Download Episode! At the age of 24, Eric visited his last UN country beating Guinness World Record Holder, James Asquith. Eric grew up in northern California, the son of Vietnamese immigrants. He had the opportunity of international travel with his family growing up. But his travel began in earnest when he went backpacking in East and Southeast Asia when he was just 18. He was inspired to visit every country in the world and attempt to break the world record for three reasons. First, Eric was inspired by world traveler and former guest, Gunnar Garfors. Second, Eric learned about James Asquith, the Guinness World Record Holder at the time, the youngest person to travel to every country in the world. But the final catalyst was a meeting with his college professor who encouraged him to see the world when he was young. Eric at times threw caution into the wind when pursuing his quest. He couchsurfed in Libya, while local militias learned of his presence. He had a very challenging time in West Africa. He was in a motorcycle accident. Eric also caught malaria and was robbed while he recovered in his hospital room. Eric crossed into Yemen at the Omani border. Later, he attempted to return to Oman, but was denied entry. For five days, Eric was held in a detention center at the border. Eric celebrated in May when he arrived in his last country of Eritrea. Subscribe on iTunes today! Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. And take a look at Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world including: Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines and the Amazon. More about Eric Nguyen: Born in: USA Passports from: USA Subscribe on iTunes today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Century Club states that there are 325 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 875 unique parts of the world. The Best Traveled states that there are 1281 unique places in the world. Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. Check out our partner and sponsor: Chasing 193, Volume II: The Quest To Visit Every Country In The World. Explore the unique stories from 20 more world-class travelers from various backgrounds and nations and from all walks of life who have tirelessly pursued visiting every country in the world and have filled their lives with a virtually endless amount of adventure. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda.