Many obstacles hinder international travel. Some can’t afford to fly abroad. Others don’t like the harmful environmental impact of flying.

With those considerations in mind, Thor Pedersen wants to visit every country in the world. Best estimates are that around 200 people have visited all of the world’s sovereign nations. None have done so without at least one leg on an airplane. Pedersen also does it on $20 a day to prove that intercultural encounters can happen, even at the simplest levels. He relies on container ships for most of his long-distance travel and used buses and trains to visit every country in North America, South America, Africa, and Europe.

On year four of his journey, Pedersen is currently in Lebanon, waiting to get a visa into Syria. He hopes to round out the rest of Asia and Oceania soon. Pedersen, a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross, is using his trip to promote peace. He joins Worldview to discuss what he’s learned on his travels.