We rounded one tight corner and I swear a big truck missed our hood by a millisecond! My heart jumped out of my chest as I was certain this was a head-on collision. The big Jesus on the hill was watching over us – the vehicles missed each other by a hair. — Volver, Volver…
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I’m a Ramblin’ Man My June 2021 journey was special for many reasons. First, it was the first itinerary cancelled due to Corona Virus. Originally booked in 2019 for travel in March 2020, I was really, really excited to hit the Lebanon–Cyprus–Malta circuit. But we all remember, it was March 2020 when all the Corona…
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It’s Complicated My country #164 was Cyprus, but it’s not that cut and dry. Cyprus is an island consisting of three nations, actually – and that only depends on whom you ask. The history of Cyprus is long, complicated, and—to me—incredibly intriguing. I’m just recently learning about this country and its borders, suitors, invaders and…
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Not heading into the city for fun and adventure just isn’t me – in the end I had to do it. Ramblin’ Randy doesn’t stay in the airport! If You Wanna Get Technical I actually spent the night in Istanbul this time, so technically that should remove this stop from the “Extreme Layover” category. However, I did…
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CAUTION: Geography Nerd Ahead I’m actually going to make a whole ‘nother entry detailing my first afternoon in Malta and the “other” country that I visited. That’s right, technically, there is another country inside of Malta. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is actually its own nation. Here’s where it gets weird: This…
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The Taste of Sweet Victory Touching down in the final country on any of my trips is always somewhat of a victory. It’s always a crap-shoot when you’re traveling to a ton of countries very quickly: Canceled flights and rejected visa applications can easily cause you to miss one or more stops. Add a pandemic…
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Last week I got about two dozen emails from friends around the world, alerting me to McCormick‘s newest (and just ingenious) employee posting for their very first “Director of Taco Relations.” WOW! For those who don’t know, I’ve been an over-the-top taco fanatic for decades. Watch the video below for proof. The application window was…
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The Club Most of my friends and readers know I’m on a pretty distinct mission: to travel to all 193 countries on the planet. While 193 is the number of UN member nations, there are, however, many other “lists” besides that most-common “193.” The Travelers Century Club counts 329 countries. Their list includes many territories,…
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