Interview Amongst Lee Abbamonte: The Youngest American To See Every Country
I approximate this is the calendar week of interviews! On Monday, Dave too Vicky shared why they go the world, too today Lee Abbamonte talks nearly beingness inwards Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya when Qaddafi was beingness overthrown, every bit good every bit beingness the youngest American to see every province inwards the world. I origin met Lee a brace of years agone when he stumbled on my blog, bought my blogging course, too fired off crazy emails to me. Since then, we’ve go friends (he is the guy taking the selfie when my United flying had to brand an emergency landing), too I wanted to portion his story today. Here’s Lee talking nearly that, beingness the youngest American to see every country, too his dear of sports:
How did you lot larn into traveling? You worked inwards finance before, right?
Yes, I worked inwards finance out of college for viii years. My objective was to brand a lot of money on Wall Street, but a funny thing happened along the way. I studied abroad my junior twelvemonth inwards college. This was the origin fourth dimension I ever left the United States. I went to London, England, too it completely changed my life. It was easily the best determination I ever made. It changed my thought on the basis too on my life goals inwards general.
So amongst that experience inwards my dorsum pocket, I ever knew I wanted to go more. But similar everyone, I needed to brand money to fund the go I wanted, hence I got a proper Wall Street job, worked truly hard, too did pretty well. Wall Street was a agency to an end.
So, working inwards go wasn’t ever your goal?
Right. Aside from making money inwards finance too other businesses I am/was involved with, the destination was exactly to go for fun too savor my life to the fullest. Working inwards go exactly sort out of happened. I had a written a few stories over the years for diverse go websites exactly for fun. I started my weblog dorsum inwards 2006 to basically hold friends too menage unit of measurement updated on what I was upwards to. Without ever thinking I would create travel-related things full-time, it exactly variety of evolved every bit I started doing to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than things inwards unlike facets of business, travel, too media.
How did you lot go nearly leaving Wall Street for travel?
Back inwards the summertime of 2008, I merely resigned my seat at a major Wall Street firm. Ironically, it happened correct earlier the major collapses of several major firms, hence it made me hold off smart, but it was purely coincidence.
Your “claim to fame” is that you lot are the youngest American to go to every country. Was that the master destination or at some indicate were you lot like, “Hey, I’ve been to 100. What’s a 100 more!”
During my fourth dimension abroad inwards college, I traveled to xv countries inwards Europe. During schoolhouse breaks too straightaway after graduation, I took 3 other long backpacking trips some Asia, the Middle East, too Europe again. At that indicate I realized I had visited some 50 countries. Knowing I would hold out working a ton, my destination was to see 100 countries past times the fourth dimension I was 30. For whatever reason, I thought that sounded cool. I ended upwards achieving that destination at nearly 25.
Back inwards 2006, I got an electronic mail from a friend that at that topographic point was truly a tape of the youngest to see every province inwards the world. I basically assessed how long I had to shell the tape too where I had to go, too figured I’d give it a go. Even if I didn’t larn the record, it’d notwithstanding hold out fun too I’d larn to meet the whole world. Turns out it was a slap-up decision, too I receive got done hence much some the world.
What made you lot create upwards one's hear to pursue this goal? Did you lot exit your undertaking to create it?
To hold out honest, the challenge of truly doing it made me create upwards one's hear to pursue the goal. It is non easy, obviously, but at that indicate inwards my life too inwards travel, I figured it was at nowadays or never, because I was to a greater extent than than halfway at that topographic point already. I am also really competitive too destination oriented. Not to mention, I thought it was pretty cool!
I didn’t specifically exit my undertaking to pursue the goal. I left the undertaking because I had had it amongst corporate life at that fourth dimension inwards my life, too I needed a intermission after eight years.
Did you lot hitting that record? At what historic menstruum did you lot larn to every province inwards the world?
Yes, I became the youngest American to see every province inwards 2011 when I was 32 after safely visiting Libya. Technically, because of the add-on of South Sudan every bit a sovereign nation, I am the youngest soul to see every province inwards the world. However, it is a scrap of a grayness area, too at that topographic point is a lot of bureaucracy too crimson tape that goes into that championship claim amongst the world-record powers that be, hence for now, I go amongst the “youngest American” title, which I recollect is notwithstanding pretty cool! Depending where you lot look, at that topographic point are 25-50 people hold out too xc people total known or believed to receive got been to every country. I know exactly nearly all of them.
Do you lot ever pic yourself settling down?
I recollect I am settled downwardly — although some people volition receive got some other Definition of settled down. I ain a slap-up storey inwards New York City, receive got slap-up friends too family, too truly am pretty happy. I tin basically create whatever I desire too run from anywhere. Every twenty-four hr menstruum is exciting because I never know what volition happen. I dear waking upwards every morning, checking my emails, too seeing what’s on the agenda for the day, week, month, etc. I hold off at it similar I’m playing amongst theatre money because this was never my intention.
You were inwards Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya when they were overthrowing Qaddafi. Tell us nearly that!
Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was the final province I needed to see to consummate visiting every province inwards the world. I was originally supposed to go during March 2011, but the revolution had started too at that topographic point was a no-fly zone, hence I had no adventure of getting in. So every bit the rebels took over every bit the Arab Spring continued, I kept an oculus on things. I got give-and-take that eastern Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was completely controlled past times the rebels too that the remote eastern edge amongst Arab Republic of Egypt was opened upwards — sort of.
I also heard that since at that topographic point was no authorities inwards house that they had dropped the visa restrictions too that it may hold out possible to brand it through that border. So without truly thinking nearly it, I flew to Cairo too and then on to a small-scale coastal town called Mersa Mutra, which is nearly 250 miles from the Libyan border.
I had no thought what I was going to create from Mersa Mutra. On the bird I noticed an educated-looking human wearing a suit too a rebel flag lapel pin. I asked if he spoke English linguistic communication too when he did I asked if he could assistance me interpret to accommodate a taxi or automobile to the border; I was willing to pay whatever it took.
It turned out this human was a Libyan dissident who was returning to Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for the origin fourth dimension inwards forty years. He also happened to run for the United Nations too had a United Nations passport. He told me that he would give me a ride all the way to Tubruk, Libya, inwards his brother’s minivan too patently assistance me through the edge process. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing too was patently grateful.
Not solely did he create exactly that but he also gave me a house to remain inwards Tubruk, dinner amongst his menage unit of measurement — whom he had non seen inwards forty years — and shipping amongst his friend all the way dorsum to Cairo — which is a 12-hour drive — a few days later. He refused to receive got a dime. It was unbelievable how overnice their menage unit of measurement was to me, too I am forever indebted.
There was also a small-scale affair of getting caught at the edge inwards a firefight betwixt some Chinese smugglers too the Libyan rebels. We all had to duck too burn the automobile inwards contrary inwards social club to non larn shot. That was pretty scary, too after three hours nosotros made it through!
What go advice would you lot give to someone who has never traveled before?
My advice to someone who has never traveled earlier would hold out go to Europe. Get a Eurail go past times too hitting the major cities. Get to experience comfortable too meet how cool it is to experience a unlike country, language, food, culture, etc., each fourth dimension you lot brand a displace — all hence closed together. That should whet their appetite to go to less-developed nations. Also, the well-trodden routes of Southeast Asia too Commonwealth of Australia run too, but I recollect the history of Europe volition hitting habitation a petty harder, every bit they’ll larn to a greater extent than than exactly partying on the backpacker circuit.
You’re a sports guy. Where was your most memorable sports experience inwards the world?
Sports are my passion. Playing or watching; it doesn’t affair — I similar them all. I am fortunate to receive got been to exactly nearly every major sporting result inwards the world, similar the Superbowl, Olympics, Champions league, World Cup, Rugby World Cup, etc. I excogitation a lot of my trips some sporting events. It’s hard to selection exactly one, but I volition state the 2001 World Series.
This was the World Series betwixt the New York Yankees too Arizona Diamondbacks that took house six weeks after September 11th. I am a die-hard, lifelong Yankees fan, a New Yorker, too I also worked inwards the World Trade Center, hence emotions ran really high. The midpoint 3 games of that serial at Yankee Stadium inwards the Bronx were amazing, exciting, too emotional. The Yankees won all 3 games inwards dramatic late-inning fashion. They went on to lose the serial inwards seven games, but that didn’t matter. Being a purpose of that serial inwards New York is something I volition never forget.
Traveling hence much every bit an American, did your friends receive got a hard fourth dimension agreement your lifestyle?
I am fortunate to receive got really skillful groups of friends, many of whom dear to go too receive got traveled a lot amongst me. The ones that don’t go exactly know it’s a purpose of me too dear reading my stories on my site, but it’s fifty-fifty ameliorate hearing the unedited, no-holds-barred stories inwards person! I ever brand fourth dimension for my friends. I go see them wherever they live, welcome them to New York anytime, too I never immature adult woman big events. If you lot lose sight of your friends too family, what volition you lot receive got left?
If you lot desire to read to a greater extent than of Lee’s stories, check out his blog, visit his Facebook, or scout Fox too Friends on Mon mornings when he does a go segment.
Sumber https://www.nomadicmatt.com
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