Indeed. More than a few. Editing to add some context.
During the time I was a member of this same squad’s Hasty Team (advanced deploy), this(linked story) was the only unresolved mission our SAR team ever had. Every mission I was part of, we were lucky enough to find the missing/injured and help get them home.
The Holy Cross Wilderness is among the last places you’d want to be hiking if you aren’t prepared. Above treeline, it’s tough to know which way you came from or should be going. Of course those who are prepared are equipped to know, but beyond those getting lost, there are injuries, sometimes even among the most experienced, that sometimes required a heli out. That was actually the easy ride back, far easier (for them) than being wheeled back down the mountain trail on a litter.
I learned to fly an airplane before I learned to drive a car. And I flew all around the U.S. (California → Wisconsin → Virginia → Texas → California).
I ferried a small sailboat up the Caribbean from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Florida. Shenanigans occurred. We pirated internet from the gaudy sex-villa of a Canadian Fashion mogul.
I went to brewing school in Germany.
I went to Bhutan in May. I’m honestly struggling to find the words to describe what an incredible experience that was.
I’ve always loved that line in the Eurythmics song, Sweet Dreams, “I travel the world and the seven seas…” and I’ve had a wanderlust since childhood. That wanderlust influenced my choice of degree and ultimately, my career - a job that enabled travel.
I’ve worked on the southern island of New Zealand, in Vietnam, in Indonesia, in North Africa, in Kazakhstan, in every major European country, and some of the smaller ones. I’ve had meetings in Moscow, hosted workshops in Houston and been evacuated from a client compound, lying on the floor of a minibus being driven through a full-scale riot.
I’ve run around the Kremlin in Moscow, ridden a bike across the Chile - Argentinian boarder, cycled coast to coast across Costa Rica, been on safari in Tanzania and South Africa. I’ve drive the Skeleton Coast in Namibia. I’ve ridden in the foot plate of a steam train in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe. I’ve spent New Year’s morning in the rock carved churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia, stood at the top of Kilimanjaro (it was cold and I felt really sick), raced a mountain bike across the Australian outback (10 day stage race, brutal), and I’ve seen the northern lights in Finland. I stood at the top of volcanos in Europe, SE Asia, Africa and South America. I’ve been to India (quite a few times, for work and on holiday, amazing country). I’ve been to Bangladesh. I’ve scared myself ****less by going up into the ‘gun villages’ on the Pakistan-Afghanistan boarder (probably one of the most stupid things I’ve ever done - this was about 30 years ago, but it’s an area where people get kidnapped and killed …. the bravado of youth). Oh, I was also in Sri Lanka when the Boxing Day tsunami hit…
In short, Life is short. You only get one chance. Love it, and live it to the fullest, sisters and brothers of the low end!
Let’s see - maybe half of the states, Canada, Germany (twice), Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, England, Japan (for decades) and China (five times) - I think that’s it.
I did most of my traveling “overseas” before my 21st birthday
I lived in Japan(Osaka) for 3 months, summer school, when I was 16. At 18, right after graduation, I spent a week in Copenhagen with 3 other high school buddies plus one exchanged student we are taking home, got drunk and passed out on the bench, 
Did a “Lance” tour and pretty much drink wine from differ regions of France, Spain, and the Basque Country, super delicious food, then to find out my best wine drinking experience is in Temecula, a relaxing drive away.
That’s the highlight, oh best ever was this one trip to Hong Kong, my dad and I left Bangkok in the morning, had lunch and dinner, then flew home. Best ever!
I’ve been to Lamanai in Belize, a Mayan ruin in the middle of a rain forest. There are no roads, you have to up the river by boat. On the trip we paused and saw a Cayman in the wild. What they don’t tell you about crocodiles on TV- they blend. I was arms length away and he was nestled up against the bank, and it took me a couple minutes to pick him out. And I knew he was there. Impressive ambush hunters.
The ruins were awesome, and noisy. Mayans had some legs because the walk up those steps on pyramids was something. And the howler monkeys are well named.
After we got local food and rum. Like sitting in someone’s backyard at a fold up table and paper plates with rum in a cheap glass. It was a really good day. I could go back to Belize
Lifelong Californian here. As soon as I got my license at 16 got lured in by the siren song of the back roads and mountains here. Mono Lake at sunset was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my life.
Did a little bit of traveling in Costa Rica, Brazil, and Ecuador. Was in a gallery exhibition on île Saint-Louis in Paris and then did a lecture at a school in Barcelona before going to Stockholm and Helsinki.
Hands down the wildest place I’ve ever gone is to Svalbard. I was in Norway for an artist residency and figured I’d probably never have another chance. It’s halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Unearthly beautiful. Could go on and on about it. Saw lots of artic foxes and fell absolutely in love with the reindeer on the island.
These days I can’t really travel anymore because of my health but I am eternally grateful I have had the opportunities I did.
Work ruined travel for me and now I just want to bum around Tokyo
Yep… I grew up as a military brat. Lived in Japan, Puerto Rico, Spain, Florida, and Maryland as a kid. Then, I joined the Navy myself and lived inHawaii, Italy, and California. Aside from that, I travelled a lot as a kid around Japan and Spain. Then there were my deployments on the ship where I got to Indonesia, Thailand, all around the Persian Gulf, and all around Australia. When I worked for a 4 star in Italy, I was part of his travel staff, so I got to see all of Europe. All of it. The whole thing. Lond on trips were my favorite and our trip to Poti, Georgia was my least favorite (and thats taking into consideration that we were in and out of the Balkans while fighting was still going on there).