I have a few that I'm not sure whether to count. So somewhere between 5 and 9.
US Canada Ireland Italy Iceland
Northern Ireland (technically UK?) Vatican City Bahamas Aruba (territory of the Netherlands?)
Northern Ireland is part of the UK. But it doesn't look like you have been to the UK so that would be number 6. Vatican City is a country, so 7. Bahamas is a country, so 8. Pretty sure Arubans have a Dutch passport. So I would say 8.
Post by emilyinchile on Dec 14, 2013 20:43:17 GMT -5
23. And none of this "I am counting this place that is not actually considered a sovereign state" business...just actual countries Will be 24 after next week.
Us, Mexico. Canada, Netherlands territory (Aruba, St. Martin), British territory(Bermuda), France (both the main country and Martinique), Jamaica, Barbados , Spain, Malta, Italy.
Technically 11. Not enough. My family was big on the beach vacations growing up. Hoping to get to Israel and the UK soon. I have a lot of vacation time now so I may take DD on vacations without DH when she has school breaks. He hates to fly and has about a 4 hour flight limit :/
I've got to say I'm really impressed with some of these numbers.
I've spent my 20's and future retirement traveling (6 years living overseas) and I'm getting my monkey ass whooped by a fair few of you.
I'm one of the 3 with the most so far and I had a very unfair advantage over the normal American. I'd lived in 4 countries (in three different regions) by the time I was 8. My dad grew up as a military brat and spent the bulk of his elementary school years overseas, so it was important to him that his kids have that experience and travel a lot as kids and he went into his career with that as a main goal. Instead of going home every year for a visit, we'd travel around the region we were living in. And he'd arrange trips home with layovers in different countries (usually both ways). I got to many Southeast Asian countries that way and most of the Middle East (and his job and connections allowed us to visit some countries others couldn't/wouldn't). We had hit a few European countries when I was a kid but I did most of those as an adult--I'd go for 3 weeks every other summer with whoever I could drag along and visit as many places as I leisurely could in the time. Since being married, we've done Australia and a bunch of the Caribbean.
I also got a few of the West Coast states because my uncle was in the Navy when we lived overseas and we'd visit them, at their current station, on our way "home" to the East Coast.
If you count England and Scotland as separate countries and not just part of Great Britain, then 8. US, Canada, Mexico, Scotland, England, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
I'll be adding one more (Belgium) in May.
I think my husband is up to 14/15 due to a semester spent in Germany and a year spent working in NZ. His youngest sister has a ton more. She did a semester in South Africa and lived in NZ for 5 years. She's also been to Easter Island (I know, not a country), Tahiti, Chile, and lots of places that seem... unusual, I guess, to most Americans to be visiting. Especially since I've only been to North America and Europe.
I think I've been to 32 states, which isn't too hard, since I've lived on both coasts. I'm missing a big swath of the great plains, though. I'm also missing some of the south and Hawaii.
I've got to say I'm really impressed with some of these numbers.
I've spent my 20's and future retirement traveling (6 years living overseas) and I'm getting my monkey ass whooped by a fair few of you.
I'm one of the 3 with the most so far and I had a very unfair advantage over the normal American. I'd lived in 4 countries (in three different regions) by the time I was 8. My dad grew up as a military brat and spent the bulk of his elementary school years overseas, so it was important to him that his kids have that experience and travel a lot as kids and he went into his career with that as a main goal. Instead of going home every year for a visit, we'd travel around the region we were living in. And he'd arrange trips home with layovers in different countries (usually both ways). I got to many Southeast Asian countries that way and most of the Middle East (and his job and connections allowed us to visit some countries others couldn't/wouldn't). We had hit a few European countries when I was a kid but I did most of those as an adult--I'd go for 3 weeks every other summer with whoever I could drag along and visit as many places as I leisurely could in the time. Since being married, we've done Australia and a bunch of the Caribbean.
I also got a few of the West Coast states because my uncle was in the Navy when we lived overseas and we'd visit them, at their current station, on our way "home" to the East Coast.
I also think I have one of the most (60 plus) but I also grew up traveling. We went to several countries often in a year, mainly because my dad grew up in a small town and decided he wanted to see the world, and he traveled often for work so we had a lot of frequent flier miles. I also lived overseas and traveled a LOT when we were overseas, and we make traveling a priority with our kids, who have been to more countries than many adults I know.
Those of you who have been to a ton of countries -- I know whole lists would be annoying, but I'd love to hear about some of the more unusual ones on your lists.
AmyRI, I've never seen such an exotic shortlist. 5 countries but 4 continents! What brought you to Antarctica?
I studied oceanography in graduate school, and the research project I was funded on was studying the circulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current through Drake Passage. I got to go on one of the research cruises, and the platform was one of the ice breakers that sometimes runs supply routes to the Antarctic Research Stations. I lucked out and was on the cruise the one time (out of 5 annual cruises) they were also running supplies between port (Punta Arenas, Chile), Palmer Station (US), and Rothera Station (UK).
I did a summer internship as an undergrad a few years before on a similar research trip off the coast of Japan, so that's where that country comes in.
The only other big trip I've ever taken was the Alaska, and that doesn't help my country count, lol. Someday I'll make it to Europe like everyone else!
Those of you who have been to a ton of countries -- I know whole lists would be annoying, but I'd love to hear about some of the more unusual ones on your lists.
Hmmm, people usually look at me odd when I talk about vacationing in Bahrain or Kuwait. (Of the traditional Middle East, I have not been to Qatar, UAE, or Turkey--if you don't count Northern Cyprus/count it separately).
I don't get count Palestine because it wasn't Palestine when we were there. And that trip we had to fly home (Cyprus) for layovers twice and use three different passports due to the politics of countries we visited.
The only time I've been to the Southern hemisphere was Australia (in 2009). Never been to South America and have only been to Egypt for Africa (so hit the continental land mass but haven't been to any traditional African nations).
One of the funniest, random experiences I've had was being told we couldn't leave a site in Manila we were visiting until an "event" in the parking lot was done--it was Imelda Marcos blessing new police cars.
I studied oceanography in graduate school, and the research project I was funded on was studying the circulation of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current through Drake Passage. I got to go on one of the research cruises, and the platform was one of the ice breakers that sometimes runs supply routes to the Antarctic Research Stations. I lucked out and was on the cruise the one time (out of 5 annual cruises) they were also running supplies between port (Punta Arenas, Chile), Palmer Station (US), and Rothera Station (UK).
I did a summer internship as an undergrad a few years before on a similar research trip off the coast of Japan, so that's where that country comes in.
The only other big trip I've ever taken was the Alaska, and that doesn't help my country count, lol. Someday I'll make it to Europe like everyone else!
This sounds really cool. How bad was crossing the Drame Passage? We are going to Antarctica in early 2015 and while I have pretty good sea legs, I am dreading those two days.
With the exception of 1 large storm that was 30+ foot seas, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I don't have great sea legs, so I took a lot of non-drowsy Dramamine the first few days out of Punta Arenas and the first few days we were back on open water after the stops at the stations (we were weaving through the island chain along the coast for ~1 week, no waves at all). I wouldn't expect to be feeling great for those 2 days, but it's really not that bad. And if you aren't on an ice breaker, it won't feel nearly as bad. Ice breakers are very round on the bottom and roll with the slightest wave.
And really, even if you're horribly sick - it will be worth it.