I didn't know why I was having these negative thoughts

or these feelings of unexplained sadness,

so I just ignored them as though they didn't exist.

And at the age of 21, I traveled with my brother for a month

and he began to notice this unusual pattern of melancholy.

He blatantly asked me: "Cassie, are you depressed?"

I became so defensive.

I completely diverted from him

and again just shoved these feelings aside.

I spent the next two years running away from my own truth.

But those thoughts never seemed to go away.

And in 2014, I was casted for a reality TV show

called "Naked and Afraid."

(Laughter)

The show pairs two strangers together

to survive naked in the wilderness for 21 days.

I'd never been on TV before,

and I saw this as an exciting opportunity to pull myself up.

(Laughter)

But I was not prepared for what came next.

The editing made me look like a useless villain

and worse, viewers agreed.

I received hundreds of thousands of hate messages and death threats

and still do to this very day.

I didn't know why so many people hated me or what I'd done wrong

when I just tried to do my very best.

I didn't know what to do next.

So I moved out to Los Angeles and picked up two babysitting jobs

working 85 hours a week just to make ends meet.

Eventually, I hit rock bottom,

and I felt like I had nothing else in me.

I sat on the cliffside in Malibu

and wondered if me being alive had any positive impact on society.

(Sigh)

But then I asked myself the question:

If I could do anything, what would it be?

Travel!

I still had feelings of melancholy

and unexplained sadness throughout the expedition,

but at least I had a reason to learn how to manage it

or attempt to overcome it.

But about a quarter of the way through the expedition,

I ran out of money, and I considered quitting.

And I realized I could not leave my commitments behind.

My commitments to my sponsors, to my family, to my supporters,

to everyone.

And I had to finish what I started.

When you're at that very last moment,

and everything around you is caving in,

what's that one thing that'll pull you out?

For me, that thing was travel,

and it ended up being a beautiful and life-changing experience.

We are given this magnificent minds and these powerful bodies

and it doesn't matter where you come from, your monetary status,

your religion, your age, how others judge you,

what your friends and family say you can or can't do.

It doesn't even matter what your dreams are.

None of that matters.

What matters is your truth.

You're either here on this earth for one more hour

or you're here for 100 more years,

but the beauty is you'll never know.

So like female record-breaker Amelia Earhart said,

"The most effective way to do it is to do it.''

Nothing else matters but the next step you take

and the respect and growth that you owe to yourself.

So find that one thing that brings you just a little bit of excitement

and devote yourself to it 150%.

In my experience, you won't regret it.

Thank you.

(Applause)