The Countries List

Uh, hows-about we just list the countries I have been to? 'Cause there are a whole lot of countries in the world. And the number changes practically every day ...

1. Austria
2. Belgium
3. Cambodia
4. Canada
5. China
6. France
7. Germany
8. Greece
9. India
10. Ireland
11. Italy
12. Malaysia
13. Singapore
14. Spain
15. Switzerland
16. Thailand
17. United Kingdom
18. United States of America
19. Vietnam

... and there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 I haven't visited yet.

You may notice a couple of trends in that list -- or maybe not? Go ahead, I'll give you a minute. That's right, aside from the gimmes like the US and Canada ('cause I'm American, just like LCD Soundsystem (warning: there is a seriously excellent video at the end of that link)), I've traveled a bunch around Western Europe and East and Southeast Asia. That's mostly because -- look, have you read the Accomplishments list already? I'm kind of writing them in a certain order ... But you know what? Don't worry about it. The point is, that "live abroad" item I crossed off the Accomplishments list? I've actually accomplished twice so far (ooooOOOoooo), once in Italy and once in China. Hence my travel history, heavy on the far edges of what the locals insist is two different continents (have you even seen the Ural Mountains? They're not even that big! Well, OK, you can obviously tell by the list you just read that I haven't actually seen them either -- but they never show up on any Biggest Mountains in the World lists, I know that! Ahem). I've had a blast so far, but somehow I've never even been south of the Equator! I've got whole continents untouched by the person I most want to touch them: me. Speaking of which, ancillary list:

1. Asia
2. Africa
3. North America
4. South America
5. Antarctica
6. Europe
7. Australia

Both the easiest and the hardest list: easiest 'cause it's shortest and must necessarily be accomplished in the course of finishing my Countries list; hardest because have you seen the price of airfare these days? Woof. Creativity and lots of help will be required to get these lists done ... But hey, I've got the rest of my life.

--SA