Photo: Luca Pferdmenges
At the age of 15, German man Luca Pferdmenges began ticking off a list with the intention of visiting every country in the world.
Now, after turning 23 on Saturday, he has visited 190 countries out of a possible 195.
He has three million followers on TikTok. But more than that, Pferdmenges is on the regularly updated list of the world’s top jugglers.
He has broken four Guinness Book of World Records, including becoming the first person ever to juggle 16 balls with a partner. He has taught children to juggle around the world, even in places like Afghanistan, and he has published books on both travel and juggling.
He told Sunday Morning, from Buenos Aires in Argentina, that he is able to travel the world by having a “very tight budget”.
“I’ve been doing it full-time for about four years, but originally, I’m basically a circus artist – a juggler.”
“I do juggling shows for a living, lots of LED shows, those kind of high-tech shows for company events.”
He said that traveling full-time was sometimes cheaper than living somewhere full-time.
“Living in Germany, and certainly living in New Zealand, traveling full-time in like Asia or Latin America is probably cheaper.”
But he also earned income through collaborations on TikTok and Instagram.
Pferdmenges visited New Zealand for the first time in January.
“It was country number 173 for me.”
“Honestly, I absolutely love it. I really love it. And the thing that I really love about New Zealand is how you incorporate your indigenous people as well.
“I mean, obviously, every New Zealand person, every Kiwi, will say there’s still a lot of problems in New Zealand, but how you incorporate the indigenous people, like all the Māori culture and everything into everything in everyday life.
“I think, overall, the world can learn a lot from New Zealand.”
He said some countries he has visited were “just plain out dangerous”, but he can not be afraid if he wants to complete his mission of visiting every single country the world.
“My mission is not ‘I’m trying to visit almost every single country in the world’. I have to go to all of them.”
Pferdmenges has just five countries left to visit: Sudan, Libya, Mali, North Korea and Palau.
But after receiving his Mali visa the embassy in Germany, he is planning to go to the country next month.
When he has finally finished his mission, he said he can’t wait to finally have a base again.