Η Cassandra de Pecol έκανε ένα από τα πιο ζηλευτά παγκόσμιο ρεκόρ που υπάρχουν. Μέσα σε 18 μήνες ταξίδεψε και στις 196 χώρες του κόσμου ολοκληρώνοντας ένα απίστευτο project, που το είχε ονομάσει Expedition 196. Η αθλήτρια του τριάθλου από το Κονέκτικατ κατέγραψε τις εμπειρίες στο Facebook και στο Instagram, δύο λογαριασμοί που μπορούν να σε κάνουν να κοκκινήσεις από τη ζήλεια σε χρόνο dt. Η Pecol κατέβηκε για τελευταία φορά από το αεροπλάνο στις 2 Φεβρουαρίου, έχοντας ξοδέψει μόλις 10.000 δολάρια. Πως τα κατάφερε και κάλυψε τα υπόλοιπα από τα 198.000 που περίπου χρειάζονται αν δοκιμάσει κανείς ένα τέτοιο ταξίδι σε ολόκληρο (κυριολεκτικά) τον κόσμο; Από τους σπόσνορες! Έπεισε τα ξενοδοχεία και τις αεροπορικές πως θα τους έκανε promotion μέσα από τα social media κατά την διάρκεια του επιχειρήματός της και εκείνοι θα της κάλυπταν τα έξοδα! Άψογη!

Managing criticism • • • It's not okay to let others opinions (good + bad) shape who you are and who you aim to become, but I encourage you to let their words fuel you to pursue a life for yourself that you could have never in your wildest dreams have imagined. It's always been a desire of mine to inspire others that would in turn, inspire myself to create and grow positively in the right direction. My motto has always been, "I want to live an iconic lifestyle where I do what I want, when I want, and inspire those along the way". The negativity I get from this Expedition is vast, and while I'll never know why I've been criticized for my hard work and dedication to make even just a small, positive change in our world or how I travel for that matter, this negativity contradictory, only fuels me to do bigger things and reach higher in order to craft something more vast and impactful to positively enhance our world, while leaving a great legacy behind. Thankfully, the judgements that I've read have really fueled me to start several major projects that I've recently started working on. I often wonder that if I never received this criticism from others, I'd never be driven enough to change our world for the better… and hopefully one day I won't rely on these judgements to make these great forward movements in life, but for now, it's worked well enough. Never define your value as a person based off what people tell you about who you are or what you do. Own your life, own your values, own your morals and never let anyone dictate your decisions or frame who you are or who they think you should be. It is your life and no one has a surefire solution to a successful and winning outcome, but you. So, I encourage you to use not only fear but negativity and criticism from others as embers to your flame. It is only then, once you let all those opinions go, and watch those embers burn to flame, your truth and your story will flourish and you'll be boasting with confidence as to where you're headed. Choose your hard. PC: @unmaderhyme

A photo posted by Cassie De Pecol | Official Pg (@expedition_196) on

After a 1 hour and 15 minute fast paced uphill trek, I arrived at Paro Taktsang. The pilgrimage was like something out of Avatar, a dream to trek, through low hanging clouds with a harrowing drop at any given moment on either side. Prayer flags swayed through the pines, prayer wheels spinning in the breeze, and tsa-tsas (ashes of the dead) wedged between crevices of stone. Passing over a bridge and waterfall and up the last flight of stairs, I entered one of the chambers where I was completely alone. Tip-toeing past the glowing butter candles and sacred relics, I kneeled on a rug, cracked open an aged window and rested my head on the windowsill to reflect and admire the massive 2,000ft plunge into the vast Himalayan valley below, as clouds swiftly passed. Without my phone or camera equipment, I was able to consciously enjoy this moment in peace. 🏔 • • • #expedition196 #everycountryintheworld

A photo posted by Cassie De Pecol | Official Pg (@expedition_196) on