50 COuntries by 32

4 minute read · By Warren Wong

50 Countries by 32. That’s my goal. Currently, I am sitting at 10. It’s safe to say I caught the travel bug and it isn’t going away anytime soon.

It all started back in 2017 when a fellow lieutenant and I decided on a 2 week “Eurotrip”. 4 countries, 4 cities in 2 weeks. What could go wrong?

Conducting Research

Leading up to the momentous trip we did a ton of research on flight options, things to see, things to do and of course which party hostels to go to.

It wouldn’t be an authentic Euro trip without hostels, especially the “party” part.

Our first stop was Prague, Czech Republic. If you’ve never heard of this place, you’re wrong. This is by far my favorite country so far.

I have a new found respect and awe for Eastern Europe. Maybe, it was the women, yea that’s probably it. No, it was partially the architecture too.

Expectations Vs Reality

I didn’t know what to expect entering a hostel. All I had to go off of were online reviews. Rowdy, young, cheap lodging options for backpackers and party loving men and women across the globe were the highlights, involving copious amounts of alcohol. I’ll leave that to your imagination.

What I found was more than just that. I was met with enthusiasm, passion and tons of crazy travel stories and life stories.

I met an Egyptian migrant worker in his early 20s in Prague, an Argentinian hostel employee studying for her degree and a Canadian doctor on a much needed “break” in Barcelona. And who could forget our Colombian friend who decided to go on an extensive trip in Europe after breaking it off with his fiancé just last month.

These were just some of the travelers I met on the road. It opened my eyes to the world. Full of possibilities and wonder.

Reservations and Doubts

Before this trip back in 2017, I only had a narrow view of the world. As with many Americans, we can a bit closed off from the world, ignorant to the rest of the 7 billion people, their culture and ideas. I was no different, I had really only been to Canada, China and the states at that point in my life.

Was I hesitant about this trip? Was I nervous meeting tons of odd and eccentric people? Was I anxious to see what the hostel life was all about?

Yes, yes, yes and then some.

Was I happy I did it? Adamant yes.

2 weeks of my life went by in a blink of an eye. I wasn’t going to sit idly by when I’m “retired” to go travel and see the world. I’m committed to living my dreams now, and so can you.

Common Excuses

I hear it all the time, I don’t have money, I don’t have time. I’m going to wait until I graduate, get that promotion, land that 6 figure salary then I’ll go do that.

Guess what? Traveling when you’re 22 is different from when you’re 32, when you’re 42 and it’s sure different when you’re 62.

As we grow older we will have more and more responsibilities, that isn’t a good or bad thing. It just means that you will be limited in certain ways.

Travel when you have a spouse and kids is different than a poor college student on a tight budget. It is different for a single woman with a well-paying job and no responsibility.

And it’s sure as hell different when you’re 62, retired and knees aren’t working so good and developed a sensational fear of heights or motion sickness.

When is the best time to travel?

No matter what age you are, the time to travel is NOW.

There are plenty of resources, tips and tricks to budget your travel accordingly. I would be glad to share those with you, ecstatic in fact.

Airplane travel clouds wing — Pyramids at Teotihuacan, Mexico.

What’s really stopping you, is you. If you want to see the Eiffel tower, or dip your toes in the Mediterranean Sea or climb the Great Wall of China, you can.