Oct 19, 2018, 4:49 pm
Poll - how many countries have you visited?
Mar 17, 2015, 7:24 am
#1202
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
I'm not getting drawn into this!
Either way, pre- or post-handover, HK surely can't qualify as a country for this or any other purpose. Maybe it can be considered "UK" pre-handover and "China" post-handover. This is a factual statement about sovereignty / statehood, and nothing to do with identity or how people regard themselves (that would truly be a can of worms). Nor can we use Olympic designations for example: "why should Scotland be separate for the purposes of the Commonwealth Games, but not the Olympics?" some will ask. And what on earth is "Chinese Taipei"?
Interestingly, I wonder if this means you could claim UK and China on your list even if you had never been to the UK proper or to Mainland China. Another interesting question is if people can claim to have gone to two countries if they went to the Soviet Union while it still existed, and Russia afterwards (it being the successor state - going to any of the former SSRs afterwards would certainly count as another country). Without getting into political topics, depending on how one defines these things, Crimea may have been part of 1, 2 or 3 countries in the last 25 years. It was Ukraine when I was there.
I am enjoying this pedantry. You can't put a price on accuracy.
Either way, pre- or post-handover, HK surely can't qualify as a country for this or any other purpose. Maybe it can be considered "UK" pre-handover and "China" post-handover. This is a factual statement about sovereignty / statehood, and nothing to do with identity or how people regard themselves (that would truly be a can of worms). Nor can we use Olympic designations for example: "why should Scotland be separate for the purposes of the Commonwealth Games, but not the Olympics?" some will ask. And what on earth is "Chinese Taipei"?
Interestingly, I wonder if this means you could claim UK and China on your list even if you had never been to the UK proper or to Mainland China. Another interesting question is if people can claim to have gone to two countries if they went to the Soviet Union while it still existed, and Russia afterwards (it being the successor state - going to any of the former SSRs afterwards would certainly count as another country). Without getting into political topics, depending on how one defines these things, Crimea may have been part of 1, 2 or 3 countries in the last 25 years. It was Ukraine when I was there.
I am enjoying this pedantry. You can't put a price on accuracy.
As to your second paragraph, had you gone to Hong Kong in 1995, you'd have gone to the United Kingdom. Same as if you'd gone to Bermuda now.
Mar 17, 2015, 8:09 am
#1203
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: In the air
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy LT Plat, Hilton Gold, GHA Tit, BA Gold, Turkish Elite
Posts: 8,720
As soon as you start to move away from the UN Member and Observer State lists you immediately enter a whole set of contradictions that are very hard to address. It would take quite a lot of effort to draw up a set of applicable rules which would always get the same number of countries.
Mar 17, 2015, 9:03 am
#1206
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,526
As soon as you start to move away from the UN Member and Observer State lists you immediately enter a whole set of contradictions that are very hard to address. It would take quite a lot of effort to draw up a set of applicable rules which would always get the same number of countries.
Mar 17, 2015, 5:15 pm
#1211
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Mar 18, 2015, 9:24 am
#1212
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SBP
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Titanium, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 533
In order...
United States (39 States)
Mexico
Ireland
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland, England, Gibraltar)
France
Spain
Portugal
Canada (2 Provinces)
Panama
(10)Argentina
Uruguay
Japan*
Singapore
Malaysia
Cambodia
Thailand
Chile (Mainland and Easter Island)
Brazil
Australia
(20)China (Mainland and Hong Kong*)
Vietnam
Peru
Sweden
Germany*
Morocco
Switzerland*
India
United Arab Emirates
Jordan
(30)Palestine
Israel
Bulgaria
Greece
Serbia
Turkey (Just got here, been to a hotel room only so far)
*Means I've only been to the airport
I guess that's 35 if you count airport-only visits and count Palestine. Other than Ireland, France, and Portugal (2005), I've been to all of them since 2013 and other than the 3 I just mentioned, the UK, Canada, and Mexico, I've been to all of the for the first time since 2013.
I'm going to Paraguay in May.
Will add more later in the year. I'm off most of September so I'm hoping to add a few there. I'd like to do a Finland/Estonia/Russia trip but for some reason that makes me nervous
I'm also thinking about some more African countries (Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania are probably my top 3), Middle Eastern Countries (Oman, Qatar, Bahrain), or Bolivia at some point this year.
Hoping to add a few states as well but those aren't countries
United States (39 States)
Mexico
Ireland
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland, England, Gibraltar)
France
Spain
Portugal
Canada (2 Provinces)
Panama
(10)Argentina
Uruguay
Japan*
Singapore
Malaysia
Cambodia
Thailand
Chile (Mainland and Easter Island)
Brazil
Australia
(20)China (Mainland and Hong Kong*)
Vietnam
Peru
Sweden
Germany*
Morocco
Switzerland*
India
United Arab Emirates
Jordan
(30)Palestine
Israel
Bulgaria
Greece
Serbia
Turkey (Just got here, been to a hotel room only so far)
*Means I've only been to the airport
I guess that's 35 if you count airport-only visits and count Palestine. Other than Ireland, France, and Portugal (2005), I've been to all of them since 2013 and other than the 3 I just mentioned, the UK, Canada, and Mexico, I've been to all of the for the first time since 2013.
I'm going to Paraguay in May.
Will add more later in the year. I'm off most of September so I'm hoping to add a few there. I'd like to do a Finland/Estonia/Russia trip but for some reason that makes me nervous
I'm also thinking about some more African countries (Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania are probably my top 3), Middle Eastern Countries (Oman, Qatar, Bahrain), or Bolivia at some point this year.Hoping to add a few states as well but those aren't countries
Mar 18, 2015, 10:30 am
#1213
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: IHG Plat, AA GLD, DL FO, Natl Elite
Posts: 259
I'm practically a Kettle compared to you people, yet an international playboy compared to Kettles.
9 countries for me, not including the US: Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, France, the UK.
Y'all have no idea how much I pine for a job that has you travelling around the world. As far as I know, we get one shot on this planet. I couldn't lay on my death bed with a good conscience knowing I never got to see parts of Africa or the Middle East or SE Asia.
9 countries for me, not including the US: Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, France, the UK.
Y'all have no idea how much I pine for a job that has you travelling around the world. As far as I know, we get one shot on this planet. I couldn't lay on my death bed with a good conscience knowing I never got to see parts of Africa or the Middle East or SE Asia.
Mar 19, 2015, 10:16 am
#1214
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,526
After this last trip, up to 177 now, with 19 to go. Next up is Eritrea in May, bringing me to 18.
Belize this summer, Cuba, Bahamas, Algeria trip later this year, as well as a Chad/CAR/Yemen/Turkmenistan romp in September. That'll leave just 10 to go!
Belize this summer, Cuba, Bahamas, Algeria trip later this year, as well as a Chad/CAR/Yemen/Turkmenistan romp in September. That'll leave just 10 to go!
Mar 19, 2015, 5:01 pm
#1215
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
You'll get there soon. You just have to do a few things:
- Play the mileage game wisely. Over the years, I've amassed probably a million and a half or so airline miles (and have spent about half that so far), and I have never spent more than $4K/year on airplane tickets. (That's getting harder with the programs changing to revenue-based rewards, though, but new opportunities for manufactured spending and credit card bonuses and things are always popping up.) Keep an eye out (here on FT as well as other sources) for cheap fares not just to mileage run but to visit places you might not otherwise go. Be willing to pounce on those fares; I've added probably 20 countries in the last two years just from seeing a mistake fare or super great deal announced and booking-first-thinking-later. Don't let them slip away.
- Make travel a priority in your life. Although I've been extremely lucky to have been given a job that allows me an insane amount of flexibility, I have friends who have to make tough calls between furthering careers/education and traveling. Some of my friends who could be very-well-paid professionals have chosen to live a frugal life and limit their work commitments so they can spend more time traveling. Others have chosen to give up the travel dream in order to pursue responsibilities to their careers and families. And one is very responsibly working his rear-end off now to hopefully be able to be much freer to follow his travel dreams in just a few years. What you end up doing in life is very much affected by what you prioritize in life, so set your mind to make travel a priority, and you will find yourself making decisions that will enable that choice.
- When you choose to travel, choose to travel, not take trips. Many on FlyerTalk will spend more time flying to a destination than they will spend at that destination. While I realize that vacation days are limited, I've always felt that the value proposition wasn't there unless it was filling a very, very specific need ("it's December 10, I need 10,000 more miles by 12/31 to hit Executive Platinum, and there's a $400 fare that will get me 10,000 miles but it is ONLY available as an immediate turn to a destination I've been several times before and I'm out of vacation days for the year," etc.). For 75% of the countries on my list, I have very specific and concrete memories of some amazing experiences, and only a couple are ones that I would say are questionable to check off (and I have intentions to return to both).
- Last, feel free to ask for help. Here on FlyerTalk, the combined sum of knowledge is simply beyond compare (and almost beyond comprehension). The people who frequent this board are the cream of the crop when it comes to travel and miles/points know-how. Start out in our Information Desk forum, where we guarantee no one will bite your head off as you figure out how to navigate the forums and get the basics under your belt. It takes time and effort to learn all the tricks and tools of the trade, but that goes back to what I said before: it's what you value and prioritize in life that will determine what you spend your time on and what you'll end up being able to do.
Welcome to FlyerTalk--we're glad to have you!
You don't have to have a job that pays for you to travel or even be wealthy. I am neither, and I've been to 69 countries (79 by The Century Club standards), all on personal travel and mostly on a budget traveler's budget. It's not impossible!