A man who’s visited every country in the world has revealed that selecting his favourite was “easy” as it’s the “only one” that prompted him to quit his job and relocate there. Ramblin’ Randy, from San Diego, finally ticked off the last of his 193 countries when he visited Turkmenistan in 2023.

With such an abundance of countries to choose from, one might assume it would be a monumental challenge to pick just one as a favourite. But Randy previously stated it was “so easy”. In 2019, he spoke to LOST iN about his globe-trotting adventures and his quest to “see them all”. At the time, having explored 120 countries, he revealed a list of his top 10, featuring destinations ranging from Switzerland to Djibouti, from Brunei to Armenia, whilst his ultimate choice was the fifth largest country in the world.

Randy said: “I always get asked what’s my favourite country, and the answer for me is so easy because well, it’s the only country that I packed up everything, quit my job, left everything behind and moved to.

“I found this city on the coast called Recife. I didn’t even leave the airport, but passing over the shores of Recife, I saw these beautiful, coral, pastel-coloured high-rises right along the beach. It kinda reminded me of Miami Beach.

“So, on my next trip, I visited it. I found an apartment and then I went back home and asked my boss if I could talk to him and told him I was quitting and moving to Brazil, and it was one of the most exciting times of my life.”

Brazil is the largest nation in South America, featuring an extensive 4,500-mile coastline along the Atlantic and sharing borders with every country on the continent, bar Ecuador and Chile.

It’s also home to an enormous portion of the Amazon Rainforest (almost 60%), with the Amazon River a prominent feature in the north. Pink river dolphins and piranhas are amongst the millions of species inhabiting the river.

After reaching his remarkable goal in 2023, Ramblin’ Randy told ABC 10News San Diego: “It’s bittersweet. A pin for every country, and this is the last one – Turkmenistan. Here we go.”

Nevertheless, visiting his final country may have proved more challenging as it is heavily restricted. In fact, Randy described it as “one of the most mysterious countries on the planet”.

Explaining how he succeeded in entering the Central Asian nation, he added: “So, the only way you can visit Turkmenistan is through an approved tour company.”

Whilst reflecting on his experiences, he said that his globe-trotting adventures have enabled him to not only accept and embrace other cultures but also learn to appreciate them. According to the UN, there are 195 recognised countries, 193 of which are UN member states. The two remaining nations are the non-member observer states of Vatican City and Palestine.