I got this interesting link from Toe’s post. Traveling is indeed addicting. The more places you visit, the more you want to explore. I realized, to my chagrin, that the red areas in my map are fewer than Baggy’s. 😛 But I guess the real winner among us is Aya, who at four years of age has been to almost as many countries as we’ve been to. Another rather astonishing realization: there are still too many gray areas left!

This is my map of visited countries.

And this is Baggy’s map. Why does he have more??? Inggit. 😛

Generate your map here.

I know someone from work who loves to travel herself. She has seen the aurora borealis, went to Macchu Picchu, entered Tut’s tomb, and saw the Great Pyramids of Egypt – you know, the really exotic places. Places that I’ve only heard of or seen in books or tv. Plus countless other countries (but here’s an amusing fact: she’s never been to the Philippines!). She’s twice my age, but apparently being old is no reason to quell the wanderlust spirit in her. As long as you are healthy and you have the resources, well, why not? I can only wish that when I also get to that ripe old age, I would still have the vigor for riding airplanes and going on adventure trips. 🙂 The impetus for traveling to a certain place is simple: “Because you’ve never been there.” It’s much like climbing mountains.

There is only one place of note that I’ve visited, a place that is rather special for the simple reason that I’ve read about it when I was young (and full of hope). I read about it in an encyclopedia at the bulok public library near the city high school I went to. I’ve been fascinated about it ever since. That place is in Naples – the ruined city of Pompeii. I never thought that I would actually get to visit the place. But somehow the opportunity came, and I grabbed it.

How shall I describe it? Fascinating, sorrowful, exhilarating. How exciting is it to see ruins? I suppose it would not evoke the same feelings for everyone. But for me it was personal. Standing among the ruins not only fulfilled a personal wish for me; it opened to me the possibility that maybe, just maybe, I would be able to fulfill other youthful dreams as well.

What about you, what’s your dream place?