What Counts as a Trip Around the World?

I've always had a vague dream of traveling around the world.

After I left my office job,

I wondered whether I could actually do it, so I looked into it, and I was surprised by what I found.

What counts as a trip around the world?

Everyone has their own definition, really.

To start with, airlines sell something called a round-the-world ticket.

By their definition, you cross the Pacific and the Atlantic once each, keep moving in one direction, east or west, and return to where you started.

So Japan → UK → US → Japan counts as a trip around the world under that definition.
Hmm... but that sounds like an ordinary trip, lol. You could do it in a week!

When most people picture a round-the-world trip, they imagine visiting a lot more countries than that.

Personally, a definition like "visit at least one country on each of the 6 continents" feels more right to me.
*The 6 continents: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica

Or how about "set foot in every country"?
*There are 193 UN member states

That's a bit extreme, though.
Some countries must be hard to enter because of political instability or safety concerns, lol.

Honestly, a real round-the-world trip is probably, no, definitely tough.
I'd recommend traveling to two or three neighboring countries at a time and then going home.

So how about this: just keep taking normal trips! Once you've been to at least one country on every continent, that's your trip around the world.

Doesn't it seem unrealistic to head out and stay on the road until you're back?

After only three months in Europe, I felt like a wreck by the second half.

>>A Whirlwind Month Around Europe

I'd set out on a long trip because I loved traveling, but partway through, moving, taking photos and eating became the whole point, lol.

To keep the stress of moving down, I had to pack light like a backpacker, which made it hard to buy souvenirs...

And without time to linger, I sightsaw without researching each country's or city's history and specialties, which I honestly regret.

Of course, a long trip has its own joys, like chatting with the person sitting next to you and really connecting with people.

But if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar, I want to soak up as much of the local culture as I can.

That's why I want to spend time on preparation and arrive in top condition.

Finland, Australia, India... there are still so many countries I want to visit.

As a food blogger, I'll keep enjoying travel so I can share the delicious things I find around the world!