COUNTING COUNTRIES EXTRA

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Counting Countries

Ric Gazarian

Chasing 193, one of the most exclusive clubs on Earth. In fact, more people have been to outer space than have earned their way into this, the ultimate travel club. According to the United Nations there are 193 sovereign nations in the world. Welcome to the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to them all. Welcome, to Counting Countries. With your host, Ric Gazarian.

  1. 1D AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    Brian Johnson … Slightly Bigger Office

    Entire conversation out a couple of days early Brian Johnson has been to 128 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. In this episode, I have the pleasure to speak with traveler Brian Johnson. I met Brian twice in the last two years, first at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok in November of 2024 and 12 months later in the Omo Valley as we escaped a hot zone of Marburg Virus, more on that later. Brian’s stories of overlanding in Africa in the 1990s caught my attention and I realized he would be an interesting guest. And here we are … I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons. You know them, you love them! Bisa “fully nomadic” Myles, Ted Nims, Adam “one-away” Hickman, Steph “Phuket” Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu and Ryan Knott for supporting this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My patrons will hear the entire conversation with Brian. Please remember the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be on October 22-25 in 2026. You can join the event and use code BANGKOK to save $110 (for a couple more days and then the discount will be reduced) for this incredibly packed event. I am excited to announce a new day experience. We have partnered with Blue Elephant who has been hosting cooking classes since the 1980s and will be setting up a special school for us at a 80 year old Thai home in a garden oasis just minutes from our event. Check out Extraordinary Adventures on the website. Consider joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the ETF newsletter. Any questions, please let me know. I was in Chicago while Brian was in San Francisco for this recording. Please listen in and enjoy. Thank you to my Patrons - you rock!! … Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu, and Ryan Knott. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! More about Brian Johnson Counting Countries: Instagram Hey Brian Website And check out Thor Pedersen: The Impossible Journey (Amazon US Kindle (affiliate)): https://amzn.to/46pRuDi Other book options: Thor Pedersen | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree 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 Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories.

    2h 8m
  2. DEC 16 · BONUS

    Extraordinary Travel Festival III Update III – Matt Gray Of Pangea

    Join the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok, October 22-25, 2026. Use code BANGKOK to save on your ticket. One of the goals of the Extraordinary Travel Festival is to bring the leaders of the travel industry together. Why? We want to make your travels richer and more meaningful. Hearing from these thought leaders keeps you abreast of changes and benefits that can help you. We have founders and leaders like Ian Cumming of Travel Massive, Stefan Krasowski of Every Passport Stamp, and Orest Zub of NomadMania. I am excited to be speaking with Matt Gray on this episode who will also be joining us at ETF. He is the founder of Pangea, whose goal is to connect and explore the world, and who better to do that with than friends who share your same passion. Download the app so you can better connect with travelers around the world. Since this interview with Matt, Pangea has been on a roll, acquiring and integrating several other Digital Nomad & Travel Community apps into their core platform. Their general thesis and strategy is that by consolidating the very fragmented consumer travel app space, they can deliver a best in class experience and become the all in one platform that many are referring to as the "Strava for Travel" So far they've integrated Overlap & Nomadago, two leading community apps, bringing together nearly 50,000 users who have downloaded one of these apps into their core Pangea platform. And consider meeting Matt and other nomads at Nomad Week in Cape Town. Want to save $50? Please use code ETF50. Remember to join us in Bangkok at the ETF, please use code BANGKOK to save on your ticket. (ETF alumni contact me directly to get your special discount.) The event will be October 22-25, 2026 in Bangkok. We continually have news to share with you. As an example, we will have a Travel Tech panel, hosted by Ian Cumming of Travel Massive, with 2 announced panelists, 193er and tech expert Joel Oleson, and Matt Gray as well. They will be talking all things tech and what you need to know to make your travels better. On Travel Content Creation Day, we will have a panel of video travel content. The first panelist is Barbs, you might know him for his uber successful channel, Geography Now with over 4 million subscribers! More panelists to be announced. I was in Bangkok while Matt was in Cape Town, please listen in and enjoy.

    46 min
  3. DEC 3

    Yaël Pericard … A Pair Of Jeans

    Yaël Pericard has been to 133 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. In this episode, I have the pleasure to speak with traveler Yael Pericard. I met Yael briefly at the ETF in Bangkok and follow him on FB, but here is another case of a traveler who I really did not know well. Of course that is no longer the case after our conversation. Yael leads an adventurous life from summiting 7000 meters in Pakistan, to giving back in the Phillipines, to risking it all to explore a remote airstrip in Lesotho (this one is a pretty crazy story). And, you will get to meet him at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok as he is coming back for the next event in 2026. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons. You know them, you love them! Bisa "fully nomadic" Myles, Ted Nims, Adam "one-away" Hickman, Steph "Phuket" Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe "BC" Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu and Ryan Knott for supporting this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My patrons will hear the entire conversation with Thomas. Please remember the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be on October 22-25 in 2026. You can join the event and use code BANGKOK to save $110 for this incredibly packed event. We have announced a new speaker, Roberto Helou, who you might know from IG as ExploRob. I followed him last year as he biked from Cairo to Cape Town on an epic journey. I am excited to hear him speak next year. Consider joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the ETF newsletter. Any questions, please let me know. I was in Bangkok while Yael was in Norway for this recording. Please listen in and enjoy. Thank you to my Patrons - you rock!! … Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu, and Ryan Knott. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! More about Yaël Pericard Counting Countries: Yael on IG: Instagram Yael on YT: https://www.youtube.com/@yaelpericard The Impossible Journey (Amazon US Kindle (affiliate)): https://amzn.to/46pRuDi Other book options: Thor Pedersen | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree 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 Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 unique parts of the world. SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world. And the video that explains it all! Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Yaël Pericard Counting Countries

    2h 3m
  4. NOV 5

    Thomas Preinl … Inspired By His Grandfathers

    Thomas Preinl has been to 190 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. On this episode I have the pleasure to speak with Thomas Preinl who I met at the NomadMania meeting in Uzbekistan and spent time with him during a recent visit to Thailand. Thomas is one of those characters who has been Chasing 193 but only recently found the extreme travel community. Thomas has benefited with flight benefits due to his employment with Lufthansa for years. As Thomas will share, he is German by birth, but not by character, having a flexible and adaptable travel persona. You will get to meet him at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons. You know them, you love them! Bisa "fully nomadic" Myles, Ted Nims, Adam "one-away" Hickman, Steph "Phuket" Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe "BC" Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu and Ryan Knott for supporting this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My patrons will hear the entire conversation with Thomas. Please remember the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be on October 22-25 in 2026. You can join the event and use code BANGKOK to save $110 for this incredibly packed event. Thor Pedersen will be hosting a screening of his travel documentary, The Impossible Journey, which will also include a Q&A. Consider joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the ETF newsletter. Any questions, please let me know. We are also adding in a Travel Content Creation day at the ETF, where we will screen travel documentaries and host travel authors. Thomas and I recorded together in Bangkok. Please listen in and enjoy. Thank you to my Patrons - you rock!! … Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu, and Ryan Knott. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! The Impossible Journey (Amazon US Kindle (affiliate)): https://amzn.to/46pRuDi Other book options: Thor Pedersen | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree 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 Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 unique parts of the world. SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world. And the video that explains it all! Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post.

    1h 23m
  5. OCT 3

    Orla Phillips … A Travel Brochure

    Orla Phillips has been to 172 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. On this episode I have the pleasure to speak with Orla Phillips who I was fortunate enough to meet at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok. Orla was inspired as a child to travel as she thumbed through travel brochures in her home. We trace her life as she leaves the Irish countryside to become a long term expat in Dubai. We discuss her transition from avid traveler to someone who is Chasing 193. And we learn about the tragic passing of her mother and why Portugal will be her last country to visit. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons. You know them, you love them! Bisa "fully nomadic" Myles, Ted Nims, Adam "one-away" Hickman, Steph "Phuket" Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe "BC" Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu and Ryan Knott for supporting this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My patrons will hear the entire conversation with Orla. Please remember the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be on October 22-25 in 2026. You can join the event and use code BANGKOK to save $110 for this incredibly packed event. We have great speakers like Jaime Aleman, who has completed the Grand Slam of Travel, every country in the world, both poles, and outer space. Consider joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the ETF newsletter. Any questions, please let me know. We are also adding in a Travel Content Creation day at the ETF, where we will screen travel documentaries and host travel authors. Speaking about books, friend of the pod, Ildy Szabo has just published a new travel book. Congrats! The World Is Your Playground. You can purchase this book on October 7th for just 99 cents on Amazon. And remember to pick up a copy of the Impossible Journey by Thor Pedersen. The Impossible Journey (including Kindle on Amazon US - affiliate). I was in Bangkok while Orla was in Dubai for this recording. Please listen in and enjoy. Thank you to my Patrons - you rock!! … Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu, and Ryan Knott. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! The Impossible Journey (Amazon US Kindle (affiliate)): https://amzn.to/46pRuDi Other book options: Thor Pedersen | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree 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 Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 unique parts of the world. SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world. And the video that explains it all! Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Peter Fenger Counting Countries

    1h 31m
  6. SEP 2

    Peter Fenger … The Milk Run

    Peter Fenger has been to 102 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. On this episode I have the pleasure to speak with Peter Fenger, who just celebrated his 50th anniversary of global traveler. I always love to hear the insights of pre-internet travelers, as Peter visited both China and the USSR in the 1980s. AS a young man, Peter turned left at the fork, which opened a path of exploration and freedom and avoided a regimented life in Copenhagen. He never looked back, and he never lived in Denmark again. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons. You know them, you love them! Bisa "fully nomadic" Myles, Ted Nims, Adam "one-away" Hickman, Steph "Phuket" Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe "BC" Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu and Ryan Knott for supporting this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My patrons will hear the entire conversation with Thor. And, we also have partnered with Ahmed at Aknaf Tours in Iraq who offers monthly fixed date trips from Baghdad to the marshes. Of course it is a bit too hot. But start planning those trips starting in September and beyond. Here is the link. And ask me for the discount code. Remember to keep up to date with the Extraordinary Travel Festival by joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the ETF newsletter. Remember the date will be October 22-25, 2026. And, please note there will be a FB Live on September 14th where we announce the host city for the third ETF. Click this link to stay apprised of the date and time. Also, remember to pick up a copy of the Impossible Journey by Thor Pedersen. The Impossible Journey (including Kindle on Amazon US - affiliate). I was in Chicago and Peter was in Lisbon for this recording. Please listen in and enjoy. Thank you to my Patrons - you rock!! … Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Katelyn Jarvis, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Dana Mahoutchian, Mihai Dascalu, and Ryan Knott. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! The Impossible Journey (Amazon US Kindle (affiliate)): https://amzn.to/46pRuDi Other book options: Thor Pedersen | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree 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 Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 unique parts of the world. SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world. And the video that explains it all! Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Peter Fenger Counting Countries

    1h 34m
4.8
out of 5
50 Ratings

About

Chasing 193, one of the most exclusive clubs on Earth. In fact, more people have been to outer space than have earned their way into this, the ultimate travel club. According to the United Nations there are 193 sovereign nations in the world. Welcome to the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to them all. Welcome, to Counting Countries. With your host, Ric Gazarian.

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