Oh, The Places We've Gone

 “You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go! 

It seems timely, now that we've started traveling again, to revisit a post we used to update annually, in which we documented for our own amusement the number of countries we've visited. We have to reach back to December 2017 for our most recent example.  Here's what we wrote then:

We once ran into a couple on a cruise who were strangely proud of having visited 130 "countries" and realized we never wanted to be "those people." It's more common (and a more difficult question) to be asked about our favorite region, country, or city. Still, people do ask us "How Many?" from time to time.

For sovereign countries we base our list on this website, which counts 195 sovereign states in the world. As of January 2023, we've visited 78 of them:

Antigua

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bahamas

Barbados

Belgium

Belize 

Brazil

Cambodia

Canada

Cape Verde
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark

Dominica (January 2023)

Dominican Republic
Egypt
Estonia

Fiji
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Holy See (Vatican City)
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Ireland
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Korea (North) - DMZ tour only
Korea (South)
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mexico
Monaco
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Panama
Peru
Poland
Portugal

Qatar (December 2022)
Russia
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Senegal (plane refueling at Dakar - did not formally enter)
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain

Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
Swaziland

Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vietnam
Zimbabwe 

 

Based on the Travelers' Century Club, which currently lists a generous total of 330 countries and territories, we've visited a total of 106 as of January 2023. Wanna count 'em?

Pacific Ocean (6/40)
Australia

Fiji Islands
French Polynesia (Tahiti,Tuamotu, Austral, Gambier)
Hawaiian Islands
New Zealand
Tasmania

North America (4/6)

Alaska
Canada
Mexico
U.S. (continental)

Central America (5/7)
Belize (British Honduras)
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Honduras
Panama
 

South America (6/14)
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia

Peru
Uruguay
 

Caribbean (16/31)
Antigua & Deps. (Barbuda, Redonda)
Bahamas
Barbados
Cayman Islands

Dominica (January 2023)
Dominican Republic
Jamaica
Leeward Islands, French (St. Martin)
Puerto Rico
St. Barts
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
St. Maarten (formerly Netherlands Antilles)
Turks and Caicos Islands
Virgin Islands, U.S. (St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas)
Virgin Islands, British (Tortola, etc.)
 

Atlantic Ocean (6/14)
Azores Islands
Bermuda
Canary Islands
Cape Verde Islands
Iceland
Madeira
 

Europe and Mediterranean (39/68)
Austria
Belgium
Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Minorca)

Corsica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
England
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany

Gibraltar
Greece

Greek Aegean Islands (Patmos)

Greek Ionian Islands (Corfu, etc.)
Hungary
Ireland (Eire)
Ireland, Northern (Ulster)
Italy

Liechtenstein 

Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Sicily
Scotland
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey in Europe (Istanbul)
Vatican City
Wales

 

Antarctica (0/7)

None

Africa (7/55)
Egypt in Africa
Lesotho
Morocco
Senegal (plane refueling at Dakar)
South Africa
Swaziland
Zimbabwe

 
Middle East (2/21)

Qatar (December 2022)
United Arab Emirates
 

Indian Ocean (1/15)
The Maldives   

 

Asia (14/52) 

Cambodia 

China, People's Rep. 

Hong Kong 

India 

Japan 

Korea, North (DMZ tour only) 

Korea, South 

Malaysia 

Singapore 

Sri Lanka (Ceylon)  

Taiwan 

Thailand 

Turkey in Asia 

Vietnam

 

As we've often written, who's counting? Well, we are, but only once a year or less. The US and Canadian immigration officers who recently checked our passports as part of our Nexus and Global Entry renewal interviews did appear both impressed and amused by our list.

We'll add one small footnote. Our crazy flying schedule in December 2022 enabled us to re-qualify for Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 100K for 2023. Our ongoing hotel status includes Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, and IHG Platinum, so we have the basic tools to travel in some style for awhile yet. Our upgraded Ft. Lauderdale to Seattle to Bellingham flight this past weekend offers a good example.

It's annoying that we're still so tired after traveling in relative luxury.