Visit 50 foreign countries

“At Angkor Wat I dragged myself out of bed for sunrise. The iconic image of the sun lighting up the ancient temple from behind had been seared into my mind. I arrived at the muggy viewpoint amidst a thousand other people. We watched as the fog hid the sun for two hours. Reluctantly, the crowd thinned as it became clear no “Instagrammable” sunrise would reveal itself. Angkor Wat was no less magnificent because of the haze. The expectation I placed on it had diminished the experience. Later, as I wove through crumbling ruins and tripped over giant roots, I finally felt a sense of wonder—a connection and an experience that was mine first, rather than an echo of someone else’s.”

“Nope! I have three criteria for counting a country as visited: I have to leave the airport, I have to do one meaningful activity or visit one meaningful landmark, and I have to have a conversation with someone in the country. Unless all of these criteria are met, I don’t count it. I do efficient travel but I will never sacrifice the meaning of the experience for speed.”