Luisa Yu, 79, is one of 51 people in the world to have visited all 193 countries of the United Nations and she has been working towards this goal for 50 years.
Luisa Yu fulfilled her dream of visiting all 193 countries of the United Nations after arriving in Serbia last November. To make this 50-year journey, Yu said she had to work three jobs.
Yu was born in the Philippines and moved to St. Louis, USA, at the age of 23 on a school exchange program. After graduating, she worked as a medical technician and began traveling around the US in her spare time. In three years, she visited 45 states. When she first arrived in the US, Yu had only $300 in her pocket, so she mostly traveled on her own. Since she didn’t have money for a hotel, she often took the night bus so she could sleep on the bus.
Yu at Dallol volcano, Ethiopia. Photo: Business Insider
By 1970, Yu had dreams of traveling abroad, so he took on another job at the hospital and worked part-time as a travel agent to earn extra money. During this time, Yu said he was exhausted from working 16-hour days at the hospital. The travel agent job also brought in meager tips. With little time off, Yu was unable to travel as much as he wanted.
"It was hard for me to drive from hospital to hospital. However, I was only in my 30s at the time, so I could handle it," she said. In addition, she was a single mother, so she had to bear the additional pressure of taking care of her child. Every time she traveled, she spent money to hire someone to take care of her child.
The 1990 Gulf War made things difficult for Yu's travel agency business. She sold the company and invested in real estate in Miami, making a large profit. This allowed her to travel more freely. From there, Yu set a goal of visiting all 193 countries of the United Nations.
"Some places are quite dangerous but I think I can do it. I want to see everything with my own eyes," she said.
In recent years, Yu has spent much of her time in far-flung countries like South Sudan, where she lives with the famous Mundari tribe. Kiribati is also Yu’s favorite island nation, where she can bask on its white sand beaches.
On November 9, 2023, Yu set foot in Serbia and completed her goal of 193 countries. Yu chose Serbia as her final destination because her friends advised her to. As promised, Yu's friends flew to Serbia in advance to prepare a party to celebrate her completing her goal.
Yu holds a congratulatory sign after finishing his journey in Serbia on November 9, 2023. Photo: Business Insider
Yu is one of two Filipinos to become a UN Master. Currently, there are 51 people in the world who have done this, and 2023 is the year with the highest number of people completing it.
While Yu took 50 years to visit 193 countries, some people have achieved the same feat before turning 30. In December 2023, a 26-year-old Singaporean completed the goal in five years. In 2017, a 27-year-old American took just 18 months to become a UN Master.
Yu is proud of her journey and insists that "age is just a number". She says she has lived her life to the fullest and fearlessly over the years.
"If anyone has a dream, I advise them to go out and travel. Don't wait, if you have enough will, you will find a way," she said.
Hoai Anh (According to Business Insider, ABC News )
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