Why do I say I’ve visited 38 countries when my United Nations member-state count is 35? Because the answer depends on which definition of a country we use—and what we mean by having visited one.
This is not an attempt to produce an official alternative world map. It’s simply the most transparent way I can describe my own travels while remaining open to correcting my records.
The numbers
| Counting convention | Destinations I have visited |
|---|---|
| United Nations member states | 35 |
| UN members plus the two non-member observer states | 37 |
| My personal count, also including Kosovo | 38 |
The United Nations has 193 member states and two non-member observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine. I have visited Vatican City State (associated with the Holy See) and Palestine. Kosovo is not a UN member or observer state, but I include it in my personal count because I visited it. The Holy See and Vatican City State are closely connected but legally distinct entities.
My rule for counting a visit
I count a country when I’ve actually entered its territory, not merely flown over it or changed planes in an international transit zone. Where a border has immigration controls, clearing them and entering the public side is enough for me. Where countries have an open or effectively uncontrolled border, physical entry still counts.
- Repeat visits count only once. I can return to Brazil or France many times, but that does not create additional countries in the tally.
- Seeing a country’s territory from an aircraft or staying airside does not count. Airport connections alone are not visits under my rule.
- No passport stamp is required where none is issued. Monaco and Vatican City count when I physically enter them, even though crossing a nearby border usually involves no immigration checkpoint.
Why I include Canada
In 2013, a disrupted connection at Toronto Pearson left me in Canada overnight. I went through immigration, entered the landside public area and was legally free to leave the airport. I had the opportunity to explore Toronto, but I was exhausted and the weather was freezing, so I stayed at the airport instead.
By my counting rule, that is a Canadian visit—but not a claim that I’ve seen Toronto. Both statements can be true, and I think it’s more interesting to tell the actual story than inflate the experience.
Why Paraguay is not in the current total
I visited the Itaipu Binacional hydroelectric complex on a tour that began on the Brazilian side. Because the dam is a binational project, it raises an interesting border question: did that visit actually take me onto Paraguayan territory? I do not presently have enough evidence or a clear enough recollection of the route to say.
For that reason, Paraguay is not included in my 38. It could become my 39th destination if I can establish that I actually entered the country. I would rather leave it unresolved than quietly stretch my own rule.
Beyond the list
The political philosopher Ernest Renan asked What Is a Nation? in 1882; Benedict Anderson explored how national communities are imagined and understood in Imagined Communities. Neither wrote an official country-counting rule for travelers, but their ideas remind me that a nation, a state, a cultural identity and an internationally recognized border are not necessarily identical.
My goal is to visit every country in the world. I know my perspectives will evolve. These numbers describe the destinations I currently count, not a final answer about the meaning of nationality or the status of every territory.
Last revised: November 2026. My current total is 38 destinations. I will update this page if new memories or evidence change the list.
Browse all 38 country pages, explore my travel map, or read why I travel.
