- Antarctica
There’s something magical about standing on a continent that has no government, no permanent residents and no taxes — yet still is somehow less chaotic than the airports you used to get there.
- France
The atmosphere is so romantic that on a boat cruise down the Seine, a random American tourist, Margarette (I think that’s how you spell it) from Denver, Colorado, kissed my grandmother on the cheek, after telling my grandma that they had become very good friends when the boat docked. The La Bise (French kiss culture) infected this lady with affectionate and passionate love for Grandma.
- Japan
Trains run so precisely that a 20-second delay triggers a public apology from the railway company. You will arrive home and stand on your own train platform wondering why the Bay Area’s tech billionaires and local governments cannot do the same.
- Italy
The food is not the highlight; it’s the culture. 90-year-old grannies with no formal training will whip up the greatest meal of your life, shrug like it was nothing and then argue with you if you try to help wash the dishes. Just don’t get caught breaking spaghetti — that won’t end well for you.
- Indonesia
You could visit a different island every day for 46 years and still not see all 17,000 islands in Indonesia. Most tourists make the mistake of sticking to a resort in Bali and only visiting one island.
- Brazil
Warm and welcoming, only in Brazil can you sit down for a quick coffee with a stranger and get invited to a family barbecue 3 hours later — my uncle had this happen on a random Tuesday.
- Morocco
The markets are designed by someone who wants you to get lost, stumble into a hidden courtyard, drink mint tea with a carpet salesman and buy something you absolutely do not need like a hand-carved wooden camel the size of a small dog. Some say it’s a trap, but trust me, you will not regret your purchase of the wooden camel.
- Australia
Scientists have confirmed that Australia is home to the world’s most venous snake, most venomous spider, most venomous jellyfish and most venomous octopus. Australians know this and still go to the beach every weekend. Their confidence alone is astonishing.
- Peru
The Inca built Machu Picchu at 8,000 feet above sea level, without wheels, without iron tools and without mortar — and the stones still fit together so perfectly that you cannot slide a piece of paper between them. You will stand there and wonder why half the bathrooms at school can’t close when the Inca used such precision 600 years ago — which is crazy.
- Kenya
The Great Migration moves over two million wildebeest and zebras across the Serengeti every single year like clockwork — no organizer, no app, no GPS. You can watch, go home and somehow still complain about having to coordinate a group hang with five of your friends.
