Where have you been?

I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the deserts bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.

Johnny Cash*

Gary Stager's post "Where I've been" alerted me to BigHugeLabs' tool MapMaker. A few years ago, I did the same thing with another online tool that required an account so I could save and just update the countries to which I've traveled but I don't remember the name of the site.

Anyway, the map of the countries I've visited is above. Unlike Mr. Stager, I am not counting countries where I have not actually left the airport terminal such as South Korea or Iceland. A couple observations from doing this little activity:

• Using this Mercator-ish map, you can get a lot of blue for just one country. I have only been to St. Petersberg in Russia but Russia takes up a large part of the map. Brazil, Canada, and China all make it look like I've seen more of the world than I really have - although I have traveled to more than one city in each of these countries.
• As much as I've traveled, I still have a ton of countries I've yet to visit. My goal is one new country per year. In the past couple years, I've added Ethiopia, Russia, Japan, Laos, and Italy to the list with a trip to Columbia coming up next spring.
• I've never traveled to a place where felt unsafe. Seriously. (Actually, the most nervous I've felt was in New Orleans and Anchorage.) I do have two rules for safe travel - 1. Never get drunk 2. Be back in your hotel by 10PM every night. So far these rules have kept me relatively safe.

I don't know exactly what it is about traveling to other bits of the world I find so appealing, honestly believing my own home is the best place in the world. But the lure of new sights, strange foods, and exotic customs always seems to beckon. I like seeing places before they have a Starbucks or a Hilton or a McDonalds. Before everyone is wearing a Miley Cyrus t-shirt or Air Jordans.

Where people have values and customs and views that are both different and of great value. Where I can learn.

* I did not know this song orginated in Australia with Australian towns. Versions for lots of countries!

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