Up until I turned 34, I had only traveled within my country, the U.S.A., taking quintessential American road trips. Though I traveled to the Bahamas at 34, to England when I was 44, and France when I was 48 & 50, I didn’t start traveling in earnest until 2007, when I was over 50. Sometimes I’ve traveled for work or study-abroad programs, while other times I’ve traveled, and still do, for pleasure.
I’ve often traveled solo. I love my solo travels because they allow me a deeper experience of a culture than when I am with someone else. They allow me to linger, and they’ve helped me to become a more tolerant, confident and adventurous person.
I’ve lived in or traveled to 37 countries (& 1 U.S. territory) as of March, 2023:
1) United States of America – I’ve spent most of my life in Virginia (Newport News, Yorktown, Gloucester, Matthews County, Richmond, Northern Virginia) plus have traveled extensively throughout the country. I also lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho from January 1980 – April 1984.
For more see: ~ places i’ve been in the u.s.a. ~.
2) Canada – Ottowa (1980), Banff (1980, 1982), Quebec (2004). (Before the digital age!). Ontario: Niagara Falls (2018). The Maritimes: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island (2022).
3) Great Britain – London, Bath, Cotswolds, Lake District (1999) – sadly, no digital pictures.
4) Bahamas – numerous times to Paradise Island – we had a time share there (1989, 2002).
5) France – Nice, Vence, L’Isle sur la Sorgue, Rousillon, Provence (St Remy de Provence, Vaison la Romaine, Le Pond du Gard, Avignon, Abbeye de Fontfroide), Cathar Country (Commune de Montsegur, Pyrenees, Mirepoix, Cathedrale Sainte-Cecile d’Albi, Bruniquel, Cordes sur Ciel), Paris (2003) & Paris (again), Alsace-Lorraine, Normandy (2006).
6) Germany – Black Forest, Heidelberg, Trier (2006) (before digital).
7) Mexico – for a study abroad – Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Teotihuacán, Taxco (2007) – I didn’t bother much with photography at that time, as you can tell from this pathetic picture. 🙂
Teotihuacán, Mexico 2007
8) Egypt – to study Arabic – Cairo, Alexandria (July 2007) – poor or nonexistent photography.
- call to place: egypt in 2007
- anticipation & preparation: egypt in 2007
- on returning home from egypt in 2007
Cairo, Egypt July 2007
9) Singapore – for a study abroad (January 2008).
Singapore, January 2008
10) Thailand – for a study abroad: Bangkok and Phuket (January 2008).
Bangkok, Thailand January 2008
11) South Korea – lived and worked there one year (March 2010 – February 2011).
12) Turkey – Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus (August 2010).
13) China – visited Beijing (September 2010) & lived and worked in Nanning, Guangxi Province for nearly a year (September 2014- July 2015).
14) Vietnam – Hanoi and Halong Bay (January 2011).
- call to place: vietnam in 2011
- anticipation & preparation: vietnam in 2011
- on returning home from vietnam in 2011
Halong Bay, Vietnam 2011
15) Cambodia – Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (January 2011).
- call to place: cambodia in 2011
- anticipation & preparation: cambodia in 2011
- on returning home from cambodia in 2011
Siem Reap, Cambodia 2011
16) Japan – visited Kyoto (February 2011) & lived and worked in Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo for 4 months (April – August 2017).
17) India: New Delhi, Varanasi, Rishikesh, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Agra, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jasailmer, Auragabad, Mumbai (March 2011).
- call to place: india in 2011
- anticipation & preparation: india in 2011
- on returning home from india in 2011
18) Oman – lived and worked in Nizwa for 2 years (September 2011- June 2013).
- call to place: the sultanate of oman
- anticipation & preparation: the sultanate of oman
- on returning home from oman
19) Jordan – Amman, Petra, Jerash, the Dead Sea (November 2011).
- call to place: jordan in 2011
- anticipation & preparation: jordan in 2011
- on returning home from jordan in 2011
20) United Arab Emirates – Dubai (August 2010) & Abu Dhabi (November 2012).
21) Greece – Athens, Crete, Santorini, Meteora (September 2012).
22) Ethiopia – Addis Ababa, Lalibela, Lake Langano (October 2012).
- call to place: ethiopia in 2012
- anticipation & preparation: ethiopia in 2012
- on returning home from ethiopia in 2012
23) Nepal – Kathmandu, Pokhara (January 2013).
- call to place: nepal in 2013
- anticipation & preparation: nepal in 2013
- on returning home from nepal in 2013
24) Spain – Barcelona, Toledo & Andalucía: Seville, Ronda, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga (June-July 2013). Walked the Frances route of the Camino de Santiago (September-October 2018).
- anticipation & preparation: spain & portugal in 2013
- the call to place: the camino de santiago
- anticipation & preparation: the camino de santiago
- on returning home from the camino de santiago: final thoughts
25) Portugal – The Algarve (Tavira), Evora, Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais (July 2013). Braga, Amarante, Porto, Aveiro, Costa Nova, Óbidos, Sintra and Lisbon (October-November 2018).
- the call to place: portugal
- anticipation & preparation: portugal
- on returning home from portugal in 2018
26) Myanmar – Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake, Yangon (February 2015).
27) Iceland – Reykjavik and the Ring Road (August 2016).
28) Hungary – Budapest, Esztergom, Visegrad, Sopron (September 2017).
29) Austria – Vienna and Wachau Valley (September 2017).
Dürnstein, Wachau Valley, Austria
30) Czech Republic – Český Krumlov & Prague (October 2017).
31) Morocco – G-Adventures tour through Casablanca, Tangier, Chefchaouen, Voubilis, Fès, Merzouga, Todra Gorge, Ait Benhaddou, High Atlas Mountains, Essaouira, and Marrakech. (April 2019)
32) Italy – Rome, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Lucca, Florence, San Gimignano, Siena, all around Tuscany, Perugia, Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, and Orvieto (April-May 2019).
- call to place: central italy
- anticipation & preparation: central italy
- on returning home from italy in 2019
33) Vatican City (Holy See) – April-May, 2019
34) Croatia: Zagreb, Istria (Opatija, Motovun, Rovinj & Pula), Plitvice Lakes National Park, Zadar, Šibenik, Primošten, Split, Hvar, Trogir, Pelješac Peninsula, Dubrovnik. (October 2021):
35) Ecuador (2022): Quito, Cuenca, Parque Nacional Cajas, Ingapirca, Riobamba and Chimborozo, Latagunca and the Quilotoa Loop, Hacienda los Mortinos near Parque Nacional Cotopaxi, Otavalo.
36) Nicaragua (2022-2023): Matagalpa, León, Granada, Ometepe Island, San Juan del Sur.
37) Costa Rica (2023): Playa Hermosa, Parque Nacional Volcán Rincón de la Vieja, Parque Nacional Volcán Tenorio, Tilaran, Monteverde, San José.
38) Colombia (2024):
39) Sri Lanka (2024):
39) Netherlands (2025):
40) Denmark (2025):
41) Argentina (2025):
42) Chile (2025):
43) Uruguay (2025):
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I hope to keep exploring the world until I keel over, so I will add to this page as I visit new lands. 🙂
Last updated: November, 2022.
~ wander.essence ~ 
You’ve visited some amazing places, Cathy! The photo collages are stunning! Like you, I’ve traveled solo and enjoyed it for the same reasons. It seems like a lifetime ago though, when I backpacked in SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand for a year by myself. I ache to set out on a single adventure again, one day.
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I’ve been lucky to travel to so many wonderful places, but it was too bad I started so late in life! Solo adventures are so much fun, aren’t they? I love them so much! I yearn for one again. My Four Corners trip will include a visit to my son near Denver, and my husband will join for 10 days, and the rest of the time, I’m on my own. I’m excited!
Your backpacking trip sounds like it was a real adventure!
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You have been to some incredible places! Your blog looks so interesting and I really look forward to getting to know you through your posts. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Wendy. It’s so much fun to travel and then to blog about my travels. It seems to be my new career, although I don’t make any money off of it! I look forward to learning more about your love of Scotland too! 🙂
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Hi Cathy,
I have just found your blog from a Vanilla Papers comment section and am so glad I did. I know what you mean by pre digital . Sadly, no decent photos. My husband is keen to go to Ethiopia one day and wants to explore parts of Greece. I am really interested in Art and Travel can’t wait to read through your posts. I absolutely LOVE your well composed photo of the clothesline in Iceland with the sheet on it. I am a bit partial to clothes hanging on lines shots myself, I have a few of those taken trekking in Nepal but I don’t think I have used them in a post yet.
I don’t usually “follow after the first date” but I don’t want to loose track of you. Expect lots of questions and comments on old posts from me. Louise
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I’m so glad you dropped by, Louise! I hope you will go to Ethiopia. I highly recommend Lake Longono; it was beautiful. And of course the Lalibela churches. Greece is definitely a favorite of mine. I’m glad you liked my clothesline photo in Iceland. That was one of my favorite photos from my trip. I’d love to see a post where you use the laundry photos from Nepal. I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your messages, but for some reason, they all went into spam. I just now found them. 🙂
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Hi Cathy, Glad you found my comments. Maybe because I hadn’t been approved ? Louise
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I’m not sure why it didn’t show up because many others who haven’t been approved do show up. Anyway, I’m glad I found it. I don’t often check my spam folder! 🙂
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