A Life of Travel: A Travel Debate, The Most Traveled Person in the World and More...
Derek Baron
February 18, 2025
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It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter...
update
For the first time in 7 months, I’ve now slept in the same bed for more than 2 weeks in a row. And I’ve slept wonderfully.
Unfortunately though, the reason I’ve been in one place is thanks to my hip issue that I’m getting sorted out here in North Carolina. I should have an MRI this week so that my doctor can learn exactly what’s going on.
Whenever I do come back to the US though, I generally notice a familiar pattern taking shape. It goes something like this:
Arrive in the US
Enjoy spending time with family
See a few friends
Eat some good burritos
Start daydreaming about Thailand (or anywhere else)
Start daydreaming about taking a trip to Burundi (or anywhere else)
Start thinking about moving to Portugal
Eat another burrito
While the above typically offers little reason for concern, and Steps 4 and 8 are generally delicious, my current situation is a bit different. Here’s how:
Usually, there is an extra step in between Steps 2 and 3. It involves movement and nature and exercise. Some time at the gym, taking long walks in nearby parks and spending a lot of time outdoors. That’s all difficult right now, partly due to my hip and lack of mobility and partly due to the very cold temperatures. So that sucks.
At some point there would be a clear Step 9, which would involve having a specific departure date when I would be heading back overseas. At the moment, I don’t have a Step 9 because I have no idea how long it will take to fix the hip issue.
Also, Steps 5, 6 and 7 can be dangerous.
Why are 5, 6 and 7 dangerous?
On the one hand, I get super excited about such travel thoughts. Travel is my life and I still love bouncing around the planet.
But on the other hand, as one of my favorite authors, Robert Sapolsky, says: “Dopamine is not about the pursuit of happiness, it is about the happiness of pursuit.”
When it comes to a traveling lifestyle in which one travels ALL the time, it’s important to remain focused on the here and now.
Otherwise, life becomes all about the anticipation of what’s coming up next - the next destination, the next adventure, the next activity, the next cool meal and on and on.
This is, of course, true for any direction we take in life. I happen to travel. But for anyone living a different way or in a different life situation, the idea still applies.
Like anyone else, I certainly get stuck in this pattern from time to time…and if I’m not kidding myself, probably more often than that.
Am I addicted to the pursuit? I most definitely am.
Am I addicted to the destination? I believe I am as well but I’m not as certain.
So, with the ability to fully work from my laptop and no real ties keeping me in any one place, I’m not sure what to do when I find myself in conditions that are not ideal.
Should I just pack up and go whenever I find myself in such a situation? Or should I suck it up and stay put, because constantly packing up and going can’t be the best option all the time?
But why can’t it be? Would staying put eventually make me happier than embracing the allure of the world and the thrill of adventure?
I have no idea. So on this topic I shall ponder while I am here in the US and unable to pack up and go somewhere else.
Wow. This was not what I intended to write today :)
wandering earl tours
Almost all tours are now sold out for 2025!
We only have 3 spots available on my surreal Iraq trip in April, 4 spots left on my Surprise Tour in September and 3 spots left on the spectacular Mauritania tour in early December!
As for 2026, stay tuned. I’ll be announcing our lineup of trips next week, with several brand new destinations - Socotra Island, Peru and Guyana/Suriname to name a few :)
Home-cooked dinner with local friends on our Surprise Tour to Kazakhstan!
the most traveled person
When I returned to the US two weeks ago, I was stopped at immigration at the Atlanta airport. Despite having Global Entry, I was escorted into a separate area to speak with a senior-level immigration officer.
He questioned me for about 30 minutes about my travels, where I go, what I do and so on. It was fine.
However, after flipping through my passport and looking at his computer screen, the first thing he said to me was: “To be honest, I never see people who travel this much.”
After a ‘hell yeah!’ moment, I then started thinking. Wait a minute, who is the most traveled person in the world?
It’s certainly not me, but unsurprisingly, it’s difficult to figure out. All I know is that these two fascinating people appeared in almost every search:
Fred Finn - He seems to be considered one of the most prolific travelers, having flown over 15 million miles. He even flew on the Concorde over 700 times.
Harry Mitsidis - He is one of only 3 people to have visited every country in the world…twice. And his name comes up the most when looking for the most traveled person at the moment.
around the globe
🌃 Nighttime Experiences
Here’s a handful of brilliant nighttime activities to add to your travel list.
♀️ Women-only Village
In Colombia, there is a village called Union Matriarca where men are not allowed to be residents. The women-only village was created as a safe space for women who suffered from abuse and conflict, and they govern and control all aspects of village life.
🇪🇹 Stilt-Walking Tribe of Ethiopia
Some of the Banna people of Ethiopia use stilts to walk around. It seems that a mix of cultural tradition and protection against animals are the main reasons and it certainly is unique. (Here’s a video of the stilt walking.)
👰 Wedding Traditions
This is an interesting video of wedding traditions in various countries and cultures.
🗺️ 50 Years of Travel Advice
Kevin Kelly has been traveling in some form or another for 50 years. He’s now shared a very useful list of his best travel insights and advice.
🇮🇳 Konyak Tribe
In the Indian state of Nagaland, and other nearby regions, one can find the Konyak tribe. They were Northeast India’s last headhunter group (the practice stopped in 1969), with distinctive tattoos, unusual community structure and traditional cultural practices.
🚶 Free Walking Tours
In all my years of travel, I never knew about the International Greeter Association until recently. In short, it’s a way to meet locals and enjoy a free private walking tour with them in many different countries.
🇦🇱 Albania in Photos
This photo essay of Albania highlights exactly why it’s gone from a little-known destination to a popular travel hotspot recently.
🏙️ Cherry Blossoms
While Japan is always associated with beautiful cherry blossoms, there are plenty of cherry blossom destinations around the world where you can experience them in bloom.
where in the world?
A big congratulations to those who guessed the location of the photo in the previous newsletter! Here’s who guessed correctly:
Robert, Scott, Steve, Sam, Dave, Ariana, Tom and Danny
The photo is of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. In terms of number of passengers, this airport is the busiest in the world. But in my experience, transferring here is generally quite smooth, even when I arrive on an international flight, despite it’s massive size and sheer number of flights.
This week’s photo:
It’s time to guess…where was the below photo taken?
If you have a guess (the more specific the better), click reply and let me know. Anyone who guesses correctly will be mentioned in next week's newsletter 😄
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Thank you so much for reading!
Derek
(my middle name is Earl)
Travel Insurance: My personal recommendation for affordable and reliable travel insurance is Safety Wing. It was created by travelers, for travelers, and it's rapid growth in popularity is well-deserved.
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