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I’ve traveled to over 75 countries…now what?
You might think that after traveling to over 75 countries, you would hit a point where you would eventually be done. I thought it would happen eventually too, but still…not yet!
I’ve been to so many amazing places in my life. I’ve seen wonders of the world and met beautiful people. Since I began traveling I’ve visited over 75 countries and I’ve loved every single one of them (ummm…some less than others). But now I’m wondering, where do I go from here?
There are so many places in the world that I still want to see. But at the same time, there are so many places that I’ve already seen that I want to go back to; and then so many places that have captured a piece of my heart and I call home.
So, where do I go from here?
Throughout the years I have become a better traveler, learned some great hacks and my travel style and approach has changed. I am no longer willing to “just go anywhere”. I have been to enough places that there are some places I don't need to go.
I have enough notches in the belt, I am not trying to hit any magic number anymore. I'm at the point now where I want to focus on quality over quantity. I would rather travel to a handful of countries and really experience them, rather than just ticking them off my list.
Don't get me wrong, I still love to travel and explore new places. But now I want to do it in a way that is more focused and meaningful.
So how do you decide where to go, when you really have already been everywhere!
Travel is sort of like dating. The more you do, the more comfortable you are with it, and you know what you like and what you don't like. 17 year old me would have hopped on a plane anywhere with anyone, and I did. Now I know better and I have set out some “loose” criteria that help me decide where I want to go.
Setting out a criteria really helps you say "no" to opportunities that aren't right for you and allows you to focus on what you really want.
Let me take you through my criteria, and you can feel free to use this list if it applies to you, as some of them might be things you didn't even consider.
Criteria for choosing:
- Flight routes: When you spent 50 days in Frankfurt airport in one year. You get an aversion to even the smell of the airport. When I am traveling I want to get to my location in as few stops as possible. This might mean doing a little travel hacking and booking multiple one-way flights with different carriers. But for me it is more important to enjoy my time in a destination not in airports. I do not want to lose three days bouncing around airports around the world to get somewhere. But if I am doing long haul trips, I will break it up into smaller flight legs, and do overnight flights to enjoy a day or two in a destination along the way.
- Exchange rate: Living and earning in CAD makes Europe and the US expensive for Canadians. Going somewhere like Mexico or Thailand where we get more value for our dollar is important for stretching your travel and entrepreneurial budget.
- Cannabis legality/ availability: I smoke weed. I like to smoke weed. I like to smoke good weed. I don't want to deal with buying shitty weed or hiding my stash from the local police. Cannabis has been legal for 5 years in Canada, I want to be able to go somewhere else where smoking cannabis is acceptable and available. And I don't want to be scouring the streets in a new country looking for weed.
- Weather/climate: I am over the cold. I realized I really don't like skiing that much and it was just a substitute for not being able to surf. Having decided that I need a warm place that does not have too extreme of a climate. I don't want to live through earthquakes as a daily norm. 40 degrees plus humidex isn't desirable either. Finding somewhere with a comfortable climate where you can go to the beach year round.
- Food security/ restrictions: There are some places in the world where getting food can be difficult, like here in Newfoundland. The weather, the location, and different factors impact the ability to access quality food. In Mozambique we experienced similar challenges. You do not want to live somewhere where getting food is a challenge. Or worse a country that has restrictions on food for political or religious reasons. Like how bacon is not available in Dubai apart from the 5 star hotels. I don't want to pay a premium to access bacon and booze. Even if I don't drink.
- Safety for women: There are countries that are more friendly for women than others. I don't want to be harassed by men in the street or accosted. I don't want to cover my face, hair or knees. Leaving any type of beliefs aside. I don't want to because of my gender have to conform to another country's political and/or societal dogma around women's sexuality.
- Ease of entry/ duration of visa: anywhere that requires applying in paper in advance or visiting an embassy is out. I have played visa roulette enough. I want to go somewhere where I can have 60 + days without having to worry about doing border runs. I might not want to stay that long but the country with the least visa restrictions and lowest cost of entry is going to win.
- Surfing: One of the things I have decided to learn to do is to surf. After a sexy encounter with a surf legend who told me it would take me two years to learn, I have decided to dedicate my travels to learning how to surf. This means that any location that I chose, I will have to be able to surf.
- Internet connectivity: did you know that when it rains, the internet is unstable. This is one of the things you come to learn when you are traveling. Working online, you need to be able to have access to reliable internet. You dont want to have to get a bus to the next town to be able to upload a photo. Ensuring that where you are going and where you are staying has a secure and reliable connection is critical.
By creating a list of criteria, I can now look at different options with a critical lens.
Rather than getting excited by every international opportunity that comes my way, I can say “no thanks” that doesn’t align with my goals. This helps me from wandering aimlessly around the world with my backpack. I can focus my energy on creating a list of places that I would like to go and ranking them based on this criteria. This helps you make a more informed decision.
Living and working in a new country is exciting and wonderful. But it is also difficult and emotionally exhausting to adjust to a new language and culture. It is ok to have criteria about how you want to live and stick with that.
Living, working or traveling to a new country is not a panacea for fixing what is wrong in your life. Going to a country that doesn’t align with your values and lifestyle or culture is an eye opening experience but might not be what you need at this point in your life.
Younger me loved the adventure and the challenges and the border runs. I wanted to go to the most difficult places, but I’ve done that. I paid my dues, now I get to go wherever I want to go...
