‘The Catch Me If You Can’
A true wanderer—Jessica Nabongo—has traveled to each of our planet’s 195 countries. According to CNN Travel, she became the first Black woman to do so when she reached Seychelles in October 2019.
The celebrated traveler, writer, and photographer shares her adventures in her book The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World, published by National Geographic on June 14.
The Ugandan American from Detroit, who took more than 170 flights in one year, and said she nearly quit on several occasions, is a force that can’t be reckoned with. In 2017, she set an epic goal to visit all 195 United Nations member countries and observer states as the first Black woman to do so — and she crushed it!
“We’re so used to seeing the world through the lens of white men,” said Nabongo, per CNN.
“And this is different. There’s obviously some uniqueness in the experiences that we have, as we exist in the world, as very different people.”
Nabongo’s motivation was not only fueled by her geography passions and childhood curiosity but to prove to others that our biggest dreams are achievable. The travel influencer quit her job almost “seven years ago” to become a full-time nomad and has consistently looked forward on her journey, according to her Instagram.
In achieving her one-of-a-kind milestone, Nabongo invites readers along for the journey in her new memoir and travel guide, named after her popular blog. She only includes 100 countries out of the 195, featuring her own photographs and stories from South Sudan to Nauru, the world’s least-visited country. The more than 400-page book speaks to her sense of responsibility to represent Black nomads and destinations often stricken by preconceptions.
“Looking through the pages of travel magazines, I never saw anyone that looked like me, but it didn’t stop me from traveling,” Nabongo wrote a week before her book’s publishing date via Instagram.
“Now I have been given the opportunity to write this book, and through it, I can normalize Black people traveling abroad, show that most people are kind, change the narrative about countries that are considered dangerous, and help people think differently about the world that we live in.”
You can purchase Jessica Nabongo’s new book here.