12 countries in 12 months – The Witty Traveller sets ambitious travel goal
Published:Saturday | January 1, 2022 | 12:07 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Visiting 12 countries in 12 months is the new goal for entrepreneur Andre Whittaker. Known as the Witty Traveller, he told The Gleaner that he developed his love for exploring other territories from his parents. Lovers of a good road trip, he was exposed to destination vacations from as early as a baby. Making memories from before he could remember instilled in him his initial love for travel and his great sense of adventure. “As an adult, in addition to vacations, I’ve travelled for spiritual renewal and development, missions and business,” he shared.
For the creative entrepreneur who works in event management and décor and also manages a beaded jewellery business, travelling assists with sparking new ideas, and inspiring clever references and approaches to different subjects. “Mission projects have also given me a curiosity and great appreciation for different cultures. I love experiencing different languages, music, art, architecture and nature in different countries,” he added.
Until recently, his flying scope was limited to 10 countries in the Caribbean and 16 states in the United States of America and Mexico. But the desire to explore more grew deeper and stronger than he could have ever imagined. With the unpredictable nature of the past two years hanging a dark cloud over his head, he set out on a dream target of taking trips to 12 countries in 12 months. “Spanning four continents, my first stop was South America, where I went to Peru. The other 11 countries on my list are [in] Europe: Spain, France, Italy, Germany and Greece; and [in] Asia: Japan, South Korea, Philippines and Thailand, and [in] North America: Canada.”
Noting that he doesn’t have a travel preference, exploring solo, with family and with friends each has its benefits. “Each definitely provides a completely different experience, and I appreciate and enjoy the differences of each,” he said, adding that travelling with family has brought about timeless memories, bringing them even closer as a unit.
With friends, it’s always a blast. They push him beyond his limit, challenging him to do things he wouldn’t do if he were alone. He provided a ‘friendly’ travel tip, “When travelling with friends, I recommend choosing friends with a similar travel style to avoid unnecessary clashes on how to build out your itinerary, as well as how to make decisions and problem-solve in the day to day,”
While doing the explorations solo gives him a greater opportunity to meet incredible people from all walks of life, “It has also allowed me to get better acquainted with myself, my personality.” He has made steps to document his yearlong discoveries on Instagram under the moniker Witty Traveller Ja. He also writes for the column, Prone to Wanderlust, for Paje Magazine.
Shifting his approach to each experience, from cities and excursions to restaurants and personality encounters with more intention, Whittaker asks more questions and makes greater details for accuracy to keep readers in tune with the personal and intimate journey. “I find myself making notes of how my five senses are being engaged and how different things encompass a total experience, with details that often go unnoticed or unclarified,” he added.
Flexibility to travel seamlessly to these countries is paramount. So Whittaker is hoping that he will get the required visas for the remaining countries, “I’m willing to visit visa-free countries as well as change the list entirely to countries that are open over the period. So I’m taking it one trip at a time.”