"LIVE IN THE D." I’M EXCITED TO INTERVIEW HIM.
>> Tati: OUR SPONSORS MAKE
EVERYTHING SPECIAL.
EVERYTHING SPECIAL. >> Jason: IT HELPED DEFINE YOU
AND IT HELPED ONE WOMAN DO
SOMETHING NEVER DONE BEFORE.
>> Tati: ALEX ATWELL INTRODUCES
US TO A UNIQUELY DETROIT WOMAN
WHO WILL BE THE FIRST BLACK
WOMAN TO VISIT EVERY COUNTRY IN
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD. #.
#. >> MY NAME IS JESSICA BONGO AND
I’M A DETROIT NATIVE AND A
GLOBAL CITIZEN AND I’M ON THE
MISSION TO BECOME THE FIRST
BLACK WOMAN TO VISIT EVERY
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
I’M SUPER CURIOUS ABOUT
DIFFERENT CULTURES, LANGUAGES,
FOOD, AND I WANNA SEE HOW PEOPLE
ARE LIVING ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I HAVE SO MANY AMAZING MEMORIES
FROM ALMOST EVERYWHERE I’VE
BEEN.
BEEN. >> I’M HERE WITH KALEY AND WE’RE
GOING TO SWIM WITH HUMPBACK
WHALES.
WHALES. SOME OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES IS
WHERE PEOPLE HAVE NEGATIVE IDEAS
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. THE PLACES LIKE THE DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO, IRAN,
PAKISTAN, YEMEN.
PAKISTAN, YEMEN. >> I’M HERE WITH MATT.
>> MEETING PEOPLE WHO ARE
INTRODUCING ME TO FOLLOWERS AND
THOSE HAVE BEEN THE BEST
EXPERIENCES NOT ONLY BECAUSE I
ENJOY BEING THERE WITH ALL OF
THESE NEW FRIENDS BUT ALSO
BECAUSE IT’S A WAY TO SHIFT THE
NARRATIVE.
NARRATIVE. I THINK THE BIGGEST THING FOR ME
IS I’M NOT AFRAID OF STRANGERS.
>> I’M HERE IN MONGOLIA.
>> IN THE U.S., WE’RE TAUGHT TO
BE AFRAID OF STRANGER DANGER.
MY THOUGHT IS, I’M A GOOD
PERSON, WHY SHOULD I ASSUME
YOU’RE A BAD PERSON BECAUSE I
DON’T KNOW YOU.
IT’S IMPORTANT THAT I’M SHARING
THAT.
THAT. SO I ALREADY FELT POSITIVE ABOUT
OTHER PEOPLE IN FOREIGN PLACES
BUT TO SHARE THAT AND HELP
PEOPLE AND TAKE FEAR OUT OF
THEIR LIVES, THAT’S ONE OF THE
BEST PARTS OF THIS JOURNEY.
>> WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT
DETROIT?
DETROIT? >> I THINK THE PEOPLE.
I LOVE THE PEOPLE IN DETROIT.
EVERYONE IS SO FRIENDLY.
>> HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE
REST OF THE WORLD?
>> IT’S VERY UNIQUE.
DETROITERS ARE RESILIENT AND WE
LOVE OUR CITY.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT DETROITERS
ARE COOL PEOPLE.
THAT’S ONE THING UNIQUE ABOUT
US.
US. >> THIS IS MARY ANN, SHE HAS PUT
TOGETHER AN AMAZING ITINERARY.
>> I’VE LEARNED THAT MOST PEOPLE
ARE GOOD.
ARE GOOD. AND NUMBER TWO, WE ARE MORE
SIMILAR THAN WE ARE DIFFERENT.
AT THE CORE, WE’RE ALL HUMAN
BEINGS AND ALL NEED FOOD,
CLOTHING, AND SHELTER.
IF WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND THAT,
WE CAN ALL GET ALONG AND LIVE
BETTER.
BETTER. >> Jason: SO JESSICA JOINS US
LIVE IN THE STUDIO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND
TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR WORLD
TRAVELS.
TRAVELS. >> Tati: I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT
YOUR STORY AND I LOVE YOUR
COURAGE AND YOUR ADVENTURE.
WHERE DO YOU NEED TO GO TO NEXT
TO COMPLETE THIS JOURNEY AS
HAVING VISITED EVERY SINGLE
COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?
>> MY LAST COUNTRY IS THE
SEYCHELLES.
SEYCHELLES. ME AND MY CLOSEST FRIENDS AND
FAMILY ARE TRAVELING THERE THIS
SATURDAY.
SATURDAY. >> Tati: I LIKE HOW YOU ROLL.
>> Jason: CAN WE MAKE IT 53?
54?
54? YOU EVER A SEND-OFF PARTY?
>> FRIDAY NIGHT, I’M HAVING A
SEND-OFF PARTY IN HARLEM BECAUSE
I DECIDED TO HAVE IT IN NEW YORK
TO CELEBRATE AND WE’RE ALREADY
OVERCAPACITY, AND I’M NERVOUS
ABOUT THAT BUT EXCITED.
>> Tati: LET’S TALK ABOUT
VISITING COUNTRIES THAT ARE LESS
POPULAR TO VISIT, LIKE IRAN AND
NORTH KOREA.
NORTH KOREA. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> IRAN IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE
COUNTRIES, I WANT TO GET TILE
MADE FOR MY HOUSE.
IN NORTH KOREA, I SPENT 6 DAYS
THERE.
THERE. WHAT I FOUND MOST FASCINATING IS
HOW NORMAL IT KIND OF FELT,
WHICH MAY SOUND CRAZY.
THERE’S NO ADVERTISEMENTS, BUT I
SAW PEOPLE GETTING ON THE SUBWAY
GOING TO WORK.
I SAW FAMILIES SITTING IN PARKS
AND RIDING THEIR BIKES, CHILDREN
ON FIELD TRIPS.
TURKMENISTAN IS ACTUALLY REALLY
BIZARRE.
BIZARRE. AND I FEEL LIKE TURKMENISTAN
FELT LIKE WHAT PEOPLE THINK IRAN
WOULD FEEL LIKE.
>> Tati: IT WAS EVERYTHING YOU
DIDN’T EXPECT IT TO BE.
IT’S PART OF BEING A GLOBAL
CITIZEN AND SEEING WE HAVE MORE
COMMONALITY.
COMMONALITY. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT’S THE BIGGEST THING
I’VE LEARNED.
I’VE LEARNED. MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT RACIST,
HOMOPHOBE.
HOMOPHOBE. AND WE’RE LIVING IN STRANGE
TIMES.
TIMES. WE WERE WALKING AROUND AND
PEOPLE ASKED IF WE NEEDED HELP.
UKRAINE WAS AMAZING.
>> Jason: I LOVE CHICKEN KIEV,
IT’S MY FAVORITE.
[LAUGHTER]
[LAUGHTER] DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PLACE.
>> IT’S LIKE HAVING 194 CHILDREN
AND PICK JUST ONE.
SO I’VE ALREADY BEEN TO MORE
THAN 35 COUNTRIES MORE THAN
ONCE, AND I THINK OVER MY
LIFETIME, I’LL GO BACK TO 150,
MAYBE TWICE.
MAYBE TWICE. IT’S REALLY EXHAUSTING!
>> Tati: I TOLD HIM ABOUT A
DREAM I HAD THE OTHER NIGHT,
THAT I GOT TICKETS TO
AFRICHELLA.
AFRICHELLA. AND TRAVELLING IS A WONDERFUL
THING.
THING. >> Jason: SHE CAN GO TO HAWAII,
SHE HAS A PLACE TO STAY BUT
DOESN’T GO.
DOESN’T GO. >> Tati: HOW DO WE FOLLOW YOUR
JOURNEY?