I am currently on my 3rd passport and have done a fair bit of travelling over the years. My first international trip was to Canada, and living in Seattle, I’ve gone to Victoria and Vancouver more times than I can count. I almost don’t count those trips. It wasn’t until the 80s that my first true international travels began.
Honduras – spring 1987
Honduras – spring 1988
Panama – spring 1989
These trips occurred while serving in the army and only for a couple it weeks each. As a result I consider them non-canonical.
When I met the woman who would be come my wife, it was at her going away party – she was on her way to Beijing to study Chinese (long story, I’ll have to get into it sometime). I went to visit her, and that was the occasion to get my first passport. Over the years I’ve put that passport (and the subsequent one) to good use.
Beijing – June 1994
Taipei & Hong Kong – Feb 1995
Hong Kong, Beijing, Trans-Siberian railway, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam – Summer 1995
Italy – Christmas 1997
Buenos Ares – July 2002
Japan – April 2009
Ireland – Feb 2010
Because I was uh… briefly experimenting (for lack of better term) with some facial hair at the time of my initial passport photo, the visa for my entry into Taiwan came with a warning.
I could tell you stories about how that passport caused me trouble when we traveled around the world, or how that warning caused border delays, but I will eave those for another time.
Very cool that you’ve travelled so much! I’ve been to Jersey and Punta Cana. That’s it. I keep telling myself, someday, but that someday doesn’t sem to be getting any closer….
It helps starting out with no kids. Much more affordable. We took my oldest to Argentina, but those last two trips were by myself. We do have passports for all our kids though.
That is a heck of a list. I love the warning though, and I have to wonder what would be on my passport, what with my beard o’ wonders.
Scary looking as you may be, I think you look less shady than I did.
Bahahahaha- I love the drug warning. You should rock that look again for Movember.
Sadly, my facial hair is still patchy and wispy, so clean shaven I will remain.
Great stuff – travel really is so important; nothing will change your perspective on what’s important and what’s not the way travel do. One of the things that’s important to me as a parent is that my children get to see different parts of the world, and hopefully build an appreciation of the diversity out there. Plus, as a European, I try to give them a sense of the many different countries of Europe and their cultures.
It’s easier being in Europe to give kids that sense of other cultures since they are just a couple of hours away. I wish we could afford to take the kids more places, but that will come in time.
Oh, absolutely. Where I live, “going to another country” is a 30 min ride on the commuter train. I’m privileged that I’ve been able to take my kids to Berlin, Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona, Vienna, Venice, etc at an early age.
On the other hand, it’s important to me that they also get a sense of what the world is like beyond Europe – even though such trips are far more of a challenge in terms of both time and money.
Oh my God! You have travelled to quite a lot of places. Life is so much fun when you get to travel like this and explore the world. Travelling is one of my favorite activities too and I wish that I too get to explore so many places.
Dear spam bot, that’s for stopping by. Virtual travel is so much less interesting though.