When I first decided to travel for a year, I thought I would choose a single country as a home base and immerse myself in the culture. Then I started reading Around the World in 50 Years: My Adventure to Every Country on Earth. Albert Podell recounts the tales of how he visited every country in the world over the course of his lifetime, even those that didn’t want him there. The book is not a guide on what to see, how to save money, or why you should travel. It is simply a story of adventurous vagabonding and it threw a curve ball into my plans. By Chapter 2, I knew I didn’t want to settle down in one country, only traveling to the surrounding areas, like I had originally planned. What I wanted to do was see the world, one country at a time.

Blame it on my gypsy blood, being a Libra, or a slew of other factors, but I am an incredibly impulsive and stubborn person. The moment that I get an idea in my head, there is nothing that can stop me from pursuing it fervently and exclusively. I started to build an itinerary. 4 hours later, I had this. It is far from exhaustive and none of it is set in stone, but it is a rough draft to what is sure to be an epic adventure. Sure, it would be a great story to tell at parties, but it is not realistic to think that I can travel to every country in the world on a single voyage. There are countries that, unfortunately, I am afraid to visit. Hopefully, it is due to my inexperience as an international traveler, and being a media-fed American, and it will change with time. For now, I think this is a pretty good start to my journey towards become a citizen of the world.

I don’t know how to go about planning a trip around the world, but I am going to figure it out. I have never done anything like this before, but other people have and I am up for the challenge. You can join me, literally or figuratively. If you have experience with travel like this, I would love to hear your tips and tricks. Or if you are interested in dropping everything and seeing what else this little blue planet has to offer, join me on my journey. I don’t know how long I will be gone, or if I am ever coming back. What I know is that there is more to life than sitting behind a screen, paying bills, and waiting for retirement, and I’ll be damned if I don’t seek it out.