Inevitably when people ask me “how many countries have you been to?” their follow-up is “what counts?” It’s a really great question as both the idea of “being” or “going” someplace as well as the meaning of “country” are constructed ideas with multiple definitions.
I thought it would be fun to explain some of the different interpretations of these ideas and show how I count where I’ve been.
“Going”
The “how” of travel counting is often the more debated of the two - as it is intrinsically flexible (i.e without changing your definition you can return a different way and then count it, whereas once you define “country” it is essentially static). The three most common definitions I’ve heard, from most required to least, are:
24-hours: I have a few friends who only count locations that they’ve been in for more than 24 hours (or sometimes even more- maybe a week!) They argue that it needs to be more than a quick jaunt and that the location really needs to be taken in. My thoughts against this methodology is that 1. Some small countries don’t need 24 hours (Liechtenstein, San Marino, etc) and 2. So much can be done in 12 hours! Or even 5! I’ve walked the beach of Old Town Colonia and posed with elephants in Chobe National Park – so if you tell me I haven’t been to Uruguay or Botswana, I’d be less than convinced. In fact, there are more than 10 countries I count that I’ve been in for less than 24 hours! These are mostly in Europe as I’ve done road trips with many stops.
Experience: Personally, this is how I define “going” somewhere- Asking myself “Have I experienced the country?” or “Can I talk about my time in the country and relate to others who have been?” Usually I say that I need to have eaten something and seen a famous site.
Presence:Others say that having been physically located in a place, even in transit, counts as “being” there. I disagree with this way because I don’t think that an airport really gives the feeling of a place, and politically speaking you haven’t crossed the border. That said, sometimes when I get stunning views of the landscape while landing and then have some local cuisine at the airport restaurant, I wonder if it counts
“Country”
The more political of the two travel counting debates is obviously what is a “country”. Despite common belief, there is no real definition of a “country” or a “nation” because different governments recognize various regimes as independent or not. The perfect example of this being some countries refusing to recognize Palestine and others ignoring Israel. But the three most used definitions in travel counting, from least inclusive to most, are:
Political: UN Member Nations: The UN officially has 193 member nations in its main governing body. However, this does not include a number of largely recognized states (some who are observers and a few other that are members of other UN bodies like WHO and UNESCO) such as Palestine, Western Sahara, and the Vatican. I generally think that this is a good measure but being the political one, it is a bit slow to adapt to new movements, and also ignores locations that are so different from who they’re governed by (i.e Hong Kong and Macau which are technically part of China).
Cultural- Slight flexibility: Again, the moderate approach is the one that I use myself. I think defining “country” or “nation” in a more inclusive and flexible way is useful not only in travel counting, but also in general global understanding, cultural appropriateness, and modern identities. I generally think of it on a per-country basis and make a judgement call then. Usually though, my unscientific methodology requires 1. Some level of political autonomy 2. A quite separate cultural identity 3. Other historical and/or economic differences that would mean experiencing one part would not correspond to the other. Some of these are more obvious to me, like Palestine and Kosovo, and others are more grey-zones like Puerto Rico.
Territories, states, and more: It is common in extreme travel counting (those who have been to all UN Member Nations, observer states, partially autonomous locations, etc) to make lengthy lists of “countries” or “nations” that may include all 50 US States, all 7 Emirates in the UAE, each island of New Zealand, etc. This means that lists may exceed 500 or even 800. The most famous forum for travel counting: http://mosttraveledpeople.com/ uses a few counting techniques but also offers a list of 875 locations they describe as: territories, autonomous regions, enclaves, geographically separated island groups, and major states and provinces. These are voted upon by their members for inclusion- but in my perusal of it, I’ve found it to be rather Western-centered with districts in countries like the US and Canada being all separate but not those in some major Eastern countries.
Overall- traveling shouldn’t be just about counting all the stops you make. It is a fun way to plan your next trip or compete in a friendly way – but the real value in travel is the awe-inspiring sites you see, the differently similar people you meet, and the life long memories of experiences had!
The map of the 81 “countries” I will have “been” to by next week
A woman with a heavy heart puts a hymn book under her pillow, wakes in the night, marks a random page, and in the morning reads what comes under her eyes: what thoughts she finds therein, such will be the fate of her kin, e.g. if it is opened to her about death, the child will die; if about the cross, the child will suffer; if a joyful song, his life will be joyful.
If the pregnant woman steals anything: her child will be a thief.
The scented flower shall not be borne by the mother: lest then the child’s mouth should stink.
Water drunk after sunset: it shall remain in the womb until birth.
A child born with long hair on his head: he will die soon; with hair on his hands: he will be rich; flesh in the corners of his eyes: long life for him means; a born curly-haired child: he will be rich; if in his eye objects appear in reverse, or who is born with teeth right away: a fortune-teller will be made of him, and he will see treasures under the earth.
Money, pen, and egg put into the first bath: signify may, art, and a pretty voice.
The seventh son of the same parents: be happy in planting trees and healing diseases.
If a woman or a man steal of the money which the godparents throw into the brandy of the godchild, that child shall grow up to be a great robber.
On the day of baptism, I do not bathe the child at home in the evening: lest he die.
The bed (die Nachgeburt) is buried under a green tree by a woman: that mothers may be healthy and fruitful.
Thou shalt not rock an empty cradle, thou shalt not let a stranger’s child into it: for it takes away thy child’s dream.
If it is still shaking, pour the molten lead over the rods and brooms into the cape filled with water over the child’s head.
A bitter sweet one tonight,was great to give my uncle his first tattoo but sucks under the circumstances..was great to hear all the stories of my cousin from my Uncle’s,held back some tears but lost it when I left for home..anyways thanks for looking!!
I drew the other Sun/Moon protagonist this time! :D
They’re wearing my Trainer Type Scarves and recolored to match their scarf.
So glad that full customization is coming back in Pokemon Sun and Moon! I was a little worried back when Masuda said it was a a unique feature for Kalos around the time ORAS was coming out, but I’m really glad they chose to bring it back! :D
Today’s Prompt: Write an Ekphrastic Poem. Spend time in the scene of a photograph and write a poem in response to the work of art. My poem is a response to Group of African American Children Playing from the early 1900’s.
They Haven’t Yet
They haven’t yet heard their mamas wailin’ When their daddies got caged no chance for bailin’ “Don’t understand, ain’t done nothing wrong!” But skin too black…
Breathing a sigh of relief about the state of democracy, the grad student gains the mental bandwidth to fully contemplate the state of his dissertation.
