Counting Countries Counting Countries Extra

Joel Oleson has traveled to every country in the world

Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. You might know Joel from his flowing beard on social media. Joel is someone I have known of for years but virtually. And in fact, we ran into each other randomly on our travels in Central Africa. I speak with Joel and learn about his fascinating journey in life as well as Chasing 193. Joel was very candid during this conversation about subjects that some people will avoid such as family and his faith. This made our conversation richer and I appreciate that.


If you are a listener, you have heard this before … the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok. Discount code BANGKOK for $100, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the Extraordinary Travel Fest.


Why would you want to come? Some might say Bangkok, been there, done that. And that might be true. But have you been to every Nomad Mania region in Thailand or every UNESCO site, even the new one, Si Thep, announced in September? Or maybe you have missed Laos, Burma, or Brunei? All have direct and economical flights. Or even Bhutan or Bangladesh. Think of ETF as the hub and everywhere else the spokes of wherever you want to explore.

Don’t get #FOMO over 150 people are committed!

I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Lori Pastorelli, Gin, Philippe ‘JT’ Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine OTB Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, and Sam Williams for supporting this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My patrons will hear extra content with Joel that you will not hear.

Time for our monthly 193 Milestones Segment, where we recognize travel accomplishments in the community. Today, we will get updates from Mike Safo (check out his awesome podcast - the Mike Safo Podcast), Luc Jones, who I met in Armenia, and Chantal Patton, who travels as a 5 person family unit. You will hear their updates throughout the podcast. Let’s hear from my buddy Mike.

I will be asking for travelers to submit audio files to recognize travel accomplishments. To learn more follow the Counting Countries on IG and FB accounts and I will be making future call to actions. Here are a couple of milestones to recognize now.

And take a look at GlobalGaz.com and look for Joel’s Counting Countries podcast, I shared the photo of Joel walking over the “bridge” in CAR.

I was in Boston for this recording while Joel was in San Diego. Please listen in and enjoy.
Thank you to my Patrons - you rock!! …. Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, Dale Wursten, and Sam Williams.

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About Counting Countries
Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who’ve spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space.
Theme music for this podcast is Demeter’s Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi.
About GlobalGaz
Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and H

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $100.  . I believe there are 3 main pillars of why you might want to consider attending the ETF, this November in Bangkok.     First is the destination.  Maybe BKK might seem too common.  Well as a resident I would posit that this city offers so much beyond the Grand Palace, the Skybar and riding a tuktuk.  This is a true onion, you can keep peeling back more and more layers and keep on exploring.   Maybe you are missing some NM regions in thailand, maybe a funicular or the new UNESCO site, Si Thep.  Or you missed Laos or Brunei on your last visit. There are cheap flights to everywhere in ASEASN.  Or maybe catch a direct flight to Bangladesh, Bhutan or Kazakhstan.  There is so much to see here!   Second, is the content.  We have an incredible lineup of speakers.  More will be announced.  Please take a moment to look at the speakers on the ETF website.  Everyone from Thor Pedersen who went to every country without flying, or Renee Bruns who has explored over 130 countries in a wheelchair, or the Sultan Randy Williams, who invented his own country.   And last up, is the community, the network of extreme travelers whether you are chasing 193 or maybe enjoy Iraq more than Italy.  Then you have found your tribe.   So think of Bangkok as the hub for the event.  A hub with great infrastructure at great prices.  The spokes are everywhere in Thailand or the region you can visit easily.   Don't get FOMO, come join the 150 plus who have already committed.  And how many more will sign up in the next 6 months.  Should be a lot of people!    Feel free to go to the website, use code BANGKOK to save $100, and join us in Krung Thep this November.  If you have questions, reach out to me on SM, contact form on the website, or anywhere else.   Before I introduce my guest, a name from the past has reappeared.  William Simon Baekeland aka Jesse Simon Gordon aka William Gordon.   Maybe you do not know the back story.     William appeared on the scene years ago, a young, extremely well-traveled individual and the descendent of a billion-dollar fortune.  William won over some of the most experienced travelers and began to organize challenging trips for them.  In fact, I interviewed him for this .   Some of these trips took place, others didn’t, and refunds were scarce.   Harry Mitsisdis after a canceled trip put on his detective hat, and deduced that William Baekeland was really Jesse Simon Gordon from Birmingham, a product of limited means.  In short order, it was revealed that William/Jesse allegedly had fleeced over $800,000 from the travel community.  And I hosted another podcast , where several guests shared their experiences.     William/Simon then appeared to go dark … until now.   This episode was recorded a couple of weeks before the publication, so there will likely be more up to date news.  But it was discovered that William has relocated to Pitcairn Island and was working in some fashion for the government.    I was totally flabbergasted by this discovery.  Really.     William was hiding out in the most remote place in the world where he was most likely to be discovered.    I am sure we will learn a lot more in the future. First up is Marc Jorgensen, a traveler who recently passed his 100th country.  Marc has lived and worked in Brazil and also speaks Portuguese.  Marc and I discuss our joint southern African roadtrip.  Next up is Dima Zemsky.  Dima emigrated to the US from Ukraine as a teenager to start a new life in the states.  Dima is a member of the points community, and the spark of his travels began with a round the world trip.  And last, I speak with Matt Keffer.  Matt has leveraged his career and his business trips around the world into country counting.  He also was a working expat for three years in Germany.   With that in mind, I want to

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $100.  Reserve your place today.

I believe there are 3 main pillars of why you might want to consider attending the ETF, this November in Bangkok.  




First is the destination.  Maybe BKK might seem too common.  Well as a resident I would posit that this city offers so much beyond the Grand Palace, the Skybar and riding a tuktuk.  This is a true onion, you can keep peeling back more and more layers and keep on exploring.




Maybe you are missing some NM regions in thailand, maybe a funicular or the new UNESCO site, Si Thep.  Or you missed Laos or Brunei on your last visit. There are cheap flights to everywhere in ASEASN.  Or maybe catch a direct flight to Bangladesh, Bhutan or Kazakhstan.  There is so much to see here!




Second, is the content.  We have an incredible lineup of speakers.  More will be announced.  Please take a moment to look at the speakers on the ETF website.  Everyone from Thor Pedersen who went to every country without flying, or Renee Bruns who has explored over 130 countries in a wheelchair, or the Sultan Randy Williams, who invented his own country.




And last up, is the community, the network of extreme travelers whether you are chasing 193 or maybe enjoy Iraq more than Italy.  Then you have found your tribe.  


So think of Bangkok as the hub for the event.  A hub with great infrastructure at great prices.  The spokes are everywhere in Thailand or the region you can visit easily.




Don't get FOMO, come join the 150 plus who have already committed.  And how many more will sign up in the next 6 months.  Should be a lot of people! 




Feel free to go to the website, use code BANGKOK to save $100, and join us in Krung Thep this November.  If you have questions, reach out to me on SM, contact form on the website, or anywhere else.




Before I introduce my guest, a name from the past has reappeared.  William Simon Baekeland aka Jesse Simon Gordon aka William Gordon.




Maybe you do not know the back story.  




William appeared on the scene years ago, a young, extremely well-traveled individual and the descendent of a billion-dollar fortune.  William won over some of the most experienced travelers and began to organize challenging trips for them.  In fact, I interviewed him for this podcast.   Some of these trips took place, others didn’t, and refunds were scarce.




Harry Mitsisdis after a canceled trip put on his detective hat, and deduced that William Baekeland was really Jesse Simon Gordon from Birmingham, a product of limited means.  In short order, it was revealed that William/Jesse allegedly had fleeced over $800,000 from the travel community.  And I hosted another podcast The William Baekeland Controversy, where several guests shared their experiences.  




William/Simon then appeared to go dark … until now.




This episode was recorded a couple of weeks before the publication, so there will likely be more up to date news.  But it was discovered that William has relocated to Pitcairn Island and was working in some fashion for the government. 




I was totally flabbergasted by this discovery.  Really.  




William was hiding out in the most remote place in the world where he was most likely to be discovered. 




I am sure we will learn a lot more in the future.

First up is Marc Jorgensen, a traveler who recently passed his 100th country.  Marc has lived and worked in Brazil and also speaks Portuguese.  Marc and I discuss our joint southern African roadtrip.  Follow him here on IG.

Next up is Dima Zemsky.  Dima emigrated to the US from Ukraine as a teenager to start a new life in the states.  Dima is a member of the points community, and the spark of his travels began with a round the world trip.  Don't miss out on his IG posts.

And last, I speak with Matt Keffer.  Matt has leveraged his career and his business

Nabil Kazi has traveled to 129 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to share my conversation with Nabil Kazi.  I connected with Nabil Kazi back in 2021 when he suggested a guest (Nick Butter - episode 95) for Counting Countries.  I guess everything comes full circle as Nabil is a guest on this episode. Nabil and I have been in contact ever since and even connected in person for dinner in Bangkok at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Charlie Browns.  Nabil has had two distinct chapters in his adult life.  Chapter One, an executive in the land of Hollywood and Chapter Two, as a full time traveler.  Maybe we can get some behind-the-scenes Hollywood insights.   Some of you might have heard the tragic news from Bamiyan in Afghanistan.  Nabil and I touch on this but while editing there are some greater details.  Apparently, a tour provider from our 193 community brought a group to Afghanistan.  Three Spaniard travelers and three Afghan locals were shot and killed.  In additional six travelers and Afghans were also injured.  Just a reminder when you ask in a conversation or online, “is it safe?” and many people respond, “I just went it is very safe, just go!”.  Remember it was very safe for that traveler, on that specific day, time, and location.  This is a country of 40 million and 250,000 square miles.  That traveler is not a security expert on Afghanistan.   If you are a listener, you have heard this before … the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok.  Discount code BANGKOK of $100, so please purchase your ticket today to lock in your savings at the . Just a reminder for those who are coming or thinking of coming that we will be hosting the NomadMania Awards live in Bangkok on Sunday evening.  This is the great event that NM has been streaming on YouTube for the last several years.  This is a great opportunity to get together and recognize some travelers who are making a difference.  Don’t forget, Sunday evening, November 17 this year.   I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Lori Pastorelli, Gin, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, and Sam Williams for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear extra content with Wee Cheng that you will not hear.   And remember, we have a new feature on Counting Countries.  The idea is to celebrate wins in the 193 community and involve more people.  The inspiration came from my friends at Club 100 from Sweden.  They have been recognizing milestones on their great IG account - .  So make sure you follow along.  Today, we will get updates from Ted Nims, Justine “off the beaten path” Kirby, Raiiq Ridwan (former guest and ETF speaker).  You will hear their updates throughout the podcast.  Let’s listen to one now.     I will be asking for travelers to submit audio files to recognize travel accomplishments.  To learn more follow the Counting Countries on and accounts and I will be making future call to actions.  Here are a couple of milestones to recognize now.  And take a look at Nabil’s page on GlobalGaz.com Counting Countries page.  I share his Pakistani passport from when he was a small kid.     I was in Boston for this recording while Nabil was in Cali. Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my - you rock!!  ….  Adam Hickman, Barry Hoffner, Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Steph Rowe, Lori Pastorelli, Gintaute Liutkeviciute, Philippe Izedian, Sunir Joshi, Jorge Serpa, Justine Kirby, Phil “Marmaduke” Marcus, Sonia Zimmermann, Katelyn Jarvis, Carole Southam, Per Flisberg, Dale Wursten, and Sam Williams.

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $120.  .  The discount will be reduced starting in May, lock in your savings and buy now. Want to go to Bhutan?    Or you can join us on a tour to. I was fortunate to secure Richard Barrow as a speaker for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Richard has been living in Thailand since the mid-1990s.  He is one of the most knowledgeable individuals and a trusted source for all things Thailand for both the expat community and travelers coming to the region.   Make sure you follow up on Facebook or Twitter with him.

Hey now! You are getting this episode early. Thanks for your support.

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $120.  Reserve your place today.  The discount will be reduced starting in May, lock in your savings and buy now.

Want to go to Bhutan?  Join us on our side trip to Bhutan.  Or you can join us on a tour to UNESCO Thailand.

I was fortunate to secure Richard Barrow as a speaker for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Richard has been living in Thailand since the mid-1990s.  He is one of the most knowledgeable individuals and a trusted source for all things Thailand for both the expat community and travelers coming to the region.   Make sure you follow up on Facebook or Twitter.