'I left my wife at home for 10 years to travel the world - it's come at a cost'

16 August 2023 , 10:59

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Thor and Le were only together for one year when he made the decision to jet off around the world (Image: Courtesy Thor Pedersen / SWNS)

When adventurer Thor Pedersen set himself the immense challenge of visiting all 203 countries around the world without flying, he thought he would only be leaving his wife at home for four years.

But a whole decade later, he has finally completed his monumental mission and arrived back in Copenhagen, Denmark, to be reunited with his other half, Le - who stayed in a relationship with him.

He has spent $72,000 (around £56,000) over the last 10 years and taken 351 buses, 158 trains, 219 taxis and 40 shipping containers, as well as a horse and carriage and sailboats.

While it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the escapade has 'come at a cost' for Thor, 44, who now feels as though his life is 'upside down' and has struggled to mentally adjust to normality.

Thor visited every single country in the world in an unbroken 10-year journey without flying (Courtesy Thor Pedersen / SWNS)

"I have essentially been a nomad for a decade. It's a bit like being in a coma. My life is upside down. This has come at a cost. I'm working on myself mentally. My mind is taking a lot longer to return home," he explained. Thor had only been with Le, 40, for a year when he decided to embark on his trip - but they committed to stay together in a long-distance relationship.

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"In January 2013 my dad emailed me a link to the people who had been to every country in the world. The more digging I did the I saw none of the 200 at that point had done it completely without flying," Thor said. "That intrigued me. I just couldn't leave the idea. I thought it would take four years - I was quite wrong."

He left his wife Le at home in Denmark, and she flew out to meet him 27 times (Courtesy Thor Pedersen / SWNS)

Thor, who previously worked in shipping and logistics, set off from Denmark to Germany on October 10, 2013, and went through Western central Europe, then along to the Nordic countries before travelling through all of America. From there he went to the Caribbean, Western Hemisphere, to Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia, without taking a plane and on a budget of €20 a day.

During the decade-long mission, Thor and Le, who is a doctor, kept in touch online, and she was able to visit him just 27 times. When Thor was stuck in Hong Kong for two years during the pandemic, he managed to marry Le online so she could go and stay with him. By that point, he was desperate not to fail his challenge.

Thor has always had a passion for adventure but says the last decade was like 'being in a coma' (Courtesy Thor Pedersen / SWNS)

"I was down to the last nine countries. How do you give up?" he said. When restrictions lifted, he travelled to the pacific and Indian ocean and finished his final county, the Maldives, on May 23, 2023. Thor's journey ended up taking nine years, nine months and 16 days, and he needed 10 passports to complete the whopping distance of 382,083km.

He funded the trip with sponsorships, savings, loans and crowdfunding. "It equalled the distance of the moon. This was an education beyond anything else," Thor explained. "I have aged 50 to 60 years in experience and learnt about culture, history and geopolitics. It's endless."

He thought it would be a four-year journey but it ended up taking him 10 years (Courtesy Thor Pedersen / SWNS)

After achieving his goal, Thor decided to travel back home without flying too so he could have a slow return. Now back in Denmark, he is adjusting to life after being on the road for the last 10 years. Speaking of Le, he said: "She's been amazing. I don't think I would have pulled through it all without her."

Despite being in a readjustment phase, Thor would encourage others to explore different countries and cultures. "Go out there and rub shoulders with people and see what you come back with," he said. During his journey, he also teamed up with the Red Cross in 199 countries to raise awareness for humanitarian work.

Emma Dunn