Since 1872, readers have been enthralled by Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days. Modern adventurer Franci Neely may be taking a bit longer, but her goal is even loftier — to visit every country on the planet. Only about 250 people have accomplished this lofty goal according to mensjournal.com, and with more than 180 countries under her belt and 195 countries in the world, Neely’s on track to join that exclusive coterie of travelers.
“I am trying to visit every country in the world,” Neely says. “I do it because I love to explore other cultures, other areas of the world, ways of living, history. I'm very curious about that and I care about it very much. And I very much believe that when one experiences different cultures, one has a greater understanding of the universal humanity that we share and that really none of us are strangers. It's very life affirming to me to do that.”
Mozambique, Angola, Fiji, Israel, Morocco, India, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and England are among the countries Neely has visited.
