A daredevil traveler who became famous for the heart-warming way he reassured his mother during his global adventures now wants to send her the message from space.
Jonathan Kubben, 34, photographs himself holding a giant sign that reads “Mom, I’m fine” to let his mother Imelda Quinonez in Mexicoknows he is safe.
We last covered Jonathan’s travels in 2016. And he’s still telling his mom he’s doing fine… and here we present some of his very latest photos from around the world. Photos show the Belgium-based influencer holding the sign while climbing buildings, swimming with sharks and jumping out of planes.
Unveiling what could be the final chapter of his ‘Mum, I’m fine’ photo series, Jonathan reveals to MailOnline Travel the surprise he’s planning for Imelda. ‘I want to be the first person to send a message to his mother into space and put it on a satellite,’ he says.
‘We are negotiating with the European Commission to see whether it is possible or not. The idea is that the satellite orbits the Earth several times a day, so there are different opportunities for it to see the message. I think this will be the last photo of “Mom, I’m fine.” I don’t think I can top that. What else can I do, send the message from Mars?’
As he plans what could be his final “Mom, it’s me” stunt, Jonathan, who has 584,000 followers @jonathankubben Instagram page, whose videos have been viewed a combined 100 million times, reflects on some messages to his mother while he traveled to some 80 countries. Scroll down to see his highlights.
Jonathan took this photo to reassure his mother from the top of Ijen, an active volcano on the island of Java in Indonesia
Jonathan said: ‘My mother was hesitant when I first started traveling, but now she is so happy and super proud to see what it has turned out to be.’ The photo above was taken in Monaco
The former advisor’s world travels took him to Cenote Suytun, above, located outside the city of Valladolid in Mexico.
Mexican airline Volaris displayed Jonathan’s “Mom, I’m fine” message on one of its planes before a flight to the US
Jonathan is pictured here at the Taj Mahal in India, reassuring his mother, who he reveals is unaware of his travel plans. He says, “She doesn’t want to know in advance. She finds out afterwards and is therefore not afraid’
Imelda enjoys Jonathan’s success: he now has his own show on Belgian national television. She has also appeared on the show, which follows Jonathan’s life. Here he is pictured in Machu Picchu, Peru
This striking image shows Jonathan’s ‘Mom, everything is fine’ message displayed in lights on the Grand Place in his hometown – Brussels
The influencer gave a Ted talk in Brussels about his ‘Mom, I’m fine’ project and his idea to travel the world for free
Perhaps one of the more daring photos shows Jonathan swimming with sharks off the coast of Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Jonathan shared his message while celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors in Prayagraj, India
“My mom was definitely nervous about me having to travel,” Jonathan says. ‘Whether I was dressed as an astronaut at the Atomium in Brussels (photo), or doing stunts on holiday, she would be scared’
Recalling some of his experiences in South America, Jonathan says he lived with a tribe in the Amazon and lived as a miner in Bolivia, where he is depicted climbing Mount Huayana Potosi.
This photo shows a rare occasion when Jonathan showed someone else the message “Mom, I’m fine.” This photo was taken in Marrakesh, Morocco
During Jonathan’s travels, his message of comfort reached new heights, including this example of an aerial photo taken in Liège, Belgium
Jonathan took his “Mom, I’m fine” message with him to Los Angeles. Here it appeared on the side of a truck outside the Memorial Coliseum, right
Jonathan says he originally planned to return to his job as a communications consultant when he stopped traveling in 2016. Since then, his brand ‘Mom, I’m fine’ has reached millions of people and led to more business and projects. Above is an earlier photo taken after he jumped from a plane over Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Jonathan is pictured here working in support of Unicef. The influencer has launched a humanitarian ‘Mom, I’m fine’ project, building schools from recycled plastic for children from disadvantaged backgrounds
Jonathan reveals another surprise he has in store for his mother (pictured): fulfilling her dream of visiting Jerusalem. “My mother didn’t travel much,” he says. “She has wanted to go to Jerusalem for a long time, so my goal for the coming months is to take her there.”