Oh the places I've been

Hello all, I am trying to find ways to start posts that are worthy of the D&T board. So here it goes..
I found a cool little application on Tripadvisor. I think it is linked up to Facebook. So you put in all the places you have visited. It then asks you to rate certain sites in the places you have been. It is cool because it keeps track of how many places you have visited. I did it and it says I've been to 136 cities in 17 countries. So far I've only given 93 ratings but I am a little busy with all that traveling and such.
So how do you keep track of the places you've been? Is it all one big blur or do you keep a journal? Once I bought a big map of the world and put little star stickers on all of the places I have traveled. I thought i had been to a lot of places until I stepped back and looked at the map. There was so much area that didn't have a star. Vast areas of adventures to be had. This year I am going to try to get to Thailand and the surrounding area. I've been to China but that is the only place in Asia so far.

I'm extensively traveled. Yet there is still so much more to go!

One of my graduate degrees is a degree from another continent, which is rare. It wasn't a foreign exchange, I applied directly to that University. I've been to over 100 conferences, at least 50 of which were abroad. Indeed I enjoy traveling.

The best part is learning the sex workers' practices in other countries. For example, I went to a brothel (legal) in Sydney, Australia. I was shocked when 20 different girls all came in an introduced themselves, several of which grabbed mini-sketch for a quick massage or whispered what they would do to me in my ear. Then I picked one (a lovely 20 year old, busty, Italian immigrant if you must know). Then magic happened.

I've lived in Seoul, South Korea.. Loved the different culture... But the bad smells and horrible traffic not so much...lol I have also spent 23 days in Morocco.. Morocco was very interesting to say the least... Cancun is always a nice city to visit as well.

or are they just fading memories? The main question was do you chronicle the trips and if so how? I know it may have been hard to figure out the main subject of my post. I do tend to wander.
When I first started to travel I kept a journal. That didn't last long because I got too far behind very quickly. Later I tried scrapbooking. That was a disaster but I did get a few nice pages out of it. Then I did the thing with the map. But it looked kind of junky so the only place I could hang it was in the laundry room. I am in a much smaller place now so that is no longer practical. I then discovered this application through Tripadvisor. It is a lot of fun and I was able to organize by country and city. I could also rate different landmarks which also helps document my travels. They keep an online map for me. It is much nicer than the giant paper one I had in my laundry room.

I loved Morocco! That is in my top ten favorite spots.

I'm extensively traveled. Yet there is still so much more to go!

One of my graduate degrees is a degree from another continent, which is rare. It wasn't a foreign exchange, I applied directly to that University. I've been to over 100 conferences, at least 50 of which were abroad. Indeed I enjoy traveling.

The best part is learning the sex workers' practices in other countries. For example, I went to a brothel (legal) in Sydney, Australia. I was shocked when 20 different girls all came in an introduced themselves, several of which grabbed mini-sketch for a quick massage or whispered what they would do to me in my ear. Then I picked one (a lovely 20 year old, busty, Italian immigrant if you must know). Then magic happened. Originally Posted by sketchball82

That was a surreal experience. We can start an entire thread on our experiences in brothels and red light districts. I'll try to start that next week.

On a related note, I noticed the last several times I've been abroad, no one stamped my passport

I've looked forward to those stamps all my life! I don't want to dork out and actually ask for one every time... especially with how nasty the customs agents are about *everything* these days.

~Mme X~

Yeah, I used to love that I had a passport full of memories. I kept my expired one just because of the stamps. Now it is rare to get a stamp. You can request them if you get a friendly immigration officer. (is that what they are called?)

Well, mostly in my head and the more I travel the harder it gets. But I also have photographs from some of the more exotic locations. I have photos in frames all over my house from some of my journeys.

I have to say I was disappointed the last time I hopped around Europe. No one stamped my passport except the entry country and I wasn't even staying there.

Although, if i have to miss out on a stamp to not have to go through customs I'm fine with that. i never went through customs/immigration when traveling across 6 different countries within the European Union (E.U.)

I have traveled international as my business for the last 24 years. Visited over 80 countries and no idea how many cities. In the beginning I, too, kept a journal, but after a few years and a few journals I stopped that. I regret it as I wish I had written about all my visits. Now I rely on my passports as the only record of all those trips. (Plus over 5 million miles with American Airlines). :-)
I guess you could say my hobby life started during these travels. Many visits to the parlors all over Asia. A few trips to brothels in Spain, Germany, UK, Canada, and I was hooked.
Love the travel. I would encourage all to do as much as you can as often as you can.

I too was sad over the lack of stamps in EU.

Mostly I just remember my travels. I'm not overly sentimental. I don't keep birthday or Christmas cards. Throw away all my ticket stubs and programs a prefer to be behind a camera instead of in front of it. For me the food and drink is what I remember most. Prosecco and steak in Rome, patatas bravas in Barcelona, american ice cream in Monte Carlo, ham sandwiches on the Riviera......

Ladies I cannot begin to imagine the experiences you've had. It would be enjoyable to hear some of them. As a pilot for most of my life I have experienced much as well. You young ladies will discover that life passes well too fast. Enjoy.

I kept track with a camera.
Wish I would have organized them more.

I am going to check out the TripAdvisor App....I too, have a giant map that I pin all the places Ive been too. As well as keep a journal and photos. I also try to get at least one piece, preferably handmade from my travels. Each piece has its own story, which helps keep the memory alive.

Ice skating on the Rhine, picnicking while watching the sunset over the Vatican, walking, dining and shopping on the Champs Elysées, gambling in Monte Carlo and sleigh riding in Sweden. The feelings with those memories can only be captured in the heart. Most of my pictures did not survive the years. Unfortunately my passport was stolen a week before a trip, along with the stamps.