The Man Who Visited Every Country on Earth Says Grief Was His Compass

If you've ever wondered whether healing from loss is truly possible, Episode 412 of Grief and Happiness is for you. After the tragic death of his wife, Barry Hoffner set out to visit all 193 countries on Earth — and discovered that grief, when you let it move you, can lead you to a belonging that spans the entire world.In This Episode, You Will Learn:(00:48) From investment banking across eight countries to Sausalito(02:31) Why North Korea is his final country — and what the goal really meant(04:03) How travel revealed that people everywhere share more than divides them(07:04) How grief and travel became one story worth writing(08:06) The power of speaking someone's language — and seven years of Arabic(13:17) The countries that surprised him most — including a birthday party in Damascus(16:42) How an open heart changes everything about what you find(17:50) A near-deportation in Suriname and the midnight connection that followed(19:46) How Jackie's kindness quietly guided him across the world(25:47) The Bourse Jackie scholarship supporting young women in West AfricaBarry Hoffner grew up in a middle-class Jewish-Iraqi household in Southern California, where a spontaneous backpacking trip to Europe at 18 ignited a lifelong passion for the world. After earning his MBA from Columbia University, he spent sixteen years in investment banking across Buenos Aires, Paris, Tokyo, Singapore, London, and Moscow alongside his wife, Jackie. Following Jackie's tragic death in 2017, Barry channeled his grief into visiting all 193 countries on Earth — a journey chronicled in his memoir, Belonging to the World. He is also the founder of Caravan to Class, a nonprofit that has built 18 schools across West Africa, and established the Bourse Jackie scholarship program in Jackie's memory to support young West African women in higher education, with all book proceeds going directly to these programs.In this episode, Barry shares how Jackie's death became the unexpected catalyst for a mission that was, at first, an escape — but ultimately became a profound path toward healing through human connection. Repeatedly stepping into places the media labels dangerous, from Syria and Yemen to Sudan and Afghanistan, he found people of extraordinary warmth and generosity that dismantled every assumption he'd carried. Whether navigating a near-deportation in Suriname that turned into a midnight friendship, or being thrown a surprise birthday party in Damascus, Barry's stories illustrate his guiding belief: that grief, when we allow it to, can crack us open to a belonging that spans the entire world.Connect with Barry Hoffner:WebsiteInstagramLinkedInFacebookBook: Barry Hoffner - Belonging to the WorldLet's Connect: WebsiteLinkedInFacebookInstagramTwitterPinterestThe Grief and Happiness AllianceBook: Emily Thiroux Threatt - Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.