Michael Zervos has visited every country faster than anyone else while recounting the happiest moments in people's lives. In this interview series, we talk about his Project Kosmos.
This page features interviews with Michael Zervos about his 1.5-year quest to travel to all the nations in the world faster than anyone else! I first met and interviewed him when he was 10% done. It was far from certain that he would succeed, but he did!
Michael Zervos makes well-produced social media content. Visit Michael Zervos's Linktree for all his links.
#1 Who is Michael Zervos & what is Project Kosmos?
Michael Zervos explains Project Kosmos and his goal of being the fastest person to travel to every country.
Follow him on social media. Visit Michael Zervos's Linktree for all his links.
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#2 Detained in Moscow for 7 hours
Michael Zervos's attempt to set a speed record to travel to every country began with a stumble in Russia.
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#3 What are the hardest countries to visit?
Michael Zervos shares the countries he worries he may be unable to visit.
He also says what he will do if he runs out of time.
As of April 12, he's 20% done with his quest. He wrote to me, "I am going to be in Zambia the next two nights and then in Malawi with the night bus the next day after from Harare (in theory)."
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The podcast above (not the video) provides an update on Michael's latest news and other recent developments.
#4: He's Seen Most of the Countries in Less Than a Year
I interviewed Michael Zervos in Côte d'Ivoire a few months ago. He was 10% done with his every-country-speed tour.
I interviewed him today, June 27, when he was halfway done.
In the second half of the show, Michael Zervos reflects on Africa.
00:00 Intro
03:30 Sudan
07:00 Africa
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#5: Reflections On Ukraine, Palestine, & USA Election
Michael Zervos of The Project Kosmos is two-thirds of the way through his trip to every country.
He's on track to break the record for visiting all the countries in the shortest time ever.
We talked while he was in Lviv, Ukraine, in December 2024.
Timeline
00:00 Intro
05:00 Ukraine War
11:00 USA Election reactions
14:30 Palestine
Follow him on Instagram.
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#6: Two-thirds of the way to visiting every country faster than anyone else
Michael Zervos explains why North Korea is the toughest country to visit.
Timeline
00:00 Why North Korea is the toughest
05:30 How Zervos makes videos
11:00 What's the upcoming schedule
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#7: Michael Zervos Will Soon Be The Fastest Person To Travel To Every Country
I interviewed him on April 8, 2025, when he was over 90% done!
Timeline
00:00 Only 23 countries to go
05:20 Time left
08:15 How he gets tourist visas
16:16 Greek Passport
20:00 Finish line
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#8: Michael Zervos Has Traveled to Every Country Faster Than Anyone Else!
Michael Zervos did it!
Many people try to travel to all the countries in the world quickly, but most fail.
Therefore, when I met Zervos in Côte d'Ivoire in February 2024, when he was just 10% into his race, it seemed highly unlikely that he would succeed where so many others had failed.
Still, there was something about Zervos that made me believe he would pull off this stunt.
Although many things impressed me about Zervos, the most important was his level of organization. He had secured valuable sponsors who would help him get visas, which is the biggest bottleneck in this quest. As someone who has visited 127 countries, I know how visas limit you more than money. Having two passports would help in obtaining visas, although he did most of the journey with only his US passport.
After completing his quest, Zervos and I discussed the following topics:
00:00 The stats
03:00 Deported from Nicaragua
6:16 Two other surprises
10:45 One regret
12:45 Where to revisit
16:30 Where not revisit
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Podcast
Michael Zervos has visited every country faster than anyone else while recounting the happiest moments in people's lives. In this interview series, we talk about his Project Kosmos.
Michael Zervos makes well-produced social media content. Visit Michael Zervos's Linktree for all his links.
Follow Michael Zervos on Instagram.
#9: The Fastest Traveler Looks to the Future
Now that Michael Zervos has traveled to all the countries faster than anyone else, what's next for him?
Additionally, what advice would he offer to anyone who wants to break his speed record?
Timeline
00:00 Advice to the next person who tries to beat the record
04:50 Next steps
Video
Podcast
Michael Zervos has visited every country faster than anyone else while recounting the happiest moments in people's lives. In this interview series, we talk about his Project Kosmos.
Michael Zervos makes well-produced social media content. Visit Michael Zervos's Linktree for all his links.
Follow Michael Zervos on Instagram.
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