I Visited 82 Countries By 28yo As I Didn’t Want To Wait Until I Was Rich To Do So | WeirdKaya

While many people in their twenties were saving for a car, a house or their wedding, Andrea Wong was saving for her next plane ticket.

By the time she was 28, the Kuala Lumpur native had already travelled to 82 countries and reached all seven continents, including Antarctica.

Aside from being a globetrotter, Andrea is also a Certified Financial Planner, author and wealth adviser who mainly helps women manage their finances and build sustainable wealth systems.

However, her journey did not begin with a huge bank account, a detailed plan or years of travel experience.

It began with one trip, followed by another, until travelling gradually became the dream she built her entire twenties around.

Her first solo trip changed everything

Andrea first travelled overseas with her friends when she was 20 and flew to Taiwan for her first solo trip the following year.

She admitted that many things she once thought were impossible became skills she could slowly learn along the way.

One of the biggest turning points came when Andrea discovered that her university offered an exchange programme in the United Kingdom. The application deadline was less than two weeks away and Andrea was close to graduating.

Joining the programme would mean delaying her graduation, dropping one semester and potentially losing the money she had already spent on that semester. There was also no guarantee that her application would be accepted.

Instead of giving up, Andrea met with her department head daily, communicated with the administrators in the UK and repeatedly wrote emails until her application was approved.

After arriving in the UK, Andrea initially travelled according to her friends’ plans. However, there was one place she wanted to visit that nobody else was interested in: Spain.

Made travelling a priority for 10 years 

Andrea eventually set herself a goal of visiting 100 countries before turning 30. Although she did not reach the exact number, she never forgot the promise she had made to herself.

For 10 years, her routine was simple: earn money, save money, travel and document the journey.

Andrea said she was very clear that travelling around the world was her main priority during that period of her life.

“I also didn’t want to wait until I felt rich enough to begin. What I’d do is first decide where I want to go, calculate how much the trip would cost and work backwards to determine how long I need to save.

Andrea treated each trip like a financial project, complete with a budget, spending limits and safety buffer. Whenever she overspent at one destination, she would reduce her expenses at the next.

Through this process, she learnt how to differentiate between what she wanted and what she genuinely needed.

Andrea also deliberately chose work that could be done remotely. Before her extended journey, she worked in digital marketing, online business and part-time in wealth advisory.

She said she avoided committing to a conventional office job because her travels could last several months, and she did not want her absence to negatively affect a company.

“I also placed her dream ahead of romantic relationships. One time, I told a former partner that if he stopped me from pursuing my dream, I’d have to let him go as I wanted to place my own goals and dreams first.”

From a breakup to a 300-day journey around the world

In 2023, Andrea was unhappy with her work and felt that she had lost herself while chasing money.

Her life had become centred on earning and saving, but she was no longer doing the thing she had been saving for. At around the same time, she also went through a breakup.

Andrea decided to leave her work and travel for what she initially thought would be a short break to recover emotionally.

After two months, she felt much better but found herself not ready to return home. That was when her trip turned into a journey around the world.

She ended up travelling for around 300 days and visiting approximately 50 countries during that period.

Andrea said she once arrived in Paris without a strict schedule and ended up staying for three weeks before continuing to southern France.

Sometimes, she would see a recommendation online and search for people who were interested in visiting the same destination.

At other times, she would meet travellers on the road, get along with them and decide whether they should journey to another country together.

Andrea said the most enjoyable part was having the freedom to change her plans at any time. “The best things usually happen outside the plan,” she added.

Celebrated 28th birthday in Antarctica

Andrea did not realise how many countries she had visited until she sat inside a bus and began writing them down. Halfway through the list, she stopped and stared at what she had written.

During her trip to Antarctica, Andrea asked the crew to prepare a cake with the number “2882” written on it, with the first two numbers representing her age and the final two representing the 82 countries she had visited.

For Andrea, the cake represented more than a travel milestone. It was proof that she had kept the promise she first made to herself at 20.

She believes her journey proved that an ordinary woman can achieve an extraordinary dream as long as she has a clear goal and is willing to work towards it.

Photos only showed part of the journey

Although Andrea’s social media was filled with beautiful destinations, the reality of long-term travelling was not always glamorous.

During her earlier trips, she travelled almost entirely on a tight budget. She stayed in hostels, took overnight buses, searched for extremely cheap flights and survived on instant noodles and bread.

As a student, she once ate nothing but bread and pasta for an entire week.

Her financial situation has since improved, but Andrea joked that she still compares flight prices until the last possible moment. At the same time, she now prioritises meaningful experiences over saving every cent.

However, travelling alone also meant constantly making decisions and handling emergencies without immediate help.

Andrea dealt with long and exhausting bus rides, dead phone batteries, illnesses, cancelled flights, getting lost and arriving in places without confirmed accommodation.

In Greenland, she struggled to find somewhere to stay until her guide helped her secure an Airbnb.

On another occasion, airline staff cancelled her ticket, forcing her to purchase a replacement at three times the original price.

Travelling did not remove her problems

Andrea acknowledged that her journey began partly as an attempt to escape life’s harsh realities. However, she soon realised that travelling could not permanently solve the problems.

At 21, Andrea admitted that she sometimes travelled to show others how many countries she had visited. But when she turned 28, her motivation had changed.

As a woman travelling alone, Andrea had to take additional precautions.

She said she always read reviews before choosing accommodation or transport and would never compromise on safety simply to save money.

She planned how she would move around after dark, made sure someone knew her itinerary and kept her documents and cash in separate places. She also ensured she had a working SIM card before arriving at a destination.

Andrea received unwanted attention from men while travelling, so she generally maintained her distance and preferred travelling with women or larger groups.

Kindness from strangers 

Despite the difficult moments, Andrea also encountered strangers who went out of their way to help her.

In France, a bus driver brought her to a location where she wanted to take photographs and later waited to ensure she was not stranded without transport back to the city.

In Greenland, her guide helped her find accommodation because he was worried she might have to sleep at the airport.

In Morocco, airport staff repeatedly updated her about her missing luggage and helped her locate affordable local transport.

In Türkiye, someone stopped and drove her across a mountainous road to reach her hotel.

In the United States, a driver initially refused to take her, but a police officer witnessed the situation and ordered the driver to return.

One of Andrea’s most meaningful experiences came from spending time with a German family, where she was deeply affected by how openly they expressed love and communicated with one another.

“I learnt that families can have deep conversations, express themselves properly and make each other feel loved.”

Beyond the people she met, certain places also stayed with Andrea long after she left.

Of the more than 80 countries she has visited, Argentina is the one she would most like to return to as she found the country especially memorable for its affordable prices, warm people, lively atmosphere, fresh air and food.

For Andrea, these unexpected connections and experiences became some of the most valuable parts of seeing the world.

A life without regrets even with missed milestones 

Andrea admitted that her choices meant she did not progress at the same pace as many people her age, as she missed out on friendships, relationships and some conventional milestones associated with adulthood.

Returning to Malaysia was also an adjustment as she occasionally struggled with expectations involving stable employment, marriage, children, houses and cars.

However, Andrea said she gained far more than she lost. More importantly, she believes she created a life without regrets.

“Travelling also changed my definition of success. It’s no longer about proving my worth to other people, but understanding who I am, identifying what I want to contribute to the world, and living according to my own values.

Changing priorities

Andrea still feels excited when visiting a new destination. However, she now looks forward to creating memories with people she loves and observing how different countries operate, including their businesses and economies.

For now, however, her priorities have shifted.

After dedicating her twenties to seeing the world, Andrea wants to focus more on building her career and creating something meaningful through her work.

To young Malaysians who believe they are not wealthy or experienced enough to travel, Andrea said the first step is turning the dream into a number.

“I’d advise inexperienced travellers to begin with a short trip to a neighbouring country instead of immediately attempting a journey around the world. Courage is not something you are born with. It is built through small successes, one at a time.”

When asked what she would tell the younger Andrea who began this journey, her answer was simple: “You did very well.”

Ultimately, Andrea hopes people do not pursue travelling simply because they see others doing it online but wants them to first ask whether seeing the world is genuinely their dream.

If the answer is yes, she believes they should start planning while understanding that every major achievement will require some form of sacrifice.

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