It took Cassie De Pecol a record 18 months and 26 days to travel to all 196 countries in the world.
The 27-year-old Connecticut native is the first woman and the fastest person to ever do so, breaking the previous Guinness World Record holder's record with less than half the travel time, according to CNN.
De Pecol embarked on her journey in July 2015 with the purpose of promoting peace by meeting people from every country in the world and encouraging sustainability.
And since her journey began with a budgeted $198,000, De Pecol has made it to 196 nations.
But the greetings at each country weren't always courteous. CNN reported that upon entering North Korea, a soldier gripped her hand and said, "We're going to destroy you, America."
According to her blog, Expedition: 196, De Pecol went on the trip as an ambassador for the International Institute of Peace Through Tourism and SKÅL International, with a mission to promote "peace through sustainable tourism."
During her time around the world, she spoke with more than 16,000 students about sustainability, economics and more.
Watch De Pecol’s “A Simple Thank You” YouTube video below:
To find out more about about De Pecol and her experiences, visit her blog.
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