00:00:17: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

00:00:19: And hello everybody to the seventh last edition of our little podcast Beyond Business here at the ITB Berlin Congress!

00:00:29: Today it's the last day on ITB.

00:00:31: we're already in the afternoons off The Last Day and the ITBConvention.

00:00:37: During the last three days We heard a lot of talking tons of talking about travel management Travel digitalization AI Profits, optimization travel customer habits business models everything.

00:00:53: So but now I'm very glad to have somebody who's not talking about traveling.

00:00:58: he is actually a traveler and we could say He Is A Real Traveler.

00:01:03: Welcome Mr Tor Pedersen from Denmark.

00:01:05: Thank

00:01:06: you Tor

00:01:07: Pederson.

00:01:07: is Somebody Who Has Travelled All Countries Of This Planet Within?

00:01:13: i think within ten Years?

00:01:15: Yes.

00:01:15: Which is crazy enough, but he did it without using a plane?

00:01:20: Welcome here on our podcast!

00:01:22: So of course the first question how do you come up with such a crazy idea traveling all planets without a

00:01:27: plane?!

00:01:30: Well... The short answer was I was very crazy and that's kind-of-enough But in little bit an extension.

00:01:38: i received then email from my father followed link And found out no one in history had gone to every country in the world completely without flying.

00:01:48: And that was so significant for a thirty-four year old version of me back in two thousand and thirteen, uh... That I just had to do it

00:01:57: Okay?

00:01:57: You completed one or two years ago

00:02:00: A couple of years ago yes In July twenty-twenty three Since

00:02:04: you are back Maybe be back into more normal life Or kind of an ordinary life now.

00:02:10: There's a little bit of both, you know.

00:02:12: So I have a daughter now and she is one year in three months.

00:02:16: so i'm changing diapers and bringing her to daycare And... You know..I am sleeping on the same bed as my wife and waking up next to my wife.

00:02:23: In that sense it´s normal?

00:02:25: Yeah!

00:02:26: It´s not normal because im getting invited to crazy places around the world and Im asked to go speak at different places.

00:02:34: I had all sorts activities I never dreamt about or would ever have in life.

00:02:38: Because what I did?

00:02:39: What are the most common question people asking you when they hear about your story?

00:02:44: what's the most asked questions that you get from people here in your experience.

00:02:49: I got a range of questions, so some people curious how i'm coping mentally if it is easy to return back into normal life or still looking at the window and look at horizon.

00:03:01: Some people want know how did financially.

00:03:04: Some people are asking what's my favorite country, and some people ask me if I was in danger.

00:03:11: There're different questions from different people.

00:03:13: Do you think that your projecting a lot or other people projecting on you?

00:03:19: It raises a lot of fantasies and people would think, oh I also would love to do that or is it something like that?

00:03:25: I find the people fall into two groups.

00:03:28: One side would be people who think what i did was absolutely amazing an incredible... ...and they're very curious about the achievement And the other group will be people sort-of say okay.. ..I could do that if didn't have wife & child.

00:03:41: If wanted to this then he just went travelling for almost ten years complete freedom.

00:03:47: And the reality is, that project was something completely different from ordinary travel and tourism.

00:03:53: But it's difficult for people to relate with.

00:03:56: So you did a lot of planning in advance?

00:03:58: Yes I did quite alot of planing in advance... ...and then a lot work on my way as well!

00:04:08: The first country after Denmark would be Germany and then I'd go Netherlands, continue to Belgium in Luxembourg.

00:04:14: And so on... ...I knew that i would start Europe and finish off the Pacific.

00:04:20: There were some strategic ideas behind how the route needed it look like.. ..I was travelling as a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross.

00:04:31: I met with the Red Cross globally promoting humanitarian work, so this was a part of it.

00:04:37: And I had some idea about how we would be sharing the journey on social media when i left home but this gradually changed and developed to more platforms than what i started out with

00:04:47: you mentioned.

00:04:48: yet though You are an member of an adventurer club which seems to be very exclusive club.

00:04:53: What kind of Club is in?

00:04:54: How do you qualify for that?

00:04:55: What's the qualifications To become a Member Of That Kind Of Club?

00:04:59: So

00:05:00: I think the Adventurers Club in Denmark is the answer to the Explorers' Club, maybe.

00:05:09: In Denmark it's perhaps the most exclusive club we have in Denmark by invitation only And the process is very, very long and difficult.

00:05:18: There are one hundred and nineteen members today... ...and there have been less than five-hundred members since it was formed in nineteen thirty eight.

00:05:27: So its a group.

00:05:28: we have nice big round table.. ..and meet up every Tuesday!

00:05:33: The only astronaut from Denmark is member of the club.

00:05:37: We had these long distance cyclists that go across Pakistan Afghanistan India.

00:05:43: We have glaciologists.

00:05:45: So we have a lot of people that are interested in the poles on this planet and exploring undiscovered territory now, so snow and ice is melting they will be first to arrive one site.

00:05:55: see what can find.

00:05:57: it's big mix highly adventurous people as well, who have been in many interesting parts of the world where things have been happening.

00:06:08: It's a big mix of very interesting characters

00:06:10: and it is basically club for socializing and exchange?

00:06:14: Yes!

00:06:15: A place that like-minded people can come together to exchange ideas and get inspired and inspire each other.

00:06:24: I would love to talk about the experience of travelling but not the usual stuff like language problems.

00:06:33: or you have people who want to rip your off, some silly bureaucrat that gives you a hard time.

00:06:39: I would rather know more about emotional stuffs things which might be stressful and really testing for your inner constitution Like for example... You've been on the road mostly or ship or whatever.

00:06:54: no banana plane But traveling ten years is an amazing thing long time.

00:07:00: and what I think, What about boredom?

00:07:03: Does this appear as boredom problem.

00:07:06: No no boredom is certainly not a problem Or maybe actually a little bit when it gets easy.

00:07:12: So if you've been traveling in some really complicated parts of the world where paperwork, bureaucracy and logistics takes up a lot of time... ...and then get so frustrated that suddenly goes somewhere super-easy….

00:07:24: …then a little border might enter.

00:07:26: but no generally!

00:07:27: It's an incredible workload just securing all the tickets and paperwork, moving forward.

00:07:34: Of course you spend a lot of time in transportation.

00:07:37: In my case I was spending some time meeting with Red Cross and humanitarian organizations promoting this social media also promoting every country in the world in a positive sense.

00:07:48: So there wasn't really room for boredom.

00:07:50: And then I was in a long-distance relationship with the woman that I love, she was at home when I left and fortunately she came back as well.

00:07:57: we got engaged and married two times while I was travelling and married third time after coming back.

00:08:04: But no, so to touch upon one of the aspects of doing it for so long I have met a tremendous amount of travelers as i was going through The world.

00:08:12: I was often staying at hostels and Sometimes I go through popular countries where you see a lot Of backpackers in so on And I would often meet people who were traveling For three months four months or six months?

00:08:23: It's quite common actually.

00:08:25: some People are travelling for A year But in each case, if it's six months or one year when I meet them at the end of these periods they're ready to go home.

00:08:33: They have experienced enough for now... ...they need to re-charge and then visit again.

00:08:39: some other point To see people travel continuously is unheard of.

00:08:44: Most people do one year, and then it's

00:08:46: like finding a unicorn.

00:08:48: It just doesn't really happen.

00:08:50: And if they're traveling for two years Then its because They stopped somewhere For maybe three months or four months Working at a farm Or working in a hostel Somewhere Something Like this But not constantly moving with the backpack.

00:09:01: That Really Just Doesn't Happen.

00:09:03: My breaking point was about Two Years.

00:09:05: Mentally I thought The entire project would take Four Years Or Less And ended up taking Almost Ten.

00:09:12: So the further I got into it, harder had gotten for several reasons.

00:09:17: There were three ground rules of a project.

00:09:20: One was that i couldn't fly at any point whatsoever.

00:09:23: Another one would have to be minimum twenty four hours in every country.

00:09:27: And third which made this really hard Was if could not return home until last country or quit the project.

00:09:34: The farther away from me It got harder and harder like building a card house That when you put down the first two cards, it doesn't matter if they fall.

00:09:43: There's no investment.

00:09:44: You just put them again and you build one layer in the next layer.

00:09:47: And when you get to the top cards your hands are shaking and if it falls down?

00:09:51: You have to start from the beginning Again.

00:09:53: so the element of stress with having traveled for six years seven years eight Years all is just missing.

00:09:58: ten countries five countries If something goes wrong because

00:10:01: we were tempted to give up or

00:10:02: attempted to give Up.

00:10:04: this was one element.

00:10:06: and then You have this discussion with a future version of yourself where you say, okay the person I am today right now.

00:10:14: I want to give up?

00:10:15: I don't see any value in this.

00:10:16: but then what happens when i go home?

00:10:18: will three months pass?

00:10:20: and Then I start questioning why did I give up?

00:10:22: was it really so hard?

00:10:23: So this discussion exists But there's also the longer It takes.

00:10:26: does a risk that someone That you love back home falls ill gets hit by A car?

00:10:32: or maybe someone old goes to the hospital, and then you have choose between if your going finalize the goal that was set out on years before or return home with what one cares about.

00:10:45: Another issue of course is I married when i left when i came back when i was forty-four.

00:10:53: imagine my wife aged at same rate.

00:10:56: so it's like a distance relationship.

00:10:59: she would come visit on & off.

00:11:00: she visited twenty seven times.

00:11:02: But the point is that if she got pregnant five years before I come home, then i came home to a five-year old child.

00:11:09: And this was not acceptable for her!

00:11:12: We had to wait until the entire project finished and maybe it's too late to start our family?

00:11:16: I have to look at my list of stressful emotions.

00:11:19: so loneliness probably wasn't another problem because you were in a relationship...

00:11:24: So loneliness can be in different ways..I was never socially lonely.

00:11:31: I was constantly near some people.

00:11:33: I was in a completely packed bus or at the hostel, someone's family.

00:11:38: but there is loneliness that...I think people can relate to going to a party and the room is full of people And for some reason you feel completely alone at the party.

00:11:47: That's the loneliness i was experiencing.

00:11:49: often.

00:11:53: Anyone who would see me, with my hat and beard in the backpack can say okay he's just a tourist.

00:11:58: He is just a traveler.

00:11:59: but reality was that I hadn't been home for many years That i had gone over and above to accomplish what I did.

00:12:06: Three of the ships I traveled on were at bottom of sea.

00:12:09: I have cerebral malaria.

00:12:10: I held gunpoint all this stuff before coming meet people And I was only carrying one story.

00:12:17: So I felt alone so people could not relate

00:12:23: Other side of the spectrum off emotion besides seeing your girlfriend or you wife during these ten years.

00:12:30: What are the most joyful experience all the most joyful moments?

00:12:35: You had where you felt to go really happy or blissful.

00:12:39: it's going to sound very strange but because this was a project which was based on achievement And each new country I reached was achievement, and reaching the final country would obviously be the ultimate achievement within it.

00:12:52: There's great joy in getting a difficult visa or crossing a border... ...or making this progress coming on board ship when i knew that this is very difficult.. ..or working for long time.

00:13:02: So

00:13:03: bureaucrats can create such a joint by giving you a visa?

00:13:08: Essentially reaching your goal!

00:13:09: that this is a project with all the countries in the world and every country was sort of like, uh...a small goal within.

00:13:16: So there was definitely joy in it.

00:13:18: There's also a lot of joy in conversations with people around the world And a lot these conversations were very rich.

00:13:25: Some of those conversation would go for many hours.

00:13:28: sometimes I wouldn't get enough sleep because just goes through night.

00:13:31: So these conversations were very powerful, and they gave me immense joy.

00:13:35: Every time my wife came to visit me.

00:13:37: there was a lot of happiness within that when we got engaged or married.

00:13:42: There is happiness in it A few times.

00:13:44: I reached the country where i just took back on how beautiful It all Was To Me And you know We see beauty In different ways.

00:13:52: but so to My eyes i felt like wow this Is completely Different level Of Beauty In This Country.

00:13:58: That Would also Fill My Heart With Happiness.

00:14:01: How did you see the world and mankind ten years ago before you started?

00:14:07: And how do you see The World, and Mankind today.

00:14:10: What's so different in viewing at life than the world we're all

00:14:14: in?".

00:14:15: Yeah I love that question!

00:14:17: So...I know for a fact.

00:14:19: when i left on the tenth of October two thousand thirteen We had designed a project where the motto was A Stranger is a Friend You've Never Met Before.

00:14:28: And we stuck with that.

00:14:30: I say, We had some friends help me in the beginning.

00:14:32: so The reason we took that is because it sounded like this might be right but i didn't know That This was Right.

00:14:39: and at the point when I came back home?

00:14:41: I knew for a fact that this Is true.

00:14:43: I Came Home and I looked At the world map and I realized that I have not been to A single country In the World where I Had Not met someone who helped or supported Me in one way of the other showed me kindness in One Way Or the Other.

00:14:55: And then I came to look at that as a reversed lottery, where in normal lottery you know your going lose.

00:15:03: The chances are completely against you.

00:15:04: there's chance of winning but expect losing.

00:15:07: and with me when i think about the world people expect win all around the world.

00:15:12: So would you say have more confidence than ten years ago because so many friendly helpful people everywhere?

00:15:19: Well unfortunately.

00:15:21: Well, this can quickly get political.

00:15:23: Yes?

00:15:24: But the unfortunate element...

00:15:25: We're not getting into politics!

00:15:26: No

00:15:26: no but so The unfortunate elements with people is that a lot of the kind people they have no real power.

00:15:33: So you play football with children.

00:15:36: You're invited for a meal, go for a walk with nice man somewhere... ...you go into the forest and are guided by beautiful animals.

00:15:45: And these people complain about those same things that we do That there is evil in this world.

00:15:52: There's nothing they can really do about it.

00:15:55: What does state of the word have confidence?

00:15:58: It's difficult because As a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross, I was plugged into humanitarian work around the world.

00:16:07: The reality is that the Red Cross only needs it because things are not what they're supposed to be.

00:16:15: So I was very aware of all the humanitarian work there is in the world.

00:16:19: And my project on its own, it's to promote every country and a positive way looking for good things like food culture history sites so that this balance between the yin yang of it... ...I have a lot confidence.

00:16:33: people are more confident about the negative aspects of our world.

00:16:40: Three

00:16:40: simple advices for the global traveler.

00:16:44: What would you guess?

00:16:45: Well, a very simple one.

00:16:46: Would be try to learn little bit of the local language and then use it every chance you get.

00:16:51: It brings so much joy to people generally when they can see that your trying.

00:16:57: And don't be afraid just Try to pronounce at best way you can Then laugh with people You know.

00:17:03: So That will be advice.

00:17:05: Another advise is look yourself as an ambassador A village you've never been before.

00:17:13: You're going to a country of Never Been Before.

00:17:15: the people who meet maybe they never met anyone from your country.

00:17:19: so make it really good impression so that when I think about your country, They Think About Something Good.

00:17:23: Be at Your Best Behavior Remember That You Are A Guest and then The Third Thing Would be too to get into conversations as much as possible and forget your phone a little bit, you know put it in your pocket or that

00:17:36: would be important.

00:17:37: In these days right for getting the phone?

00:17:39: Well the phone is an important tool in general when you're traveling.

00:17:42: It's very useful from many things but i can get in the way of having real meaningful experiences.

00:17:47: so sometimes put it away or leave behind.

00:17:50: I remember writing on a wall in a hostel in Amsterdam which has saw several years ago And its said A true traveler has seen more than he can remember.

00:18:03: Memory is a tricky subject sometimes, are you in control of all your memories during these ten years?

00:18:09: Do you pep the protocol or do you have diaries and what's it like on your brain?

00:18:14: I wrote a blog almost weekly throughout this so... A lot was supposed to be remembered for me!

00:18:23: Reality is that i remember different things from other days.

00:18:27: Sometimes I smell something or see something and remember in Angola.

00:18:31: Or something in Chile, or something in Cyprus... Once someone will contact me on social media to say do you remember me?

00:18:39: And look at the name of my photo!

00:18:42: Then two minutes later there's a picture with an arm around this person.

00:18:48: so now i need to find

00:18:51: it.

00:18:51: Your address book must be pretty big

00:18:53: right?!

00:18:53: My address book is quite impressive.

00:18:56: I have kings and queens in my address book at this point, the secretary-general of The Red Cross globally many interesting people.

00:19:04: So you need a secretary to manage that all right?

00:19:06: You can do it by yourself.

00:19:08: Yes yes

00:19:09: i'm tempted To ask what would be your favorite country but i think This might Be an unfair question because It is.

00:19:19: Uniqueness in every country and exposing one country might be not too fair to all the other countries, right?

00:19:26: If you would say something... You can say some stuff!

00:19:29: I get this question quite often.

00:19:30: so...

00:19:32: And

00:19:32: it's a really valid question and i have an Norwegian friend who has been to every country two times.

00:19:38: he says that this question the one who's getting asked a question, but the ones asking because it is looking for tips to go travel.

00:19:49: I will ask that differently and this would be our last question if you were a space traveller through technology and meet an alien and find the same language.

00:19:59: The aliens say they are tourists in space.

00:20:01: so we're going visit Earth But i have very limited time And can only visit one country on this strange planet earth.

00:20:09: Which country do you recommend?

00:20:11: Because your human

00:20:12: I'll say, come to Denmark.

00:20:15: I love that answer!

00:20:16: It's

00:20:16: perfect.

00:20:17: Mr.

00:20:18: Thorpeidersen there was such a pleasure having me here on the last day of ITB and i liked the last answers.

00:20:24: they were perfect.

00:20:25: thank you very much.

00:20:26: it

00:20:26: sure is very much mine Thank You.