The man who visited every country in the world: I don't want to look back at my life and feel like I waste it

Meet the Irishman Johnny Ward who traveled all over the world. The 33-year-old man spent the last 10 years visiting every nation on the Earth. 

"I left Ireland 10 years ago for a gap year, worked out how to make money blogging, made over $1m and now I’m never going back to the ‘real world’ 9-5. Oh, and I’ve visited every country in the world".

I talked to him on Skype a week after he finished his adventure in Norway. The country was the last in his long list. 
Watch here an excerpt from the interview:


To travel is...?
For me to travel is to be free.
I don't want to look back at my life and feel like I waste it. The world is a big beautiful place, full of awesome people and I want to meet everyone, to do everything. I have crazy experiences and memories to cherish. I just want to make sure that when my life flashes before my eyes it's worth watching. And I really feel like that.

What is your advice to people considering such travel?
If people want to accept their life in an office working nine to five, I think it's bullshit, but if they want to do it - good luck to them. I'm not telling them: "Don't do it!" What I am saying is: "Be true to yourself. Admit what you want from your life, choose what you want, and then chase that dream. So if you want to work in an office eight until eight, monday to friday, for 50 years, I can't believe anyone want to do that, I think it's fucking bullshit, but some people do that. If you want to do that, do that. But be aware that you're making the choice to do that and be aware that you're choosing not to do something else. I don't think most people want to choose that but that's not for me to say. It's up to them. So I would say the most important thing is: You have to be honest with yourself about what you want.

What would you tell to people who think traveling abroad is an expensive experience?
Expensive compared to who? If someone from Bangladesh is trying to travel, sure it's expensive. If some white guy from Spain is telling me it's expensive I don't believe that. Because there's always cheaper countries. And don't tell me traveling is expensive when you're using your iPhone and drinking Starbucks and wearing a pair of Diesel jeans. Don't tell me traveling is expensive when you're doing that because your phone costs 800 bucks, your jeans cost 200 bucks, and your coffee was overpriced at six bucks or something. If you cut that shit out it's not expensive. It's all about priorities as well. And people tell me how can you afford to travel for three months but they go and get drunk in Ibiza, Spain, for two weeks and spend more than I spend in three months traveling. People create obstacles for themselves so that they have an excuse why they didn't do what they want to do.