Adventurer Cassandr Pecol is a lady on a mission. Whereas the 27-year-old was raised in Connecticut and now calls California residence, she has devoted the final 15 months to wandering worldwide as a “world citizen” and an advocate for peace. She has visited an astounding 181 nations and is keen to test all 196 off of her record—a feat that may make her the primary feminine, youngest American, and quickest particular person to take action. Deemed Expedition 196, this ardor challenge reveals De Pecol’s empowering jet-setting journey.

Although De Pecol’s love of journey has been a lifelong affair, her wanderlust took off in 2009, when she and her brother traveled around Europe. What began as a tour of Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland ultimately became two years of journey throughout the Center East, Africa, South America and Asia. With solely $2,000 to her identify, De Pecol supported herself by “sweeping flooring, serving tables and planting seeds.” Six years later, on her 25th birthday, she determined she needed to do it another time—however this time, she needed to do it even larger. With a crinkled map, a Kickstarter campaign, and an objective of seeing each nation on earth, she set off on Expedition 196.

Since kicking off Expedition 196 on July 24, 2015, she has documented a wealth of invaluable moments—from fulfilling her dream of riding in a cockpit to experiencing the great kindness of a stranger in Cuba—on her Instagram. Given the excessive prices (almost $200,000 thus far) related together with her travels, De Pecol depends on the help of sponsors, and he or she typically makes use of her Instagram to showcase companies in trade for lodging—a savvy technique to globe-trot!

Whereas Expedition 196 helps a lot of De Pecol’s private targets—to develop her horizons, depart her consolation zone behind, and, in fact, expertise the myriad cultures the world has to supply—it serves a good bigger function: to advertise peace. Impressed by her enterprise, The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism has named DePecol as certainly one of their Ambassadors for Peace. As a consultant, she speaks to audiences (primarily college students) across the globe about sustainable practices and helpful environmental actions.

With solely 15 nations and fewer than 40 days to go, De Pecol is within the homestretch of her challenge. As Expedition 196 involves an in-depth, you’ll want to sustain together with her by way of her uplifting Instagram and her travel-inspired Twitter!

via Bright Side