Erik Futtrup has been to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. In this episode, I had the pleasure of meeting Erik at ETF II in Bangkok, and I am looking forward to seeing him this October for ETF III.  Erik is looking forward to joining the stage at ETF for the UN Master photo as he just accomplished his quest just last year.  Erik was early to the internet, real early, in the late 1980s.  Erk was connecting with travelers in the early 90s.  Think EPS but from 25 years ago.  Erik shares his journey to 193, balancing work, family and travel.     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, Philippe “BC” Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Peter Fenger, Mihai Dascalu, Ryan Knott, Zipping Around The World Podcast, and Shawn McDonough for supporting this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to .  My patrons will hear the entire conversation with Erik.   And I would like to introduce three new patrons!  Welcome guys!!   Shawn McDonough of Chicago has joined as a Patron as well as coming to ETF III in Bangkok.  He is currently on track to hit his 50th country before his 51st birthday.  And in the next couple of years, he is planning on picking up his travels as he transitions to being a digital nomad.        And I also want to welcome Dan, who is also the host of his podcast, Zipping Around The World.  Dan is nearing 50 countries on his journey.  On his podcast, he is providing audio overviews of his trips, in essence a guide book.  Check out his .     And let’s not forget Ryan. He started listening to podcast while roadtripping between North Carolina and Kentucky while visiting family.  He has visited all 50 states and visited over 50 UN countries!  His goal?  To hit 100 before the age of 40. Good luck!  Thanks everyone for their support.   Please remember the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be on October 22-25 in 2026.  You can join the event and use code BANGKOK.  I am excited to share a new keynote speaker, Eunhee Park.  She is an extraordinary traveler but not in the traditional sense of what we are familiar with in our community.  Eunhee was born in North Korea, and she embarked on a dangerous journey as she escaped DPRK at the risk of losing everything as she made her way to freedom.  She will share her journey with us at the ETF.  Check out Extraordinary Adventures on the website. Consider joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the .  Any questions, please let me know.     And a public service announcement, former Counting Countries guest and ETF keynote speaker, Barry Hoffner has written a book, .  I just finished reading this book, and it is a great and compelling read for those in the extreme travel community and beyond.  All proceeds go to fund Barry’s efforts in West Africa as he empowers women through education.  Pick up your copy today and learn about Barry’s journey as he deals with the grief of losing his wife through travel.     I was in Bangkok while Erik was in Denmark for this recording.  Please listen in and enjoy.    Thank you to my - you rock!! … Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Peter Fenger, Mihai Dascalu, Ryan Knott, Zipping Around The World Podcast, and Shawn McDonough.        And now you can listen to ! And Alexa!   And write a review! More about Erik Futtrup Counting Countries:   And check out Thor Pedersen: The Impossible Journey (Amazon US Kindle (affiliate)): Other book options:   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 .  About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: , , and .  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: and .   Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has and keep up with his journey at How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask!  The United Nations states that there are . The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are . The Traveler’s Century Club states that there are . The Nomad Mania The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 . SISO says there are .     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. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Erik Futtrup Counting Countries