TUSCALOOSA — Last year, Taylor Demonbreun was getting ready to start her new life after college.

A Tuscaloosa native with ties to Athens, Demonbreun graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville in May with a degree in economics and public policy. She was working in New York City as an intern at Jefferies, a global investment banking firm.

However, Demonbreun realized she was not happy.

“When I got there, I realized this was not what I wanted to do,” she said. “I wanted to do something that had an impact on the world, not in an office in New York.”

Looking for what she wanted to do after college, Demonbreun remembered a study abroad program she took part in last spring in London, where she spent a lot of time traveling to countries across Europe.

At that point, she had an idea.

“I had always wanted to visit every country at some point,” she said.

Slowly, Demonbreun began planning and organizing a trip to visit 197 countries around the world in less than 400 days, relying on donations and sponsorships to get her to each destination. Demonbreun began her trip last week and has traveled to different parts of the Caribbean in the past few days. On Monday, she was in Trinidad and Tobago.

“It’s definitely a work in progress,” she said.

One of the first stops on her trip was Haiti, where Demonbreun saw how much of the country was still dealing with the effects of a massive earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed many buildings and homes in 2010.

Demonbreun said seeing the poverty in Haiti had an effect on her.

“An interesting thing is Haiti is considered a third-world country, but it’s only a two-hour flight away from the U.S.,” she said. “We never really hear anything about it until something bad happens over there.”

Demonbreun hopes to break two records listed in the Guinness Book of World Records: to be the fastest person to visit all sovereign countries in the world as well as to be the youngest to do so. In February, 27-year-old Cassie De Pecol of Connecticut set a record by visiting every country in over 18 months.

“I think it’s important to keep doing what I love doing and if it takes a year, that’s fine,” she said. “You should be happy with what you are doing.”

Athens ties

Demonbreun’s mother Paula, an Athens native, said she was initially taken aback by her daughter’s proposed trip, but supported her after seeing how she wanted to do it. The majority of Taylor Demonbreun’s extended family lives in Athens, including her grandmother, Ruby Smith, and Aunt, Regina Crawford.

Because of Demonbreun’s GoFundMe page and numerous business and hotel sponsorships, her family does not need to financially help her.

“She understands that she won’t have to work for a while and this was a good time to do something like this before she started her career,” Paula Demonbreun said.

Paula Demonbreun said she wanted Taylor Demonbreun to have the opportunity to experience different cultures and ways of life before it was too late.

“I didn’t want this to be something she regretted not doing,” she said.

David Demonbreun, Taylor’s father, said that while he was initially hesitant about the trip, he supports his daughter’s decision.

“I think any parent wants to help their children achieve their goals,” he said. “This is what she wants, she has been very passionate about it for quite some time and I want her to realize her goal.”

Visiting some countries in the midst of conflict, such as Syria or North Korea, does not worry Demonbreun much.

“The biggest thing is to do research and develop best practices to find safe areas,” she said.

As far as her daughter finding a career after the trip, Paula Demonbreun believes the experience will make her a valuable person to different companies.

“This whole trip shows her initiative, organizational skills and drive,” she said. “I think any employer would say ‘This is a cool thing. Let’s talk to this girl.’

Ultimately, Taylor Demonbreun hopes she learns more about herself through the trip and that she will have a better idea of how to move forward in her life.

“I think it’s important to know what I’m doing has a purpose,” she said. “It’s important to show that whether it’s travel or whatever else, anything is possible.”

For more information, visit https://www.gofundme.com/trek-with-taylor.