30 by 30

A few years ago I set an ambitious goal: to visit 30 countries by my 30th birthday. This was doable only because Randy was an airline pilot for nearly the first five years of our marriage, giving us outstanding flight benefits and free reign of, well, the world.

Thank you, First Officer Reese, for making this dream possible.

We quickly became experts in frugal and efficient travel.  We learned how to travel on a dime (staying in hostels, eating a loaf of bread for dinner, using public transportation) and made remarkably good use of our American vacation time of only two weeks per year. My 20-something mantra was "no kids, no pets, no mortgage." If we had a long weekend, we'd hop on a plane.

There's nowhere this North Face backpack can't go.

After serious deliberation, we decided that we can only say we've only "been" to a country if we'd spent a night and eaten a meal there. No running to a border crossing just for the stamp!  We've only bent the rules a few times along the way.

This is as much for documentation purposes as anything, before I get old and forget. Here are my 30 countries by age 30. I included pictures when I could find them.

30 Countries by Age 30

1. England, May 2002 - First time leaving US soil! Dad rescues me from a lifetime of stateside existence and allows me to tag along on a business trip. As a total travel novice, I had horrible jet lag and couldn't even enjoy the first day.

Kensington Gardens if I remember correctly.

2. Mexico, October 2003 - Visited my friend Lindsay who was studying abroad in Mexico City.  We took a nine hour bus ride to the beach.

3. Guatemala, September 2004 - One week of Spanish language school with some other Georgia Tech folks capped off with an exciting hike to the top of a volcano.

It's steamy on top of a volcano!

4. Spain, September 2004 through June 2005 - Studied abroad for two semesters in Salamanca.  Met lots of great people and learned to speak Spanish, among other things.

Ice cream and Spaniards in the Plaza Mayor.

5. Portugal, October 2004 - Crammed on a bus with a bunch of other exchange students for a weekend trip to Lisbon.  Nice city despite having to be part of a tour group the whole time.

6. Czech Republic, December 2005 - Found a cheap flight from Spain and fulfilled a dream of visiting my Grandfather's homeland.  It was bitter cold in December but the cabbage and potatoes tasted just like Grandma's!

7. France, June 2005 - Randy met me in Spain.  With Eurail passes in hand we embarked on 35 days of traveling around Western Europe. First stop: Paris.

The early days of A&R. Neither of us know what Randy was doing with his hair back then.

8. Germany, June 2005 - Scooted around the southern part of the country, hitting up Heidelberg, Munich, and the Black Forest.  Stuffed our faces full of weinerschnitzel and black forest cake.

 A nice view in Heidelberg.

9. Austria, June 2005 - We ended up here earlier than expected after missing our train stop in Germany.  Fell in love with the beautiful landscapes and the tiny salt mining town of Hallstadt.

In the Tyrol Mountains.  I still have that backpack and Randy still has those clothes.

9.5. Liechtenstein, June 2005 - Passed through this tiny country on our way from AU to SW. Never got out of the train so it obviously doesn't count, but worth noting anyway.

10. Switzerland, June 2005 - Took an unforgettable train ride past mountains and over bridges.  Spent one night in St. Moritz.

Train ride from the Swiss glaciers to the Italian Alps.

11. Italy, June 2005 - We hit up the usual stops on the well-beaten tourist route (Rome, Florence, and Venice).  Ate plenty of pizza and pasta and saw lots of naked statues, among other artwork.

 A famous Cathedral in Venice.

12. Vatican City, June 2005 - Day trip to the world's smallest independent state and we were lucky enough to see the Pope! Since we weren't allowed to spend the night, normal rules don't apply.

By shear luck, the Vatican's most famous resident was giving a speech that day.

13. Greece, June 2005 - Pretty country but we spent way too much time dealing with transportation strikes, being fined by "authorities," and sleeping on ship decks. 

On the island of Crete.

13.5. England (Round 2), September 2007 - After a long hiatus due to other life events (graduating from college, moving, starting jobs, getting married, moving again, and then starting other jobs) we visited my parents who were living outside of London for 2 months.

Along the River Thames.

 

14. Turkey, April 2008 - Long awaited trip to Istanbul (where the East meets the West!) and first set foot in Asia when we crossed the Bosphorus Straight.

Our hostel was right next to the Blue Mosque!

15. Bulgaria, April 2008 - Long overnight bus ride from Turkey with zero other tourists got us to Sofia. We travel to Rila Monastery and a few other towns. Tried to convince Randy we should name our future daughter Sofia/Sophia but he doesn't go for it.

Cliff side town of Veliko Tarnovo.

16. Romania, April 2008 - A single fleeting night in Bucharest. We fly back home on Easter Sunday.

Bare streets of Bucharest on Easter Sunday.

17. Canada, August 2008 - First time visiting our neighbor to the north (Prince Edward Island).

PEI is home to Anne of Green Gables.

18. South Africa, February 2009 - First visit to the Southern Hemisphere. We spent most of our time in Cape Town, took an unnerving hiking trip in high winds across Table Mountain, and went on a day trip to Cape Point.  Our African vacation made us finally start this blog.

Beautiful view from Table Mountain once the clouds broke.

19. Namibia, February 2009 - We flew into Windhoek to meet up with our African-safari-on-a-budget and spend the afternoon volunteering at an after school program.

Hanging out with kids in Windhoek.

20. Botswana, February 2009 - Spent a lovely week camping, big game spying, and traveling in a big un-airconditioned truck with 15 of our new best friends.

Looking for hippos in the Okavango Delta.

21. Zimbabwe, February 2009 - Our safari ended here. Against the recommendations of the US State Department, we spent a few days in Victoria Falls.  Political tensions made for few tourists.

Posing in front of those famous falls.

22. Zambia, February 2009 - Within walking distance of the Zim/Zam border, we can't resist going to the other side. Unfortunately we did not spend the night and we only ate a snack. We did hang out with a British businessman, visit a museum, got sufficiently harassed in "no man's land," and almost got arrested at the border crossing, so we're counting it.

A deadly deadly drop-off into a croc-filled gorge doesn't hold back this photographer.

 

23. Hungary, July 2009 - Fourth of July weekend in Budapest!  Goulash anyone?

The city that straddles the Danube.

24. Argentina, November 2009 - A long weekend of all you can eat beef and tango.

No, that's not us on stage.

25. Israel, May 2010 - Last minute decision after we cancelled our plans to go to Thailand because of civil unrest. Amazed by the unique beauty and fascinating religious history of this country.

Rooftops of Jerusalem.

25.5. Switzerland, September 2010 - Quick weekend trip to visit the parents on their 30th Anniversary trip. Went to Zurich and Lucerne.

Parents still looking adorable after 30 years of marriage.

26. Colombia, November 2010 - A scary bus ride over the Andes was worth it to see the lush and beautiful coffee region. Who doesn't want an arepa for Thanksgiving?!

Horseback riding through the Valle de Cocora.

26.5. Spain, January 2011 (again) - Return to visit old friends and the centuries old city that never changes.

Tapas and sangria, just like old times!

27.  New Zealand, May 2011 - Crossed many oceans and continents to see this fine piece of natural beauty.

The western coast of the South Island.

28.  Australia, June 2011 - Had an exceptional visit to Sydney, fell in love with the "New York of the Southern Hemisphere" and want to move there.

Nothing like a sunny day at the Quay.

 

29. Antigua, July 2011 - First trip to the Caribbean to finally see all the fuss over white sand and clear water.

Quite beaches and lush hills.

 

30. U.S.A., March 1982 - present - I know this is lame but I had to do it to make 30!

 New York, NY

Bondi to Coogee

Bondi Beach in Sydney is one of the world's most famous beaches and is particularly well known as a sweet surf spot. Since it was winter and too cold to spend the day getting our surf on, we went for a hike instead, walking the 6K trek from Bondi to Coogee. Coogee (pronounced koo-jee) is another beach that's less famous but also nice.

Clearly we're not as hardcore as that guy.

The paved trail that goes along the coast and across cliffs is popular with locals and tourists alike. The waves crash hard against the rocks but the trail is just high enough to keep you from getting wet at best or swept out into the ocean at worst.


If you stray off the path a little, you can find some cool rock outcroppings with no guardrails.


This eastern coastal Sydney area is a popular spot to surf for people who aren't worried about smashing their skulls against rocks. This definitely wasn't a crowd of beginners.


We walked passed Waverley Cemetery, which looks like a heck of a final resting place if you ask us. Apparently some famous Aussies are buried there.


When we were almost to Coogee we were lucky enough to spy a wedding. If it's taking place in public, anyone is invited, right?


We got back to downtown Sydney and had a wonderful meal at a Japanese steakhouse. It was a fun evening of sushi, squid, lots of meat, and catching things the chef threw at us with our bowls. A fantastic final night in the Southern Hemisphere.

Enchanting Sydney

For us, the city of Sydney was love at first sight. It has nearly all of the excitement of New York City plus amazing weather and beautiful sandy beaches. What's not to love? We immediately felt like we belonged.

Just look at these people waiting for the subway. They're getting around just like we normally do but live thousands of miles away from us. Crazy!


Our first day was gorgeous. A big blue sky and high sixties. And this is what they call winter! We sprang out of bed, anxious to make the most of our mere two days, and made a beeline for the city's most famous landmark, the Sydney Opera House. We walked around it, viewing from multiple angles, up close, and far away.

Recognize this?

So much texture when you get up close!

We also admired Sydney's well known steel arch bridge, the Harbour Bridge, and walked across it no less than three times (hey, we had to see the view during the day, at sunset, and at night!).

Hanging around by the Harbour.

View from the Harbour Bridge.

Since we have a thing for getting on boats, we hopped on a ferry for a fun and scenic ride across Sydney Harbour to Manly. The harbour was surprising quiet, with some other ferries and just a few recreational boats.

Beautiful blue Sydney Harbour.

Manly Beach is one of Sydney's northern beaches. It has golden sand and great surfing waves.

The water at Manly was so chilly we could only stand to dip our feet in.

We ended our fabulous day with amazingly rich chocolate cake and ice cream. We sat outside at Circular Quay (pronounced Kay) beneath heat lamps and the lights of the city.

Service after dark! Clearly we're not in New Zealand anymore.

Austra-Zealand by Air

Few flights are truly memorable (in a good way). But last June, on our visit to New Zealand and Australia, we had a remarkable plane ride between the two.

During our visit to the South Island of NZ, we stuck to the northern parts due to time constraints (darn the American two week vacation) and had to skip the picturesque mountains and glaciers in the southern half. But after these fantastic views, we felt like we got to see at least some of it.

Our final evening in NZ was spent in Christchurch, a city on the west coast of the South Island and recently known for it's devastating earthquakes. We took off from there and flew across the island, which was a lot more efficient than driving across the via the Lewis Pass like we did the first time.

Early on in the flight, the mountains looked like the ones we left behind near Hanmer Springs: rugged and brown.


But as we flew farther east, the landscape became snowier.


Until it looked like we could parachute down onto a nice ski slope.


It was kind of like sky diving without messing up the hair. We entertained ourselves with the thought of possibly seeing Mt. Cook in the distance.

Once we were out over the Tasman Sea and everything was blue, we hunkered down for some food and entertainment. Good old Qantas Airlines - free headphones and on demand movies at every seat, not to mention a big meal that included ice cream. And that was in coach! Clearly we were happy campers.


And we finished our flicks just in time to say...

"Hello Sydney!"

Mom's Turn to Visit New York

After Dad visited NYC and had such a fun and exciting time working at the our new store, Mom couldn't resist coming up herself. It's possible that the chance at a little one-on-one time with her only daughter had something to do with it too.

Of course, a visit to New York would never be complete without an early morning trek to the Today Show. Mom once again proved to be a good luck charm as all our favorite anchors came outside and Matt Lauer stood within a few feet of us!

A lesson on backyard improvement - fascinating!

After a few days of hard work, we treated ourselves to an evening out. We bought last-minute tickets to Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana.

Mom made an admirable effort at dressing me up like an NYC fashionista. Below is my best "celebrity caught on the streets of New York" pose. If I was a real celebrity, I'd definitely have to hire a professional publicist for some pointers.

Classy and stylish ladies (at least for one night) all dressed up and out on the town!


We ended the weekend with a trip to the National September 11 Memorial. Right now you have to reserve tickets to get in but it's easy to do and totally worth it.


The reflecting pools surrounded by names of the victims are neat to see and amazingly photogenic. The skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan frame the memorial site beautifully.