The Global Degree

Rad Season: Hi Andrew, tell us a little bit about yourself?

Andrew: Hey! Well, I’m a 22 year old filmmaker that specializes in Action Sport video. This past year I joined Global Degree, a YouTube travel series following 3 travellers (Including myself), on a journey to every country in the world. It was the 3rd year of the project and since I’ve joined 9 months ago, I have visited every country in Europe.

RS: What’s the idea behind Global Degree?

Andrew: The idea is to create a travel video for each country all while sharing the concept that you can receive a real world education from the connections and experiences through travel. To get a “Global Degree” you must visit all 193 UN Nations.

facebooktwitterpinterest Andrew Santos with Global Degree Founder Michael Graziano & Videographer Alexander Hennessy

RS: What was the biggest adventure of the trip?

Andrew: One of the biggest adventures we had must have been acquiring our AFF skydive licence in Denmark. Which was funny because the group of 3 guys had decided to do it over boxed wine at a friend’s house the night before. The next 3 days after that was filled with intense training, and each of us doing about 10 jumps. It’s really an unreal experience. If you’ve ever thought about doing solo jumps, I highly recommend you do it.

facebooktwitterpinterest Skydiving in Denmark

RS: Did you stumble across any festivals?

Andrew: For sure! One of the biggest ones we stumbled on had to be Kings Day in Amsterdam. It’s a national holiday in the Netherlands, where everyone wears orange and drinks a lot, partying down the canals. I made the classic mistake of going a little too hard on Kings Night, which is the night before. I also got to go to Crankworx Les Gets in the French Alps, which was a real treat because I had been to Whistler Crankworx for many years and it is one of my favourite festivals.

facebooktwitterpinterest Crankworx, Les Gets, France

RS: Which place was your favorite and why?

Andrew: Cappadocia, Turkey was one of my favourites, just because the scenery is just so different there. It looks like a landscape from Starwars, with tons of caves dug into the rock structures. Every morning they have over 50 hot air balloons floating through the sky, something straight out of a dream.

facebooktwitterpinterest Cappadocia, Turkey

RS: Best nightlife?

Andrew: There’s loads of popular places in Europe for Nightlife, it seems the whole continent has the whole night life scene down. They know how to party. One place I was really surprised with was Belgrade, Serbia. They have raft bars all along the river there, and there’s tons to choose from. No matter what kind of music/vibes you like, you can usually find the right spot. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, some of the most beautiful woman are in Serbia. It seems to be a well-kept secret though, so shhh.

RS: What was the best town for adventure activities?

Andrew: Hands down Interlaken, Switzerland. There’s every kind of adventure activity you can think of. In just under a week I got to bungee jump out of a gondola, paraglide, wakeboard, via ferrata (extreme hiking), cannoning, and more. It’s also very scenic and has some of the most breath taking views.

facebooktwitterpinterest Interlaken, Switzerland

RS: What was your craziest cultural experience?

Andrew: In Kosovo, we got taken with a tour guide to the country side where we stayed in a very old stone house and lived off the land. It included drinking fresh cows milk, chasing around chickens, and of course drinking the home made strong liquor called Rakia. We got to share stories with the locals, but only through made up sign language. It seemed to work and laughs were had.

facebooktwitterpinterest Kosovo country side

RS: Any advice for those travelling for the first time and those that are seasoned travellers?

Andrew: Go with the flow and put yourself out there. Being scared is normal, and it’s only when you are outside your comfort zone you have the best time and stories to share. If you have the thought of wanting to travel don’t put it aside, set a date, book a flight and go!

Check out the trailer for the European leg of the Global Degree:

Global Degree Concept

“To graduate with a Global Degree, you must visit every UN nation in the world. There are currently 193 UN member states. It’s the idea that you can receive a real-world education from connections and experiences through travel.

The internet along with social media has connected the planet and travel today has never been cheaper, safer, and more friendly.

We believe every nation is unique and deserves to be visited, and we invite you to become a part of our community and help you obtain your Global Degree.”

Images by Andrew Santos