I was asked by a friend, “Where does the “been everywhere traveler” go next? I told them I still have a relatively extensive list of places I would like to visit despite having visited over 100 countries. The list tends to get longer rather than shorter. I have been working on my lists more and more lately, reordering the destinations and adding additional variables, including the best time to visit, degree of difficulty, geopolitical challenges, and the duration of time needed to see each destination appropriately.
10 Adventures
I created this list after hearing someone else who had turned 60 made a list of 10 adventures to do in “his final travel years.” I cannot remember who it was, but they assumed they had 10 more years of travel based on the average male life expectancy and the challenges of adventure travel. I hope I have more than ten, but just in case, I have my list. Creating a list of this type is both Interesting and depressing at the same time. This is where the degree of difficulty variable was added, as it might be easier to reach the top of Tiger’s Nest in Bhutan at 60 than at 75.
Must Visit List
My wife and I maintain a “must-visit” list of countries, destinations, and scuba diving sites we still want to explore. We sometimes reorder the list by asking if you can only go to one more destination. Some locations have been on the list for many years, specifically Gibraltar. I have wanted to go here because I thought it looked interesting in the 70s Prudential insurance commercials. It is one of those places that few tours visit, and while not necessarily difficult to reach, it requires some planning unless you are in London or southern Spain.
More Green List
I created this new list after my wife posted the map of the countries she had visited. Those she had not yet visited were colored with green, and a few stood out, specifically Greenland. Greenland was a vast expanse of green due to its representation on the map as a land mass. At the same time, it is not among the top 10 on our Must-Visit List. The “more green list” moved it slightly, especially since United will offer direct flights this summer from Newark. I have also developed trip plans to fill out other regions, such as Mongolia and Uzbekistan, as well as the northern tip of South America and various areas of North and East Africa.
Multi-Country Trips
With over 100 countries visited, making multi-country trips without overlapping countries or connecting flights is becoming harder. Our best tours were the Balkans Discovery tour, which covered nine countries in 12 days, and the Southeast Asia Capitals tour, which spanned four countries. This year we have a Caucaus Capitals tour, followed by a 5 Stans trip that will be two weeks. I have been trying to find a way to visit many of the island countries of the Caribbean.
Any New Country
I don’t know what triggered this “new country” kick, but I only want to visit a country other than Japan. I find myself getting frustrated at the thought of spending multiple days somewhere I have been numerous times when that time and money could be spent visiting somewhere I have not been.
Museums and Caillebotte
One of my wife’s favorite artists is Gustave Caillebotte, and as a geek, I maintain a database of his known artwork and its location. If we are doing a trip, I look to see if there is a museum with his artwork. This helps justify revisiting cities, mainly when works from private collections are on display. We are planning a trip to Abu Dhabi for an exhibit and to visit a few additional Middle Eastern countries.
