Calgary Man Becomes World's Most Travelled

[[GaGe]]

While You Were Working

(Ten really cool things Mike Spencer Bown did while becoming the world’s most extensively travelled person)

1. Visited the graveyard of the blue whales, South Georgia Island, Antarctica

2. Learned to drive a reindeer sleigh while drunk with the Yakuti tribe, Yakutsk, Russia

3. Hung out with witch doctors on the Dogon Escarpment, Mali

4. Dodged angry forest elephants in Luango Park, Gabon

5. Sat face to face with Silverback Gorillas in Virunga Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

6. Checked out the “Red Neck” Inuit bar scene, Nook, Greenland

7. Dropped in on the villages of the Yezedi Devil Worshippers, Iraq

8. Paddled past sleeping tigers in the Sunderbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh

9. Stayed in salt hotels, San Pedro de Atacama, Andes

10. Drank Guinness in Ireland. He still is.


Link: http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/10/02/calgary-man-mike-spencer-bown-becomes-worlds-most-travelled-after-finishing-23-year-odyssey

Some of that stuff's pretty ballsy...

[e31]

Being from Calgary, I'm sure he has experienced the thrill of entering & leaving Edmonton unscathed. Afterwards he probably thought to himself "Somalia can't be that bad, could it?"

[eblend]

This guys is my hero. I have been to about 25 or so myself...a long way to go

[lasimmon]

I might be one of the only people I really don't find travel to be that impressive or something I really am interested in. Been to about 15 countries so I have done some.

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by e31
Being from Calgary, I'm sure he has experienced the thrill of entering & leaving Edmonton unscathed. Afterwards he probably thought to himself "Somalia can't be that bad, could it?" :thumbsup:

Every time I leave there

[msommers]

Originally posted by lasimmon
I might be one of the only people I really don't find travel to be that impressive or something I really am interested in. Been to about 15 countries so I have done some.

That is rather odd to hear. What loses your interest when you're travelling? How do you travel and where to?

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by msommers


That is rather odd to hear. What loses your interest when you're travelling? How do you travel and where to?

I have a few friends that have never left NA or Canada and they have zero interest in traveling. I feel sorry for them, there is soo much to see, do and eat in the world. I love being immersed in different cultures. But I will admit there are some countries I as well have zero interest in visiting any time soon.

[msommers]

Originally posted by l/l/rX


I have a few friends that have never left NA or Canada and they have zero interest in traveling. I feel sorry for them, there is soo much to see, do and eat in the world. I love being immersed in different cultures. But I will admit there are some countries I as well have zero interest in visiting any time soon.

I know a few of those as well. Or travelling entails sitting on a beach for a week never leaving a resort. :banghead: Different strokes and I respect that. Well I don't but I'll say I do.

Lasimmon has travelled a fair bit so I'm surprised to hear his comments.

[lasimmon]

Perhaps it's more of a being away from home sort of thing. I am gone for more than a week and a half or 2 weeks I seem to get bouts of anxiety, as sad as that may sound.

Next year I hope to do 3 weeks in Costa Rica/Nicuragua to surf and explore and what not. I guess I will see how that goes!

[woodywoodford]

I'd love to travel but honestly there's about a thousand other things I'd rather spend my free time and money on. It's unfortunate but a guys gotta pick his priorities and that's what I did. I'd love to spend a month travelling all over Africa though, maybe in a couple years when my vacation days get upped and student loans are paid off.

[flipstah]

Originally posted by l/l/rX


I have a few friends that have never left NA or Canada and they have zero interest in traveling. I feel sorry for them, there is soo much to see, do and eat in the world. I love being immersed in different cultures. But I will admit there are some countries I as well have zero interest in visiting any time soon.

I know people like that as well and whatever floats their boat. Some people just don't have the desire to experience beyond their comfort zone.

I love travelling but I have no desire to travel EVERY single country.

I have every continent in my bucket list and usually, I just see where life takes me. :)

[jjmac]

Love reading these!

Similar to one of my favorite author Chris Guillebeaus' feat of travelling to every country in 11 years which he accomplished earlier this year.

[eblend]

Originally posted by msommers


I know a few of those as well. Or travelling entails sitting on a beach for a week never leaving a resort. :banghead: Different strokes and I respect that. Well I don't but I'll say I do.

Lasimmon has travelled a fair bit so I'm surprised to hear his comments.

Nothing wrong with sitting on the beach and never leaving the resort :D

I travel hardcore with my friends, and when with my wife, we just go to the beach in Mexico or Jamaica or whatever and just chillax. I like both approaches, I usually need a good tropical vacation after my real travel haha, hence my Mexico vacation in December...after 1 month of hiking in Nepal :)

Just did a quick look at all the countries I have been to, and its actually only 21, but the number of international trips is much higher as I have been to some countries multiple times.

All of this since I started first travelling in 2006 and caught the travel bug. I think once you do it, it is hard to stop as you realize that there is so much to see in the world.

Nepal
Jamaica
USA (7 times)
Mexico (3 times)
Kyrgyzstan
Dubai
India
China
Japan (5 times)
Taiwan
Singapore
S.Korea
Hong Kong (2 times)
Malaysia
Phillipines
Thailand
Italy
Switzerland
UK
France
Germany

Next year:
Japan
Russia (Motherland!!)
Dominican Republic

[toor]

Originally posted by lasimmon
I am gone for more than a week and a half or 2 weeks I seem to get bouts of anxiety, as sad as that may sound.

That's just a quick visit, you'll need to give it a month. Travel starts once you get over that feeling of homesickness, have a few incapacitating bouts of culture shock and experience timely travel synchronicities.

428 cities in 24 countries, still have a couple continents to go...

[Feruk]

I've been to (not through) 22 countries (some like USA, Germany, Poland, UK many times), 4 continents, on ~70 flights, 200+ cities, and lived in 3 countries. What I've found as I've gotten older (now 29) and settled down is that long trips are getting less appealing. I still love travelling, but the right number now is closer to 2 weeks than 2+ months. Maybe it's an age thing.

[max_boost]

Don't you guys have responsibilities? Where do you find time to be gone for 2 months at a time lol

Personally I try to do one big trip a year, 2-3 weeks ish and another 3-4 day trip and I'm good for the year.

[eblend]

Originally posted by max_boost
Don't you guys have responsibilities? Where do you find time to be gone for 2 months at a time lol

Personally I try to do one big trip a year, 2-3 weeks ish and another 3-4 day trip and I'm good for the year.

Haha, that's exactly what my boss says as well.

I usually do 3 week trips + 2 week trip + 1 week trip any given year. 3 week trip is usually very far place, 2 week trip maybe somewhere in the USA like florida, and 1 week in the Caribbean. I get 4 weeks vacation at work + 2 flex days per month, so I just add my flex days together for two month plus a long weekend and whola, a whole extra week. I spend 6 weeks on vacation this year so far, got a week in December in mexico, and still have to carry over 4 days :) Ohh...also get some OT every once in the while, and take it as time off instead, so that gives me even more time to travel. Next year I am planning on 2 weeks in Japan, 4 in Russia, and 1 more in the Dominican, that's 7 weeks I will have to make up somewhere...going to be interesting as I will be at least a week and a half short, but with banked OT + flex days should be able to manage it somehow. My vacations + flex days are what keeping me at this job haha, I can make much more money elsewhere...but that can wait

[msommers]

Originally posted by eblend
... and whola, a whole extra week.

Maybe go back to France ;)

Sounds like a good setup for vacation days. My work is very seasonal anddon't typically have anything for a few months each year so I take the opportunity and go somewhere. There is an age and time when month-long (or greater) trips are appealing or available so I'll take advantage while I can.

[bitteeinbit]

Some people have the travel bug, some don't. Different strokes for different folks. I think he exaggerates a lot of stuff... "Paddled past sleeping tigers/hung out with witch doctors" ? Pretty much anyone can do that and it hardly seems exciting. I've only been to 8 countries or so, but have lived abroad in 3 countries for around 6-7 years (I'm turning 28 soon), so by now, I suppose I consider myself an expat. Also, people have different views as to what "travelling" is. He seems to look down on people who whizz through, and instead thinks he "really" travels and "immerses himself in the culture". But after living abroad for a while, I find you don't actually know a culture or people unless you actually live there for a while and learn the language. Then again, there are some expats who live abroad (be it south america, Vietnam, or whatever), but who barely speak 5 words of the local language. There's such a huge barrier to understanding culture when you don't speak the local language, it's truly amazing. That being said, I realize it's not really possible to stop by every country in the world, take 3 years to learn the language and customs before moving on. Still, I'd say 23 years of travel makes one pretty well traveled :D

I've just arrived back to Canada a bit over a week ago, and for some reason, I've recently become obsessed with Turkey. Also, I'm considering a move to Japan... But for now I figure I'll visit friends/family and stay at least until Christmas. Also considering working to save up some cash. No set plans yet.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by bitteeinbit
He seems to look down on people who whizz through, and instead thinks he "really" travels and "immerses himself in the culture".

Speaking of which, surprised DavidI hasn't chimed in yet.

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by bitteeinbit


Lives like yours make me extremely jealous and envious. I hate you.

[Unknown303]

I wanted to have a family. So I've settled down. I'm a big fan of spending time in the outdoors and really love Canada for this. Plus with a wife and kid, and a second on the way we don't really have the ability to just jump across the globe. I bet we probably could if we really tried, but I'm setting some roots here in Calgary, I love the mountains and being here I have everything I want so close.

[bignerd]

it is a very different life style to live like that and travel that much-not much contact with your family, sounds like he is single?, no kids, no pets, probably not a lot of worldly possessions, most likely doesn't own a home.

He sounds like more of a backpacker? I'm not into that kind of travelling and like others am more of a homebody. Do a big big trip every couple years and some smaller ones in between.

Really wish I got more vacation... Lots of non vacation things that suck up vacation time.

[bitteeinbit]

Originally posted by l/l/rX


Lives like yours make me extremely jealous and envious. I hate you.
Yeah, but look at it from my point of view: I go on beyond and see that I should be making 120k/year by now so I also get depressed... :D

[Xtrema]

Dude traveled for 2 decades, who's bankrolling this? Daddy?

If I have to get off this continent, it's minimum 3 weeks.