Alex and I have traveled a lot separately and together. While occasionally we country count to see who is more traveled, often times we are more reminiscing about the places we have been together and where we want to go next. We may not have seen the world yet but we will. Here is where we have been:
Click the links below to see all of our articles about these awesome countries!
Up next for us is the world! We are currently planning a 6+ year Round the World trip which we are so excited about. We plan to visit Arizona (for Spring Training), New Orleans (for the Jazz Festival), Chicago, Key West and New York before heading off to Europe. We plan on about 2 years traveling around Europe and then taking the Trans Siberian Railroad to China to start on our Asian adventures ending with a year in Australia. After stopping in Australia for a year we plan on heading back West through India, Africa and South America. It may be ambitious but I believe we can do it!
How We Decide Where to Go
People often ask how two travelers end up with a list as long as ours. The honest answer is that it grows in layers. Some places were chosen because one of us had always dreamed of them, some because a cheap flight appeared at the right moment, and some because a friend said, "You have to go there." Over time we noticed that the trips we remember most are rarely the ones we planned down to the minute. They are the ones where we left room for a wrong turn, a long lunch or an invitation from a stranger.
When we sit down to choose a next destination, we usually ask ourselves a few simple questions. What do we want to eat? What do we want to see that we cannot see anywhere else? And how much time do we really have? Those three answers narrow a world of options down to a handful, and from there the fun of research begins.
- Food first: A region with a strong food culture almost always makes our shortlist.
- Something unique: A festival, a landscape, a piece of history or a ballgame we cannot catch at home.
- Timing: Weather, seasons and local events can make or break a trip, so we plan around them whenever possible.
- Pace: We would rather see fewer places well than race through a dozen.
Traveling Separately, Traveling Together
Because Alex and I both traveled before we met, our map is really two maps layered on top of each other. Some countries only one of us has visited, and those stories are fun to trade over dinner. Other places we have explored side by side, and those are the ones we love to reminisce about, laughing over missed trains, surprising meals and the little rituals we have developed on the road.
Traveling as a pair has taught us a lot about compromise. One of us will happily wake early for a sunrise while the other wants a slow morning with coffee. We have learned to alternate, to split a day when it makes sense and to be honest when we are tired. Those habits will matter even more when we are on the road for years rather than weeks.
If you are planning to travel with a partner, you may enjoy our thoughts in Travel Advice, where we share the lessons we keep learning the hard way.
Making Sense of the Country Count
Counting countries is a bit of a game for us, and we do not take it too seriously. A number on a list can say very little about the depth of an experience. A weekend wandering one city can teach you more than a week of ticking off airports, and a long stay in a single region can change how you see an entire culture.
Still, the list is useful. It is a record of where we have been, a prompt for stories and a reminder of how much is left. When you click through the country links on this page, you will find the articles we wrote about each place, from practical tips to the moments that surprised us most. Think of the list as a living table of contents that keeps growing as we do.
For a closer look at individual moments from our journeys, take a peek at A Glimpse of, and for the places and experiences that stole our hearts, visit My Favorite.
Planning a Journey This Big
A 6+ year Round the World trip is not something you plan in a weekend, and we are the first to admit it is ambitious. The route we described is a framework rather than a fixed schedule. The idea is to move in a rough arc: begin in the United States, spend a long stretch in Europe, cross Russia by rail toward China, work through Asia, settle in Australia for a year and then loop back through India, Africa and South America.
Several practical questions shape the planning, and we are working through them one at a time:
- Visas and entry rules: Different countries have different limits on how long visitors can stay, so timing each leg carefully will be essential.
- Health and insurance: Long-term travel needs reliable coverage, routine vaccinations and a plan for staying well on the road.
- Money: Stretching a budget across years means choosing slower travel, cheaper regions to balance pricier ones and a cushion for surprises.
- Staying flexible: The best plans leave space to linger somewhere we love or skip somewhere that is not for us.
Spending close to two years in Europe is deliberate. It lets us settle into a rhythm, travel by train, learn a few phrases in several languages and avoid the exhaustion of constant hurrying. The same philosophy guides the year in Australia, which will give us a chance to rest, explore and reset before the final stretch.
What the First Stops Mean to Us
The early part of the trip is deliberately built around things we love. Spring Training in Arizona is a baseball fan's dream, and New Orleans during the Jazz Festival promises music, food and an atmosphere unlike anywhere else. Chicago, Key West and New York round out a warm-up tour of American cities that each have a distinct personality. It feels like a fitting way to say goodbye for a while to home, while still enjoying all it has to offer.
Starting with familiar ground also lets us test our gear, our routines and our patience with each other before we cross an ocean. If something is not working, it is far easier to fix it in a country where we speak the language.
Follow Along With Us
This page will keep changing as our map fills in. If you want to know what we are dreaming about between trips, see What We Are Craving, or head back to the Features section for more. We hope our stories make you want to pack a bag of your own. The world is big, and we are only getting started.