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Adam's Bucket List

I'll preface this by saying there are more places I want to go than not. My youthful idealism of wanting to visit X number of countries: 100? 50? 20? is gone, replaced by a realism that, short of coming into some major money, I may have 3-5 more international trips the rest of my life. Sad, but likely true. So let's be optimistic and say 5: here's where I'd go:

1) Switzerland/Northern Italy

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Really what I'd like to do is a grand tour of Europe, hitting 10-15 countries over the course of a month or so. If I had to prioritize though, I'll take Switzerland thank you very much. The soaring peaks, the turquoise lakes, the architecture, the history, the cleanliness - what's not to love? As someone who's OCD about being on time, their precision is also very attractive to me, not gonna lie.

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While I'm in this magical little country, Northern Italy is just a stone's throw away. The Italian Lakes, Milan, Verona, Genoa... la dolce vita!

2) United Kingdom

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So many places in the UK are appealing to me. I'd have to start in London, of course, and perhaps do a few day trips from there. Liverpool is also a must, for not only Beatles lore but also a Liverpool football match at Anfield with a great friend (you know who you are!).

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Then there's bonny Scotland. I think I could spend several weeks just in the highlands. Would love to visit the Isle of Skye, Edinburgh, and especially Orkney/Shetland, wild windswept outcroppings of land in the far north. Where do I sign up?

3) East or South Africa

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Something primal is calling me to Africa. I mean really, what human being with a pulse wouldn't be enamored with the possibility of visiting our ancestral homelands?

 

Obviously any country where war is a imminent possibility is a hard no from me. Countries that intrigue me more than others include Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Have to at least get to one of those before I die... 

4) Australia/New Zealand

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Just like Africa, this is a dream trip. The length of time needed (2-3 weeks at a bare minimum), cost, and length of time on an airplane are daunting, but should the opportunity present itself, I'm there!

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What to see? Sydney, Melbourne, the Outback, Queensland's National Parks, Tasmania come immediately to mind. Then there's New Zealand, land of Lord of the Rings. Should probably be a separate trip, but not sure that's likely. How about a month to cover both countries...

5) Singapore

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This trip would have a more personal flavo(u)r as my pen pal and dear friend of almost a decade lives in this fascinating city-state on the other side of the world.

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I've heard wonderful stories about the cleanliness, international flair, modernity, and of course, food of this enchanting place. The only thing that would make it better is having a locally-knowledgeable tour guide... oh, and getting there in less than 20 hours in the sky...

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

  • Scandinavia (esp. Norway)

  • Madagascar

  • Slovenia/Croatia

  • Czechia/Slovakia/Poland

  • Malaysia

  • Northern Canada (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut)

  • Armenia/Georgia

  • Caribbean: any island will do, but especially:

    • St John, USVI

    • Dominica

    • Grenada

    • St Kitts & Nevis

    • St Vincent & the Grenadines

  • Faroe Islands

  • Greenland

  • Costa Rica

  • Patagonia/Antarctica

  • Estonia

  • Ireland

  • Greece

  • Return trip to Portugal, Spain, and/or France

  • Return trip to Peru

  • South Pacific

  • Hawaii

Places I have little or no interest in going

  • Anywhere dangerous/war-torn (as much as I love travel, it's not worth risking my life for)

  • Anywhere extremely crowded or with excessively poor sanitation

  • India

  • China

  • Russia

  • Pretty much anywhere in the Middle East - especially countries that don't respect women's rights (exceptions would be Israel/Jordan)

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