Monday 18 January 2010

Countries I've visited

I've mentioned before that we as a family love to travel. It is one of the reasons we do the expat thing - it makes live so much more flexible and mobile. My husband's aim is to visit as many different countries as his age. That means once he is up to date he has to add one new country to his list every year. It sounds very ambitious but it is a great dream to have. I've just counted and he already has 30 countries on his list (he is 43). I have 16 on my list, so I have some catching up to do! (See my list in the sidebar)

Hindu Kush Mountains - Afghanistan

During 2009 I was privileged to visit 5 different countries (UAE, where we live, Oman, South Africa, our home, Italy and Thailand) but 4 of those were countries I have been to before, so I could only add one new name to my list (Italy). For 2010 we plan, if finances allow, to visit Australia and India. We've been to Australia before, so only India would count for the list.

Outeniqua Mountains - South Africa

Some evenings when I lie in bed and think about all the places I still want to visit, I almost start to panic. There are so many unexplored places and so little time! As you can see from my list I haven't even touched the Americas yet, and most of Europe is also still foreign to me.

Hajar Mountains - Oman

Life passes so quickly and the next thing you know you're old and your list of missed opportunies is longer than your list of dreams. That's why I like the idea of New Year's resolutions. Even if you don't do it at the beginning of the year but on your birthday or some other significant time, it is important to take stock of your life. Write down what you have achieved during the past year as well as what you plan to do in the coming year. And I am not just talking about travel or big projects but also the less visable/measurable stuff like spending time with your children, spiritual growth and taking care of less fortunate people.

So, as my list of visited countries grow, I hope my list of caring/loving also grows.
What is on your list for 2010?


3 comments:

kbd said...

to finish school and officially be track with my new career :)

Craig Reynolds said...

Too many countries and too little time.
One of my favourite song opening lines is:
"It's another hot night in Los Angeles ... my passport ... is restless ... in my boots."

Paula said...

Found you via a comment you made on my stuff on DesignSponge - thanks. This made me count my countries - 33:) Agree that it seems like so few when you start to think of all the places you haven't been. Love the stars too - congrats on award. Paula