When Romaine Welds landed in Antigua and Barbuda at the V.C. Bird International Airport in September of this year, he proclaimed that he had completed his journey to visit all 195 countries on the planet. The 37-year-old claimed to be the first Jamaican to visit every country on the planet.
The Jamaican-born American resident said he chose Antigua and Barbuda as his last destination because he thought it would be fantastic to finish the adventure close to home, where it all began.
“I settled mostly on Antigua because it seems like a mini-hub in the Caribbean with lots of flight connections. As I wanted my friends and family to get flights easily to join me on this final journey, and also for the beautiful beaches – the choice fell on Antigua & Barbuda,” Welds was quoted by carribeannewsglobal.com.
In 2007, welders moved from Montego Bay, Jamaica to the United States of America. He became interested in going to different nations after beginning work as a ground operation agent at San Francisco International Airport for an airline firm. When he traveled a country for work, he was always thrilled when he returned home and eagerly anticipated the next trip.
Welds was inspired to travel the world after seeing National Geographic’s bucket-list destinations. He then went on to discuss the Seven Wonders of the World, followed by the countries of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa).
By 2016, he had accomplished his original aim of seeing 100 countries by the age of 30. His next goal was to visit all 195 countries on the planet. He traveled the world for 15 years in all. He would undertake study on visas, immigration, immunization plans, and so on before visiting a country. The airline where he works is usually helpful in this regard.
Despite his praise for his native Jamaica as the ideal location to live, he named Cape Verde, Brazil, and Bora Bora as some of his favorite nations based on his travels there. Welds believes that everyone should travel out into the world and see its wonders and cultures.
“As a student in Jamaica, I used to love geography. It was my favorite subject, but never in a million years did I imagine that I would end up visiting every country in the world. It has been a life-changing experience. I’ve learned so much while traveling and meeting other inspiring globetrotters around the world and now finally, I have made it to the finish line, visiting 195 countries while working full time!,” he said in September.
Welds’ subsequent goal is to visit festivals and tribes around the world.