35 Countries in 35 Years (#Evas35in35)

I am a big fan of setting goals. Professional goals. Fitness goals. Personal development goals. I have never met a type of goal that I didn’t like and that I wasn’t eager to set. At the end of 2018, I thought about the goals that I wanted to set for 2019, and TRAVEL GOALS were the first ones that sprang to mind. I started making a travel bucket list for the year: Brazil (because I had already bought the ticket), Iceland (because I am OBSESSED with the Blue Lagoon), and Greece (I shouldn’t have to explain this one to you). In the middle of making the list, I realized that I had been to 26 countries. I did some quick math. I had just turned 34. “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could say that I had traveled to 35 countries before my 35th birthday at the end of 2019?” 35 Reaching 35 countries would mean that I needed to travel to NINE new countries in 2019. That would be a challenge, but I am always up for a challenge.

Brazil was country #27. I traveled there in March. I traveled to Guatemala in May. That was country #28. Frequent flyer miles and a deep sense of connection, brought me to Portugal for the summer. Portugal didn’t count toward my total number of countries (because I had already been there 8 times), but I managed to work in trips to Austria (#29), Israel (#30), Greece (#31), Belgium (#32), and Cape Verde (#33). My lofty travel goal seemed like an insurmountable challenge last December, but now it is firmly within my sights. I have five months to make it to two more countries and reach my goal of visiting 35 countries before my 35th birthday at the end of December.

Where should I go for my next two countries? I need suggestions that won’t break the bank!

Do you have personal travel goals? If you do, what are they? And what’s stopping you from reaching them?

Dale. #AVolar

The list of countries that I’ve already been to is below.

1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Bahamas
4. Belgium
5. Brazil
6. Canada
7. Cape Verde
8. Costa Rica
9. Cuba
10. Dominican Republic
11. Egypt
12. England
13. Equatorial Guinea
14. France
15. Greece
16. Guatemala
17. Haiti
18. India
19. Indonesia
20. Israel
21. Italy
22. Jamaica
23. Malta
24. Mexico
25. Monaco
26. Morocco
27. Panamá
28. Peru
29. Portugal
30. Spain
31. Tunisia
32. United States
33. Vatican City