Thirty Before 30
I won’t bore you with a checklist of thirty things to do before turning thirty. Although I, myself, have that exact list tucked away in my notes app. Instead, I’m here to share a reflective celebration of my journey, one that’s taken me to incredible destinations around the world. I set a goal for myself — to experience thirty countries before my thirtieth birthday. As I landed in Santorini, Greece just over a week ago, I realised that I had achieved this dream. I am immensely grateful for this life and the way I’ve been able to explore so many parts of this big, old planet that we live on.
So here it is, my list of 30 countries (in no specific order, although I did try to arrange them chronologically):
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Thailand
Brunei
England
France
Netherlands
Germany
Italy
Vatican City
Austria
Switzerland
Belgium
America
Canada
China
Luxembourg
Iceland
Sweden
Morocco
New Caledonia
Vanuatu
Indonesia
Czech Republic
Slovakia
Hungary
Slovenia
Croatia
Greece
If you attempt to ask me what my favourite, my least favourite, my most interesting or my most adventurous country was — I won’t give you an answer. Each country, each experience, is unique. There’s no room for comparison because every place has its own special charm. And while there have been challenging moments — like getting mugged in London, having a monkey scream at me in Bali, losing my belongings in Rome, vomiting my guts up on a plane in South Africa and swerving while driving on black ice in Iceland — I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything.
Traveling has kept my perspective fresh, opening doors to cultures and ways of life I'd never encounter in my own hometown. I’ve made friends, and I’ve lost them (those that have lived in another country will understand this comment the most). I’ve cultivated a life of unending curiosity for the big blue and green. There are still places that I want to visit and there are places that I want to go back to, too (looking at you Slovenia, Croatia and Canada). But for now, I’m going to revel in my most recent achievement and perhaps start planning the next ten years of exploration.
Stay curious friends x