In this inspiring travelogue, celebrated traveler and photographer Jessica Nabongo--the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 countries in the world--shares her journey around the globe with fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections. It was a daunting task, but Jessica Nabongo, the beloved voice behind the popular website The Catch Me if You Can, made it happen, completing her journey to all 195 UN-recognized countries in the world in October 2019. Now, in this one-of-a-kind memoir, she reveals her top 100 destinations from her global adventure.
Beautifully illustrated with many of Nabongo's own photographs, the book documents her remarkable experiences in each country, including:
- A harrowing scooter accident in Nauru, the world's least visited country,
- Seeing the life and community swarming around the Hazrat Ali Mazar mosque in Afghanistan,
- Horseback riding and learning to lasso with Black cowboys in Oklahoma,
- Playing dominoes with men on the streets of Havana,
- Learning to make traditional takoyaki (octopus balls) from locals in Japan,
- Dog sledding in Norway and swimming with humpback whales in Tonga,
- A late night adventure with strangers to cross a border in Guinea Bissau,
- And sunbathing on the sandy shores of Los Roques in Venezuela.
Along with beloved destinations like Peru and South Africa, you'll also find tales from far-flung corners and seldom visited destinations, including Tuvalu, North Korea, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Nabongo's stories are love letters to diversity, beauty, and culture--and most of all, to the people she meets along the way. Throughout, she offers bucket-list experiences for other travel-lovers looking to follow in her footsteps. For armchair travelers or readers planning a trip around the globe, this arresting collection will awe and inspire!