Torbjorn Pedersen of Denmark is said to be the first person to travel around the world without flying and without returning to his native country. Pedersen, 44, began this global journey on October 10, 2013, using numerous modes of transportation such as trains, buses, boats, and even walking.
Pedersen has finally returned to his native nation after a decade-long voyage. His most recent stop was the Maldives, which he visited in May of this year, making it the 203rd country he has visited.
Pedersen boarded a Danish cargo ship operated by Maersk today and returned to the Danish port city of Aarhus. When he returned home, he described his emotions as a mix of delight and bitterness.
Pedersen told Agence France-Presse (AFP),
“I have been dreaming of returning home and ending the journey. So today is the day. At the same time, I feel anxious about the future.”
He left Micronesia in January 2020 and traveled to Hong Kong throughout his tour. He was trapped in Hong Kong for two years due to the COVID-19 outbreak until the borders reopened. Pedersen continued to tour countries in Oceania and the Pacific islands, including Palau, after he was able to resume his travels.
Pedersen preferred not to rent a car while traveling and instead relied on public transportation to meet new people. Despite the distance, he managed to keep his relationship with his girlfriend, Le Gjerum, going. During his ten-year voyage, she visited him 27 times, and on the tenth, Pedersen proposed to her. Due to the pandemic, they were forced to hold their wedding online.
Gjerum, who is now married to Pedersen, admires his ambition to finish the aim of traveling around the world, but she wishes they could now live a normal life together.
Graham Hughes, a British man, was the first person to travel around the world without flying, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, but he returned home twice throughout his expedition. Pedersen, on the other hand, completed his global adventure without ever returning home.
