NORTHVILLE, Mich. — Michael Zervos intends to journey the globe in a record-breaking journey of happiness.
After a yr of planning, Zervos, 35, not too long ago got down to break a Guinness World File by touring to each nation on the planet, one after the following, quicker than anybody’s executed it earlier than. The present file is held by Taylor Demonbreun of Alabama, who in 2018 achieved the feat in 554 days.
Since his departure on Jan. 17, Zervos has been to Russia and Turkey. He is at present making his manner via Africa, one nation at a time.
However Venture Kosmos, as Zervos calls the epic journey, is about greater than a globetrotting journey targeted on how briskly he can get out and in of the 193 United Nations international locations, plus two “observer states,” that Guinness says an individual should go to for a shot on the file.
Alongside the best way, he additionally plans to movie snippets of happiness and share these tales with the world on his Instagram web page.
“I noticed I didn’t need to simply journey and break this file if that was the one factor I used to be getting out of it, simply the thrills,” he stated. “I wished to get one thing I may share with different folks. I wished to create artwork out of it.”
So he thought: “What’s one thing that I may ask folks? What’s one thing invaluable I may be taught from this that may outlast the file?”
Data, he knew from the start, are supposed to be damaged.
After auditioning plenty of queries with associates and strangers, Zervos lastly selected the one query he’ll ask folks throughout the globe: What’s the happiest second of your life?
An extended state of inventive despair
For Zervos, a 2006 graduate of Northville Excessive Faculty in Michigan, inspiration for his journey around the globe got here step by step.
After school – his mom says he was virtually born with a digital camera in his fingers – he began a filmmaking firm and has since lived in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas.
Issues went effectively within the early years, however over time he discovered himself falling into what he calls a “lengthy state of inventive despair, or simply straight up despair.”
“Possibly 5 or 6 years in the past, I traded my creativity, my ardour, for a paycheck,” he stated. “I used to be doing lots of cut-and-dry Fortune 500 commercials, the place you’ll be able to shut your eyes and simply envision what executives are going to say earlier than you even stroll in. And once you get on set, you might in all probability do a few of these commercials sleepwalking.
“It’s an excellent residing. You may retire on it, nevertheless it wasn’t fulfilling.”
Then the pandemic hit, and issues acquired worse. The movie trade shut down, nobody wished to speak about new initiatives, and Zervos discovered himself at his lowest level.
It was round that point he examine Anderson Dias, a Brazilian who visited each nation on the planet and claimed he beat the time of Demonbreun, though that file has not been acknowledged by Guinness.
“I believed, ‘Man, that’s such a cool factor. You are going to international locations chances are you’ll not have a cause to go to, and also you’re difficult your self past something you have ever dreamed you might do,’” Zervos stated.
Zervos, who had beforehand traveled to 55 international locations, jumped out of airplanes, eaten bugs within the Amazon throughout a “survival week,” and gone on quite a few different adventures, was prepared for extra.
“I benefit from the side of studying that touring offers, and I additionally like tradition shocks,” he stated, noting that, to be able to qualify for the file, he’ll want to go to these 55 international locations once more. “I prefer to problem my worldview by wanting from the skin in, and that is what touring offers me.”
The happiness query
After struggling together with his personal despair, Zervos knew he wished to speak to others around the globe in regards to the pleasure they’ve present in on a regular basis life.
“I do know lots of Gen Z and millennials are experiencing the identical factor,” he stated. “They’ve the world, however they do not have their happiness.”
The questions Zervos examined on associates and strangers included, for instance, “What makes you cheerful?” or “What’s happiness?”
These, he discovered, evoked normal solutions like household, cash or success.
“Then I discovered that center floor of ‘What’s the happiest second of your life?’” he stated. “That makes any individual their very own storyteller. I’ve requested now 100 folks this simply within the States, and I’ve realized that persons are fairly animated after they pull out from themselves a narrative that evokes such a robust feeling like happiness.”
And so what began as a thought experiment turned the muse of a plan to interrupt a file and create artwork. Venture Kosmos was born.
Hardest international locations first
From his expertise flying across the globe to shoot films, Zervos knew he’d have probably the most vitality in the beginning of his journey.
“I wished to begin with the toughest international locations first, those that have been going to be probably the most rigorous in terms of journey,” he stated. “Africa is by far the toughest to traverse. The infrastructure is absolutely powerful, flights are sparse. Touring throughout borders by land could be unsafe, so you must know when and the place. Then there’s illness, malaria and meningitis.”
To assist facilitate security and fund the journey, Zervos lined up plenty of sponsors, together with Moosejaw, a Michigan out of doors retailer who offered the backpack and kit he’ll carry all through the journey, together with some monetary help.
Different sponsors embody iVisa, who helped safe 69 visas, and Untamed Borders, an organization that may see him into a number of the extra “inaccessible international locations” on his itinerary.
“They’re taking me into international locations like Turkmenistan or Eritrea or Guinea-Bissau or Afghanistan and Pakistan,” he stated.
The U.S. Division of State at present has journey advisories warning Individuals of risks associated to political instability, crime, terrorism and different threats in these and plenty of different international locations.
After visiting the 54 international locations of Africa, he plans to go to the Center East, then via components of Asia and the Pacific Islands earlier than heading again round via New Zealand. From there, he’ll head to Australia after which again into southern and central Asia earlier than heading into Europe.
“That is sort of the midway level,” Zervos stated, noting he intends to conclude the European a part of the tour in Portugal, then head to Brazil and into South America, the Caribbean and Canada earlier than lastly coming again to the U.S.
In every nation, he expects to remain from one to 5 days and has made some – however not all – preparations forward of time.
“I will be going tenting in Yurts in Turkmenistan exterior of this huge flaming pit that is known as the Gate of Hell,” he stated. “I am tenting with the Dinka folks in South Sudan.”
A scientist in Angola, he stated, has invited him to tour a geological website.
Although he’ll be staying simply a short while in every place, Zervos is not apprehensive about lacking out on the entire expertise of anyone nation.
“That is about folks and accumulating their tales,” he stated. “I’ll by no means know a rustic if I spend a month or two months there. A few of these international locations are so sophisticated, they’ve 100 completely different languages. It is not the aim for my journey, however I’m hoping it’s going to give me an thought of the locations I need to revisit later.”
Again dwelling
For Christmas, Michael Zervos’ dad and mom, Mary and Angelo Zervos, gave him a big map of the world that at present hangs within the library of their Novi dwelling. Each time he visits a brand new nation, they’re going to put a gold pin within the map.
Mary Zervos is aware of the eldest of their 4 grownup kids – she calls him an outdated soul – has ready completely, as he at all times does.
His itinerary, visas, sponsorships, foreign money, packing, vaccinations, journey insurance coverage and extra have been all lined up and triple-checked earlier than he left. Nonetheless, it has been an emotional few months that culminated after they dropped him on the airport on Jan. 17.
“It was a extremely powerful day, however I attempted to be sturdy for him,” Mary stated via tears, noting it was exhausting to even take a look at her son for worry she’d break down. However she’d given Michael her blessing, as he requested. “I instructed him to come back dwelling protected and sound, and I instructed him I knew he was going to interrupt the file.”
As soon as he’s again dwelling, Zervos hopes his journey will resonate via the tales of happiness around the globe.
“I will break the file, however then any individual else goes to interrupt it,” he stated. “That will not matter a lot afterwards as a result of I am hoping that my contribution to assist different folks will likely be significant.
“There’s a lot negativity and struggling and jealousy and FOMO and politics and animosity on social media. I am hoping that if my tales pop up in your feed on Instagram or on TikTok, that it may possibly make you smile and it may possibly remind you that it would not matter who you’re or the place you’re on the planet, that happiness is accessible to you.”
Observe Michael Zervos’ journey on Instagram @theprojectkosmos or on his web site at www.project-kosmos.com.
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