Double ’Cane Cameron Mofid has been around the globe and again. Actually.
At 25 years outdated, he’s thought of the youngest particular person to have visited each nation on the planet by NomadMania, a revered group amongst excessive vacationers.
Throughout his journey, Mofid did all of it. From cage diving with sharks in Cape City, ziplining via Belize and hitchhiking within the mountains of Pakistan to even working a marathon in North Korea –– there isn’t a lot that Mofid has not accomplished.
From coast to coast
Mofid grew up in San Diego, California, the place he expressed curiosity in geography, completely different cultures and tennis from a younger age.
“I used to be an avid tennis participant, and I had a junior world rating on the ITF tour,” Mofid stated. “I truly went for my senior 12 months of highschool to a tennis sporting faculty referred to as Sanchez-Casal Academy in Naples, Florida.”
Nonetheless, Mofid determined to not play tennis in school and as a substitute took a niche 12 months to work for knowledgeable tennis participant.
“I traveled to a bunch of tournaments everywhere in the world, working in tournaments, writing for a tennis journal,” Mofid stated. “I went to Hong Kong, Singapore, Milan, London, Marrakesh, cities I had solely seen on a map earlier than.”
Finally, his hole 12 months got here to an finish, and Mofid went to varsity.
Journey days and BBAs
“I began on the College of Miami in Fall 2019,” Mofid stated. “I selected UM not only for its sturdy teachers, but additionally as a result of I beloved the thought of dwelling in one of many world’s most various
and worldwide cities.”
Nonetheless, school didn’t give Mofid the identical sense of freedom that lots of his classmates seemed ahead to.
“I had simply been backpacking around the globe for a full 12 months, after which I acquired to UM and needed to be at class right now, and I’ve these commitments and keep on this dorm,” he stated. “I don’t wish to say it was confining, however I longed for that freedom that I had the prior 12 months.”
Regardless of having his obligations in Miami, Mofid nonetheless made efforts to journey when he may. A lot in order that he picked up a job in occasion advertising and marketing as a freshman to pay for the price of his travels.
“I went to Guatemala, Cayman Islands, Panama, and El Salvador throughout little breaks,” Mofid stated.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Mofid discovered himself researching what number of international locations there are on the planet, and the way many individuals have visited all of them.
“The truth that extra folks had been to house than each nation was loopy to me,” he stated. “That impressed me. I wished a near-impossible objective to push myself to the restrict.”
Mofid then realized he wished to hitch the unique group of vacationers which have visited each nation.
Round that very same time, Mofid’s buddy steered making their very own occasion advertising and marketing enterprise to advertise scholar nightlife occasions. This enterprise allowed Mofid to avoid wasting up over the following three years for his journey forward.
He accomplished his BBA in finance and administration in three years and graduated magna
cum laude. Then, he was accepted into UM’s MBA program and was honored to graduate because the valedictorian of his MBA class.
“I had been to about 100 international locations by the point I completed my MBA from touring on breaks, weekends, and lacking per week of faculty right here and there.” Mofid stated. “After I graduated, I threw a bunch of garments in a Nike duffle bag and took off for two and a half years and visited the final 90 international locations on my checklist.”
Mr. Worldwide
Mofid spent these 2 and a half years hopping from nation to nation with no set plan.
“I’d take lengthy journeys centered on particular areas, like West Africa or Central Asia, and go to neighboring international locations one after the opposite,” he stated. “It was extra environment friendly and cost-effective that method.”
This gave him the pliability of with the ability to keep in sure international locations for longer than others.
He would spend solely a day in smaller international locations like Andorra and Liechtenstein however he allotted a number of weeks for bigger international locations. Australia and Venezuela are each on lists of favorites.
“I simply assume that the vibes in Australia are the perfect,” he stated. “It’s such an superior nation with a lot to see, a lot to do, and the persons are very good.”
In response to Mofid, it’s the international locations you don’t anticipate a lot from which have essentially the most to supply.
“The locations which have essentially the most financial instability and essentially the most political instability are locations that you just discover the kindest folks and essentially the most rewarding journey experiences. Venezuela is on the prime of that checklist,” Mofid stated.
On his Instagram web page with greater than 5,000 followers, Mofid shares movies of himself taking within the Venezuelan magnificence whereas on a helicopter experience to Angel Falls, boat rides via the rainforest, many hikes to hidden gems and the folks themselves.
Mofid feels that for the scale of the nation, there isn’t any different place that has extra to see than Venezuela and prefers its pure magnificence over ultra-touristy cities.
Nonetheless, Mofid’s most rewarding expertise got here from beginning his non-profit Humanity Impact, a corporation that carries out humanitarian tasks within the underdeveloped group of Makoko, Nigeria.
“After I visited Nigeria, my one hundred and fifteenth nation, I hung out in Makoko, a slum constructed partly on stilts over a lagoon. The poverty there was heartbreaking,” he stated. “After that have, I launched a GoFundMe to help an area faculty I had visited.”
Mofid was in a position to elevate $5,000 with the assistance of his ’Canes household and his mates from his travels. NBA participant Kyrie Irving, donated a further $45,000 to the trigger.
“With that amount of cash, I felt that I’ve a accountability to be a steward for the cash and guarantee that it lasts and makes a sustainable affect on the group,” he stated. “And so I based Humanity Impact.”
As of at the moment, Humanity Impact has constructed a second faculty for the group and is midway accomplished with their development of a medical heart. The 2 buildings at the moment help greater than 750 kids.
The hardest treks
Regardless of assembly wonderful folks and experiencing many new cultures, Mofid’s journey around the globe led to some unexpected challenges.
“It was very low-budget journey. I spent three years hitchhiking in Africa, touring via mountains to Afghanistan,” Mofid stated.
Mofid recalled his annoying but memorable journey to Afghanistan via the Torkham border crossing, the busiest checkpoint on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
“Each my preliminary and rebooked flights have been canceled, so I ended up overlanding solo via the mountains from Pakistan,” he stated. “On the border, I used to be interrogated by Pakistani intelligence as a result of they couldn’t perceive why an American can be touring solo into Taliban-controlled territory.”
One other memorable expertise he shared was getting caught in Mogadishu, Somalia after a suspected terrorist assault shut down the airport. Together with his flight canceled and the army on excessive alert, Mofid has to take a home flight to northern Somalia and go away the nation from there.
Nonetheless, the toughest problem of all was visiting North Korea, which had been closed to foreigners because the starting of COVID-19 in 2020.
“North Korea opened briefly for tourism for a pair weeks, however simply to the northern area of Rason,” he stated. “I used to be speculated to go there, however the Koreans solely opened briefly after which closed it very all of the sudden.”
Shortly after, North Korea introduced that it could host the thirty first annual Pyongyang marathon for the primary time in six years. With tourism nonetheless closed, Mofid and different members wanted a particular athlete visa to enter as a part of a delegation of athletes.
“I’ve by no means run in any form of race. I’m not a marathon runner, however this was the avenue that enabled me to finish the mission of visiting each nation,” he stated.
After the end line
Mofid has since returned dwelling to California, changing into the youngest particular person to go to each nation by most requirements. Nonetheless, he didn’t make the minimize for the Guinness World Document title.
“The present Guinness file holder, a 21-year-old lady, completed one thing very spectacular,” Mofid stated. “However for my part, and the view of many within the excessive journey group, her journey didn’t absolutely meet the spirit of ‘visiting’ each nation.”
“For instance, Guinness counted her go to to an workplace within the DMZ – the demilitarized zone
between North and South Korea –– as visiting North Korea,” he stated. “Additionally they allowed vacationers to easily clear immigration at an airport and switch proper again round.”
Regardless of lacking out on the Guinness World Document title, Mofid remains to be pleased with what he did and is gloomy that it’s over.
“Visiting each nation has been my dream for the previous 5 years,” he stated. “I’m extremely grateful for all of the folks I met and the experiences I shared with them. Now that this chapter has ended, I’m excited for what’s subsequent. No matter that’s, I do know I’ll pursue it with the identical relentless curiosity and keenness that carried me via this journey.”
Mofid additionally continues his efforts to lift funds for Makoko via Humanity Impact. Its final objective is to finish town’s training disaster. It’s supported by passionate volunteers and donors who’re all devoted to enhancing Makoko.
Mofid’s recommendation to those that wish to journey is, “Simply go for it. You don’t need to go someplace costly or far-off. You don’t even have to depart your nation. Being a traveler is extra about your mindset than your mileage.”