01 · Mind
Education
Engaging with history, politics, culture and architecture to understand a destination beyond its surface.
The personal journey
One life. A whole world.
Born in Switzerland to Iraqi parents, Hamada has spent 27 years moving through 164 countries. Final50 is the last chapter, and the deepest one.
Why Final50
The Final50 is the last chapter and the deepest one, travelled slowly and seen through the 3E Lens.
27Years travelled
164Countries visited
Final50 launched on 2.22.22 at 2:22 PM in Santa Monica. Its purpose is simple: replace passive tourism with mindful travel, using every destination as a chance to learn, move and connect.
A framework for mindful travel
The 3E Lens
02 · Body
Exploration
Moving through a place actively, from city runs to high-altitude treks and desert crossings.
03 · Soul
Entertainment
Finding connection through music, food, celebration, spirituality and local communities.
Mission Destination as a Life Experience
After 25 years of traveling, I have reached the Final 50 countries. My goal is to learn and continue to grow by traveling to these less touristy and often misunderstood and overlooked destinations.
Using the 3E Lens , I will engage my mind, challenge my body, and nourish my soul on these journeys. Doing so will maximize the experience in each country, create lasting memories, and ultimately shape who I am. Indeed, I truly believe in the Final50 mission to:
Travel with the Intention of Making the Destination a Life Experience.
A Journey Within What's your final50
No matter what your destination, just be sure to make every journey, a journey within. If you travel within, you’ll travel the whole wide world and beyond ~ The Forty Rules of Love
Hi, My Name is Hamada
I am an international lawyer and education entrepreneur. To a great degree, my life trajectory has been shaped by my insatiable curiosity, goal-oriented determination, and freakish amounts of energy!
This trifecta, matched with a passion for international relations, has set me on a journey of global discovery.
Lesotho – 1/2022
Iraqi Passport (1990s)
HOW IT ALL STARTED
Born in Switzerland to Iraqi parents, I guess I was somehow destined to be a nomad. However, for many years, 16 to be exact, I had one of the most difficult passports (Iraqi) to travel with almost anywhere.
This frustration planted a seed that if/when the time came, I would do everything I could to explore the world that was off limits to me. Thankfully that all changed when I became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
STUDENT TRAVEL
Before graduating college at UCLA, I decided to explore beyond Europe. I went to Cuba and Panama in 2002, then the next year to Japan and Morocco. Before starting law school in 2004, I traveled to Brazil, across Asia on a cruise, and then to Russia, Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus. I was hooked!
Towards the end of my time at UC Berkeley Law, I had probably traveled to around 50 countries and started to find more creative ways to fund my travels. This included establishing a remote admissions consulting business that allowed me to work from anywhere in the world.
Havana, Cuba – 4/2002
Kuwait City, Kuwait – 3/2016
GOVERNMENT TRAVEL
Securing a development position as an International Attorney-Advisor with the U.S. government was a HUGE boost to my travels. In my role, I advised many governments in the Middle East & North Africa, South Asia, and Eastern Europe on how to improve their laws to encourage trade and investment.
This work sent me to countries most would not dream or dare visit: Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, even my native Iraq.
INTENTIONAL TRAVEL
As I continued to travel, I started to realize that I was visiting destinations with a mixed bag of emotional engagement. I yearned to find ways to continue making my journeys a vital part of my own personal growth and identity.
Bottomline, I realized the need to be even more intentional in my travels; a desire that has motivated me to create Final50.
Karachi, Pakistan – 3/2018