On October 6, 2019, Jessica Nabongo became the first Black woman to visit every country in the world, that is 193 nation-states and 2 non-nation states. She finished her mission in the Seychelles Islands, in the Somalian Sea, and this date honored her late father's birthday.
It only took her two years, and it began on a two-week vacation in Bali. When Nabongo went to Bali, she didn't know she would discover her true passion for travel, that being a world traveler can be a full-time job.
While on her vacation, she read an article about Cassie De Pecol, who had broken the Guinness World Record for traveling to every country in the world the fastest. Realizing there were other folks in the world who shared her dreams and passion for travel, she decided to become the first Black woman to visit every country.
Nabongo already had 59 countries under her belt, giving her a good start. But to really understand her journey, it goes back to when she was four years old.
A Quick Introduction
Nabongo is a first-generation American, born to Ugandan parents in Detroit Michigan. She earned her bachelor's in English Literature from St. John's University in New York, and later a master's degree from London College of Economics. In between studies, she worked in pharmaceutical sales, hated it, and went to teach English in Japan.
Her master's degree was in relation to her work at the United Nations, and Nabongo told National Geographic that it opened her mind to how global economics is directly influenced by post-colonial dynamics, and how certain countries still yield power over lingering history. The example she gave was airline monopolies from Paris, to places in Africa that used to be French colonies and the lingering colonial influence.
When Nabongo set out to travel the world, her career changed. She became a writer, a photographer, an influencer, an entrepreneur and an advocate for inclusive and ethical tourism. She launched a company, Black Jet, which is a luxury travel company that organizes group trips to Africa, South and Central America and the Caribbean.
Nabongo promotes diversity and inclusion not just concerning race, but gender, ability, age and body type. Some of her travel heroes include Barbara Hillary, the first Black woman to travel to the North and South Poles at age 75 and 79, and Corey Lee who despite being in a wheelchair has traveled to 37 countries.
Check out her blog, Catch Me If You Can, where she records her travels and stories. She also published a book of the same name in collaboration with National Geographic which hit the stands in April 2021.
Some Of Her Many Adventures
This woman has been all around the world, and she has no intention of stopping. She told National Geographic she intends to go to the Okavanga Delta in Botswana, Gorilla trekking in Uganda and the beaches of Madagascar, this year as they are all on her bucket list and her list tends to stay short.
On her website, she outlines her favorite beaches to be in Zanzibar, Honduras and Bali. They are memorable to her for their pristine blue water, beauty and sunshine. But her favorite experiences while traveling have been the people she has met.
She recalls meeting Slawek Muturi on her Instagram, the two enjoyed Warsaw together. He is half Polish and half Kenyan, and they are both the only documented Black people to have traveled to every country in the world. She wrote that meeting someone so much like herself and with the same world philosophies made Warsaw memorable.
In an interview, she was asked about the most extreme place she has ever visited, although Nabongo proceeded to talk about her trip to South Sudan, the answer is more complex than it may seem. The U.S. embassy highly discourages travelers to visit South Sudan, it is a country experiencing hardship and war. Nabongo believes that no country in the world is completely safe or completely unsafe, and she proceeded with her trip.
In South Sudan, she met an old man in the market. She thought he was asking her for money, but he just likes to sit in the market because his children have grown and gone out into the world. They enjoyed the market together, and she realized to always trust her gut in terms of being a traveler.
Even amidst a pandemic, she took the opportunity to travel domestically. Nabongo took a road trip to 25 different states in 2020, traveling with COVID tests and respecting local regulations. She says that what motivates her travel curiosity for how people live around the world, even in her own country.
Nabongo goes into detail about her trips and experiences in her book, but aside from her travels, she learned a lot about the world and herself from this experience.
What She Learned
From being warned about traveling to South Sudan, to having positive experiences there, she learned to take what people say with a grain of salt. In an interview, she said her favorite advice was from her mother, to humble yourself because when you travel you come and go with different privileges depending on your passport, social class, and more. To humble yourself, in your travels you will arrive with the mentality that all people are of value.
While traveling, some of the standout problems that Nabongo identified were pollution, one-time use of plastics and the effects on climate change. Beautiful seas are covered in plastic and garbage, which she saw first hand. Nabongo reduces her plastic usage and takes the time to think about her impact. For example, asking for half a portion in a restaurant to not waste food. Taking the time to think about your impact is essential, especially for sustainable tourism.
For folks who want to embark on a similar mission as Nabongo, she wants you to know to travel with kindness. She learned through her travels that most people are good, and actually want to help you. Getting rid of the notion of fearing strangers is important if you want to embark on such a long world journey.
