30 by 30

Which countries do you want to visit? 'All of them!' 

For about 10 years I've always said that I want to travel 'everywhere'. But up until now I'd never really put much thought into what that actually meant or how I'd make it happen. 

I travelled to my first new country when I was 17 - NZ. It was for my grandad's 80th birthday and we went for a family holiday. Since then I've spent 4 years living there and done many trips between NZ and Australia. 

The other four countries I've visited so far are:

Fiji in 2008 for my 21st - I had planned to go with my girlfriend but she had to pull out so I decided to go by myself. It was an incredible trip and I met some great people from all over the world that I still keep in touch with through Facebook. I did an island hopping tour for 14 days which meant I got to see a lot of Fiji and experience a lot of their culture. Travelling alone meant I made the effort to socialise with other people but also got to spend time relaxing and reading my book on the beach. I was very spoilt on my birthday and everyone at the resort I was staying at sung me happy birthday at dinner and the owners gave me a bottle of wine. 

Indonesia in December 2011 - Scotty and I went to Bali for 4 nights. It was a couple of months after our wedding and our first ever holiday where we spent the whole time relaxing. Well, sort of. We still went snorkelling and white water rafting but the rest of the time was spent swimming in the pool, laying in the sun, eating, shopping and getting massages. We stayed down in Nusa Dua which is out of the hustle and bustle and a great place to relax. We'd like to go back to Bali one day to visit Ubud and other parts, but I'm stuck in my ways for now and don't like to go back to the same place until I've visited everywhere else! 

United States in April/May 2013 - this was our first big international trip. We went for four weeks and travelled to LA, Las Vegas, San Fran, San Diego and Alaska. The main purpose for the trip was to celebrate our aunty's 50th birthday and to attend a surprise wedding for our aunty and uncle. It was an incredible trip and we saw so many amazing places. We can't wait to go back and spend more time there. It's on my bucket list to visit every state in America.  

Thailand in September/October 2013 - Scotty and I travelled around northern and southern Thailand for 2 weeks this year. It was such an amazing holiday and we got to see so many different aspects of Thailand. Northern Thailand is definitely our favourite area, especially Chiang Mai and Pai and we'd love to spend some more time there at some stage. 

On 30 December Scotty and I fly out to Singapore for New Years Eve and then on to Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and Japan. I'm so excited to add those countries to my list and to experience the different cultures they each have to offer.

As you all know by now travelling is a huge passion of mine, so I've set myself a goal of visiting 30 countries by the time I turn 30. This will only be possible if our plans fall into place over the next couple of years - but I'll have to keep those to myself for the time being until they are finalised. 

One thing I can share that I am beyond excited about is ticking Canada off our list at the end of next year. We'll be heading over to have our first white christmas!! This will be like a dream come true for me! And Scotty can't wait to get to Alaska for a proper winter there. 

During the school holidays next year we're torn between wanting to visit new countries and wanting to visit some of the beautiful places Australia has to offer... Once we finally decide you'll be the first to know! 

But, it's not all about me. How many countries have each of you been to? Have you finished with your travelling, or are you just getting started?