If there has to be one globetrotter whose accomplishments I really respect, rave about, would like to emulate the gong goes to Jim Rogers, the Guinness record-setting investor/adventurer.
What fascinates me about Mr Rogers is that he is definitely not your average millionaire according to pop culture’s standards.
For starters, he is very curious about the world and knows first-hand what’s going on. He does not rely on the media, “expert advisors” or what his friends tell him but he checks the facts for himself and by himself by going to the heart of the matter.
All that said, reading his bio reveals that this one brave man. He has traveled the world twice. And when I mean travel the world, I do not mean. Hop into a car or a motorcycle and drive or ride around the globe staying in one hemisphere which is what most globetrotters tend to do.
Jim Rogers has almost literally combed the planet. Next time you have the time, see how many countries so many globetrotters visit and you will see that it’s seldom that the number’s over 50.
There are 193 recognised states in the world today. Jim Rogers visited 116 of them on his second round-the-world trip! (you do the percentage, I am useless at maths but it would be in the lines of 116/193×100, right?). Previously, he had toured the world on a motorcycle and had visited 52 countries which is not that bad in itself.
Those two big trips earned him two Guinness World Records.
How did I come across Jim Rogers. A few months ago while I was reading on the car that I intend to purchase to circumnavigate the world, I was doing some reseach to figure out if the car in question had been used for journeys of this nature before (the answer is yes).
I landed on a site by a gentleman named Harald Pietschmann and while there, got sidetracked by a section that detailed an interesting project for an “adventure capitalist”. From there, I landed on Jim Rogers’ official website and I was floored because I had found the person who had exactly achieved what I had in mind!
I could go on about Jim Rogers but he tells best his stories in his many books (I read one: “Adventure Capitalist: The Ultimate Road Trip”) and on his official website where his and his wife journey, the Millennium Adventure is chronicled. I like the fact how their articles are related yet different: Jim writes about the investment side of the countries and places they visit while Paige describes the scenery and the personal experiences.
The Millennium Mercedes is a one-of-a-kind vehicle developed and built for Jim Rogers and Paige Parker for a historic, three-year journey around the world, which began Jan. 1, 1999 and ended Jan. 5, 2002 and set a Guinness World Record
It goes without saying that on my list of things to do, having a chat with Jim Rogers is very high on my priorities. The only problem is that he apparently now lives in Singapore. I also have to assume that he will have the time for me lol. What amazed me too is how light he packed! I don’t know how I could pull that off although I have no choice given that I will have to carry around music equipment as an extra!
Nevertheless, reading his book and website gave me more than enough insight and at least someone broke it down exactly on what to expect on my big journey. It will be an adventure that is for sure but I will be happy, I will cry, I will be in heaven and I will be in hell. No matter what will happen, I can’t wait to press the pedal and get going!
