As a child, I went on vacation with my mother and sister to the North Sea, along the German and Dutch coast. Although I really enjoyed that—Zeeland is beautiful—I was secretly jealous of classmates who went to Spain and Greece. By the time I became a teenager, I was actively juggling and participating in shows. I wanted to attend workshops and trainings where jugglers from all over the world came together. My mother was fine with it, provided I funded it myself and had the right guidance. This quickly taught me responsibility and made me independent. In 2017, I took my first flight to Poland, and in no time, I was traveling from juggling conference to juggling conference. When I arrived in China, my 76th country, I thought: this is what I want to do. I want to visit all the countries in the world. I told the Chinese circus festival: “If you’re paying for my return flight anyway, just send me via Uzbekistan on the way back.

WASHING IN COW URINE

"I often travel alone because not many people want to go to dangerous countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes I am scared. For example, in Papua New Guinea, I was in the car with a police officer who was taking me to the airport when suddenly a robbery took place. He got out and fired a few warning shots into the air. I was terrified. If they shot back, I would surely be hit. Luckily, the policeman soon got back in and took me safely to the airport. In South Africa, I was arrested by a corrupt officer who wanted money because I supposedly took a photo of a roundabout. When I refused, I was thrown into a cell. I stayed there for hours. Eventually, I negotiated: instead of 200 euros, I was allowed to pay 20 euros. Then I could leave. But I also experience less dangerous, unique things. In South Sudan, I was the first tourist to participate in the morning ritual of the Mundari tribe. Men from this tribe wash their hair with cow urine, which gives it a special color. They find it attractive. They also wash themselves with it. I admit: it was kind of gross."

REFLECTION

'Traveling makes me grateful. It allows me to reflect on my own life and realize how much luxury I was raised in. If I'm annoyed because public transport, for example, doesn't run on time, I think: what is it about? There are so many people living in poverty. The downside is that I see my family and friends very little. Fortunately, I currently have an apartment in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This home base provides a bit more peace. It's incredible that the little boy who dreamed of Spain has now seen all 195 countries of the world.'