Over the past half-century, Luisa Yu, a 79-year-old Filipino American, traveled to all 193 United Nations-recognized countries in the world, earning the title of UN master. In November of 2023, Yu achieved her lifelong goal of visiting every country in the world and became a widely-known figure as she concluded her journey.
When Yu was a child, she envisioned traveling the world due to her admiration of nature. She wanted to go to even the most obscure parts of the world, taking in all of mother nature’s gifts. “I saw all this beautiful mountain scenery, lakes, and riding horses,” she told NPR News. “That’s how I started dreaming and saying that one day I’m going to see the world.” True to her word, if it wasn’t for her extraordinary travel plans, she wouldn’t have been able to see sights in Siberia or the beautiful mountains of the Swiss Alps. In order to fund her trips, she had to shuffle through several jobs, such as working at a hospital and even being a travel agent. Yu contemplated her journey around the world to Business Insider as she explained that she initially started her project with only $300.
Ever since she immigrated to America at the age of 23, Yu was determined to begin her travel journey. Due to her student status, Yu wasn’t able to travel to many countries but that didn’t stop her from chasing her dreams. While waiting 15 years to receive her green card, she visited various U.S. states, with the only two states she hadn’t been to being Kentucky and Oklahoma. Yu eventually received a green card and was able to travel to the corners of the world, interacting with the ethnic groups and cultures she faced.
Yu now became the newest addition to the small-scale group composed of 51 travelers who traveled the entire world. Nomad Mania, a site tracking numerous people who visited every country currently existing, reported that approximately 30% of people who had visited every country in the world may have slipped under its radar for many reasons, one being that not all people traveling don’t post their trips on social media, its main source of information. Furthermore, Nomad Mania continues to list and describe all the people who visited every country in its article, eventually naming Yu the “UN Master,” a title for someone who visited every country in the world.
The main reason people want to travel and visit new places is to experience the diversity of cultures. Many people have the desire to find out what’s new or different from their own perspectives in a designated area. Traveling to a new destination is a way to appreciate life and build quality relationships with the people that one meets during a trip, improving mental health and reducing stress levels, according to NBC News.
Yu was able to succeed in her journey due to her determination and grit. Even as the people around her claimed that it was dangerous to go to certain parts of the world, she pushed through with her desire to set foot in every country in the world. As this incredible dream comes to an end, Yu is currently telling her unique stories of the world, and is taking a break from the uptight plans. Instead of trying to see everything in a short period, Yu is planning on taking things slowly, another method of enjoying life.
