Buy A Map And Pin Every Country I Have Visited

This goal was originally named "Buy a Globe and Pin Every Country I Have Visited."  Unfortunately, I discovered that the globe I bought for the guest room and office was impenetrable.   I hammered,  and used every ounce of strength in my body but got nowhere.  The only thing it penetrated was the paper map that covered the globe, but it didn't get far beyond that surface.  I searched for other globes, but they were all similar in stubbornness.

I knew I had to modify the goal a bit, and decided a map would be my second best option.  As I was shopping at Home Goods one day I found a great deal on large corkboards.  I found a $5 corkboard with a hideous gold trim.  "I can make this work," I thought.  I took out some leftover paint used for my cabinets and covered up the gold framing to match my aesthetics.  It was then time to hunt for a map.  I checked Etsy in hopes I would find something different and more geared to my taste.  I found a few that I liked, but they were either too expensive, or were too massive for the corkboard.

I decided to check Art.com, and found the perfect map.  Plus with all the coupon codes I found, the price was right.  I had to trim the border a tad, but overall I think it fit perfectly....

Because I mounted the map on a corkboard it made pinning the countries easy!  I love it, and I got the look I wanted for much less than I budgeted for.  It also makes a great conversation piece when friends are over, and I can share a bit of my love of the world with them.

Date Accomplished:  September 3rd, 2011

Travel To 50 Countries

I don't see me completing this goal for awhile, but I'm over 4/5 of the way there!  It's a highly ambitious task, but I originally had it at 100....now that seems nearly impossible!  I admit it, I have the travel bug hardcore.  Being a new homeowner, having a mortgage, and piles of bills has slowed it down a bit, but in the next few months I plan to start right back up again!  Roughly 95% of my international travels have been taken starting in late 2007 (when I spent almost a month in Europe), and I was hooked after that trip!  I don't mind traveling solo, and have traveled to parts of Europe, Australia, South America and Africa on my own.  I find that it just adds to the adventure, and it allows me to be more open to meeting new people along the way.  Now I have friends from every corner of the world!   When my friends say that I've been all over the world, I tell them, "Really?  I feel like there's still so much to see!"

1. United States
2. Mexico
3. Canada
4. Philippines
5. New Zealand
6. Australia
7. United Kingdom
8. France
9. Italy
10. Vatican City
11. Liechtenstein
12. Greece
13. Poland
14. Slovakia
15. Czech Republic
16. Germany
17. Austria
18. Hungary
19. Switzerland
20. Peru
21. Bolivia
22. Chile
23. Argentina
24. Uruguay 
25. Puerto Rico
26. US Virgin Islands
27. Barbados
28. Saint Kitts
29. Saint Lucia
30. Dominica
31. Saint Maarten
32. Senegal
33. South Africa
34. Botswana
35. Namibia
36. Zimbabwe
37. Zambia
38. Gibraltar
39. The Netherlands
40. Belgium
41. Spain
42. Portugal
43. China
44. Hong Kong
45. Macau 
46. Egypt
47. Jordan
48. Turkey
49. Luxembourg 
50. Ireland
51. Kenya
52. Uganda
53. Tanzania
54. Zanzibar
55. Vietnam
56. Laos
57. Cambodia
58. Thailand
59. Japan
60. Costa Rica

Date Accomplished:  In Progress