It was a daunting task, but Jessica Nabongo, the beloved voice behind the popular website The Catch Me if You Can, made it happen, completing her journey to all 195 UN-recognized countries in the world in October 2019. Now, in this one-of-a-kind memoir, she reveals her top 100 destinations from her global adventure.
Beautifully illustrated with many of Nabongo’s own photographs, the book documents her remarkable experiences in each country, including:
- A harrowing scooter accident in Nauru, the world’s least visited country,
- Seeing the life and community swarming around the Hazrat Ali Mazar mosque in Afghanistan,
- Horseback riding and learning to lasso with Black cowboys in Oklahoma,
- Playing dominoes with men on the streets of Havana,
- Learning to make traditional takoyaki (octopus balls) from locals in Japan,
- Dog sledding in Norway and swimming with humpback whales in Tonga,
- A late night adventure with strangers to cross a border in Guinea Bissau,
- And sunbathing on the sandy shores of Los Roques in Venezuela.
Along with beloved destinations like Peru and South Africa, you’ll also find tales from far-flung corners and seldom visited destinations, including Tuvalu, North Korea, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic. Nabongo’s stories are love letters to diversity, beauty, and culture―and most of all, to the people she meets along the way. Throughout, she offers bucket-list experiences for other travel-lovers looking to follow in her footsteps.
Author
Jessica Nabongo
Jessica Nabongo is a global citizen, master storyteller, and travel expert and the first black woman on record to have traveled to every country in the world. Named one of the 50 Most Notable People in Travel, by Travel and Leisure, Jessica uses her platforms to educate and inspire others to experience the world around them and build a global community, with an emphasis on bringing untold stories to the world. Her first book, The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World, was an instant bestseller. A first generation American, Jessica was born and raised in Detroit by Ugandan parents. She attended St. John’s University in New York, where she earned a degree in English Literature, later completing a graduate degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science. When she’s not on a plane, she is home tending to her plants in Detroit and LA.
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