What would it take to visit every country in the world, and could a journey like that actually help you heal from unimaginable loss?
Following the sudden loss of his wife Jackie in Botswana in 2017, Barry Hoffner set out to visit every country in the world, a journey that became the basis for his …What would it take to visit every country in the world, and could a journey like that actually help you heal from unimaginable loss?
Following the sudden loss of his wife Jackie in Botswana in 2017, Barry Hoffner set out to visit every country in the world, a journey that became the basis for his memoir, Belonging to the World. He has since traveled to 192 of the 193 UN member countries, an experience that included exploring his own heritage as an Iraqi Jew who grew up in the United States. Barry also founded Caravan to Class, a nonprofit that provides access to education for young women across West Africa through the Bourse Jackie scholarship program, named in her honor.
In this episode, Barry shares how grief led him to a global quest to visit every country in the world, and what he learned about identity, connection, and healing along the way.
This conversation is a reminder that grief doesn't follow a straight line, and that the way we choose to move through it can shape everything that comes after. There's a lot of honesty here about what it means to rebuild an identity from the ground up after everything familiar is gone. And there's a genuine sense of wonder in hearing how one goal, however unlikely it seemed at the start, can turn into a life fully lived.
What might it look like for you to begin again from year zero? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message.
Tune In To Learn:
Why one spontaneous coin flip during high school set the course for a lifetime of travel
How an early scam abroad taught a hard lesson about travel awareness
Why working overseas early in his finance career reshaped his approach to life and work
What it was like to survive a real plane hijacking
How exploring his family's Middle Eastern heritage as an adult changed his sense of identity
Advice for processing grief and using travel intentionally as part of healing
Why he calls the period after his loss "year zero" and what that mindset can offer anyone starting over
How a chance encounter with a stranger became one of the most meaningful moments of his journey
Why the goal of visiting every country mattered less in the end than what he discovered along the way
Advice on transitioning from decades of nomadic living to putting down roots in one place
And so much more
Resources:
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Belonging to the World
Caravan to Class
Barry's Instagram
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Finding A Quest That Can Change Your Life: An Interview With Chris Guillebeau
The Power of Death in Life with Gentle Rebel Bronnie Ware
A Personal Evolution Through Travel + Creating Your Own Path with Nikki Vargas
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Botswana is the Africa in our heads, the one we see in nature documentaries, and think of when we say the word.
It is a vast and untempered land filled with one of the richest concentrations of wildlife on the continent. In a single game drive you could see up to 50 different species: elephant, lio…Botswana is the Africa in our heads, the one we see in nature documentaries, and think of when we say the word.
It is a vast and untempered land filled with one of the richest concentrations of wildlife on the continent. In a single game drive you could see up to 50 different species: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, hippos, baboons and more.
But beyond the wildlife there is something else too. Africa is our home. They call her the ‘Mother’, the place we all come from. And if that’s true, then Botswana is her beating heart.
Taking us there is safari guide and author Peter Allison, who has been guiding in Botswana and elsewhere in Africa for nearly 30 years. He’ll tell us the story of his ultimate Botswana safari, traveling from Makgadikgadi Salt Pans to the Okavango Delta. It’s an adventure filled with wildlife, wisdom and more than one of his crazy stories.
Get ready for an adventure into the Africa of our dreams.
Highlights include:
• Learning to track wild animals with the San Bushmen, one of the oldest continuously surviving cultures on Earth.
• Walking on the surreal landscapes of the largest salt pan in the world - three times bigger than Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni.
• Going on game drives in the Okavango Delta, a vast network of floodplains that draws one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.
• Finding out what it’s like to be stalked by a lion in the pitch black of night with only a kerosene lantern for company.
• Discovering the story of Salvador the elephant, and one of the most magical wildlife experiences you can ever imagine.
• Hearing about the time a leopard walked into Peter’s cabin, with him inside it. It’s OK, he survived to tell the tale.
•
FIND OUT MORE
A lot of our episodes are about huge expeditions and epic adventures.This one is about something you can actually do.
We’ve partnered with Peter’s safari company Natural Selection Safaris, and tour operator Africa Endeavours - two of the most highly regarded sustainable operators on the continent - to create our dream Botswana itinerary. And it’s a trip you can actually book and do yourself.
To find out more go to AfricaEndeavours.com/Armchair and you will get $500 off your next trip. Even if you’re just dreaming about going one day, checking out what they do is a great way to support the show.
Armchair Explorer is produced by Armchair Productions. Aaron Millar wrote and presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices.more
Billy Football Breaks His Silence on Future at Barstool (And Africa) | Drop A Pin Ep. 19
Episode Breakdown:
✅ Billy Football Returns! 🏟️🎤
• Why he left Barstool & what he's been up to
• Coaching football in Africa 🏈🌍
• His wild adventures in Botswana 🇧🇼🐘
✅ Getting Cultured w/ Jo…Billy Football Breaks His Silence on Future at Barstool (And Africa) | Drop A Pin Ep. 19
Episode Breakdown:
✅ Billy Football Returns! 🏟️🎤
• Why he left Barstool & what he's been up to
• Coaching football in Africa 🏈🌍
• His wild adventures in Botswana 🇧🇼🐘
✅ Getting Cultured w/ Jon Gruden 🏆🔥
• Coaching football in Europe 🏈🇪🇺
• Where he wants to vacation next (hint: NOT Oakland 😆)
• His thoughts on the global growth of football
📲 Follow Us:
🔹 Drop A Pin: [@DropAPinPod]
🔹 Donnie: [@DonnieDoes]
🔹 Chaps: [@UncleChaps]
🔹 Billy Football: [@Billyhottakes]
🔹 Jon Gruden: @barstoolgruden
#DropAPin 🌍 #BillyFootball #JonGruden #Football #Travel #Botswana #NFL #BarstoolSports #Podcastmore
