That got me thinking about how things have changed, and how widely traveled present-day islanders are. I mentioned this to my daughter Amy, and she posted a question on Facebook for Ocracoke islanders: How many different countries have you lived in or visited?
At last count, there were 143 places, some of which I had never heard of (including Fernando Po)! They are listed below. I know some of them are territories of other countries (e.g. Anguilla), are actually parts of larger countries (e.g. the Galapagos Islands), have been altered (e.g. the Czech Republic is part of the former Czechoslovakia), are special regions (e.g. Hong Kong), or may no longer exist as separate countries (e.g. East Germany).
However, this list (literally, from A to Z) includes places in the spirit of Amy's question. I even wanted to include Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation in north central Montana, where I lived in the winter of 1968-1969, because it felt like a foreign country (or, more honestly, I felt like a foreigner in their country).
I know this is an incomplete list, but I think it's pretty impressive. Islanders, please leave a comment if we haven't included some place you have lived in or visited, and all readers, please leave a comment with suggestions for exotic places we might want to visit:
| Andorra Anguilla Antarctica |
| Antigua Argentina |
| Aruba |
| Australia |
| Austria |
| Bahamas |
| Barbados |
| Belgium |
| Belize |
| Bequia |
| Bermuda |
| Bonaire |
| Botswana |
| Brazil |
| Bulgaria Cambodia |
| Cameroon |
| Canada |
| Cayman Islands |
| Chili |
| China |
| Columbia Cozumel |
| Cuba Croatia |
| Curacao Czechoslovakia |
| Czech Republic |
| Denmark Djibouti |
| Dominican Republic East Germany |
| Ecuador |
| Egypt |
| El Salvador |
| England |
| Equatorial Guinea |
| Estonia |
| Ethiopia |
| Fernando Po |
| Fiji |
| Finland |
| France |
| French Polynesia |
| Galapagos Islands |
| Gambia |
| Germany |
| Ghana |
| Goa |
| Greece |
| Greenland |
| Grenada |
| Guam |
| Guatemala |
| Haiti Hawaii (before it was a state) |
| Holland |
| Honduras |
| Hong Kong |
| Hungary |
| Iceland India |
| Indonesia |
| Ireland |
| Israel |
| Italy |
| Japan Johnston Atoll Kazakhstan |
| Kenya Kwajalein Island Lebanon |
| Liechtenstein |
| Lesotho |
| Luxemburg |
| Macao |
| Majorca |
| Malaysia |
| Martinique |
| Mexico |
| Monaco |
| Montserrat Morocco |
| Namibia |
| Netherlands |
| Nevis |
| New Zealand |
| Nicaragua |
| Nigeria |
| Norway |
| Panama Paraguay |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Poland |
| Portugal |
| Puerto Rico |
| Rhodesia |
| Romania |
| Russia |
| Saba |
| Saipan |
| San Marino |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Scotland |
| Senegal |
| Siberia |
| Sicily |
| Singapore |
| South Africa |
| South Korea South Viet Nam |
| Spain |
| Sri Lanka |
| St. Kitts |
| St. Lucia |
| St. Maarten St. Thomas |
| St. Vincent |
| Ste. Barthe |
| Sudan |
| Sweden |
| Switzerland |
| Taiwan |
| Tanganyika |
| Thailand |
| Tortola |
| Trinidad |
| Turkey |
| Turks & Caicos |
| Uganda |
| Ukraine |
| United Arab Emirates Uruguay Uzbekistan |
| Venezuela |
| Virgin Islands |
| Wales |
| Yemen |
| Zanzibar |
Happy travels to all! And we hope Ocracoke is always on your list of favorite places to visit or to call home.
This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the story of the Ocracoke Orgy. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032115.htm.
Since there is no "O" country...I suggest Orlando because it's a different world there! ;)
ReplyDeleteOr Ocracoke :-)
DeleteWell, there IS a country already on the list, that ought to qualify as an "O": Österreich . Which is what the natives of that country call Austria. ;-)
DeleteBisse
Touché
DeleteMy job travels the last 3 years had me all over the planet. The locales not on your list: Kosovo and Oman. Oh, and St. Barts (honeymoon back in 1991). Will be on Cracoke in a week for Easter. Not soon enough!
ReplyDeleteForgot to also mention Montenegro just this past summer while on a cruise.
DeleteI am glad I have a current passport because I have a hankering to travel after reading that list. Oh, and Indiana is now a foreign country so add that!
ReplyDeleteAs if you need an incentive to wander.
DeleteI have been trying to find a word for the opposite of wanderlust, which would describe how I feel about travelling.
Unlike you, Lou Ann, I have no "gypsy in my soul."
Is there a word for that?
How about "Lizerella-ist" for someone who doesn't like to travel? (If anyone doesn't get this, please re-read the post.)
Delete