NJ Teen Sets World Record By - Kinda - Visiting 35 Countries In 1 Day

CHERRY HILL, NJ — Many 16-year-olds think about getting their driver's license, securing college applications and landing that first part-time job.

Asher Boiskin of Cherry Hill thinks about those things as well.

However, earlier this year, he also thought about how he could make history.

"I was looking at the [Guinness] World Record for the most countries visited," he told Patch.

"I believe the Guinness World Record was 13. I started exploring how I could do better. And while I was on the United States State Department's websites I started booking appointments," Boiskin continued.

About a month ago, he said he dutifully attended each of those appointments in Washington D.C., visiting 35 embassies in fewer than 12 hours. Along the way, he got passport stamps for 32 of the world's nearly 200 countries.

Since visiting a foreign country's embassy is considered by some to be visiting the country itself, this whirlwind experience put Boiskin in the Guinness World Record book for most countries visited in one day, he said.

Asking Boiskin to pick a favorite moment of the trip was akin to asking one to pick their favorite song by their favorite music group, it seemed.

"All of them were incredible," he said in the interview. "The hospitality at all the embassies was just amazing ... At the end I learned about the Ecuadorian's journey to becoming an ambassador. That was really cool."

Boiskin's father Jonathan went along for the trip and, by serving as an unofficial photographer, helped document Boiskin's experience.

"He handled himself with grace and diplomacy and dignity as he engaged with all these foreign diplomats to explain his record attempt and learn about their countries and culture," Boiskin's father told Patch. "I am so proud of all he has accomplished and know he has a bright future ahead."

That future likely includes something that will allow Boiskin to step foot in more countries, the younger Boiskin said.

"Before I set off on the worldwide journey, I was interested in international affairs," he said. "Now I'm definitely interested. Maybe a diplomat, something like that, or more on the law enforcement side."

While he tries to figure out his specific career path, Boiskin said he awaits further details about his next project.

"Recently, I wrote to every single governor in the United States and most of the cabinet members, as well as some other government officials," he said. "I asked them what it means to be an American, and asked them how they became governor and what public service means. I'm slowly getting letters back from their offices, or even from the governors themselves."

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