I’ve visited 586 places in the world.

It’s a great world, yet there are still more places to see!

How did I count 586, you ask? 

In the past, I visited a site called 43places to make a note of where I’ve been. Just a quick click, and the location was logged.

The 43places site has since gone away. I applaud what they did, though. It was all user-generated content, and most of the other fellow travelers seemed to be authentic. It wasn’t a bunch of text from travel brochures!

I haven’t quite figured out why 43 is so prominent. Anyway, they only let each use list up to 43 places they want to go. I have 41 listed right now, so there’s room for a couple more. Anyone have suggestions for really great places to visit?

Oh, and about the title of this entry: No, I’m not trying to go to all the 1,000 places listed in Patricia Schulz’s 2003 book. That book might be called “1,000 Ways to Go Broke Before You Die” or the like. It has a lot of touristy spots mingled in with some truly phenomenal natural places. In the end, it’s your choice.

One takeaway: the world’s always changing. So, if you think you’ve been somewhere when you return, it will be different. If someone tells you about somewhere you must visit and want to go there someday, don’t wait 20 years because it will likely be different.

After all, I’ve seen my share of McDonald’s and Starbucks appear in places that seemed unlikely for such an American incursion.