I knew right away that, as much as I wanted to be a part of the TCC, the main reason to travel should be what I will get out of it, not just to count countries. This could be meeting locals, trying the local cuisine, exploring nature, or trying something new. Although the “why you should travel” question is extremely subjective, I find it meaningless to cross off a country from a list just because you’ve been there.

Why do individuals travel? Although there are as many reasons for traveling as there are people, you should make the most of it, even if it’s just to get a tan while drinking cocktails all day, because that trip will always be a part of your story.

I began traveling internationally after visiting each region of Chile. Now that I’ve visited about 60 of the TCC list’s 60 countries and territories, what I instinctively knew turned into lessons learned on the road. Experiences are what most motivate me to travel because they feed my adventurous spirit. The TCC list and my own bucket list became tools rather than ends for my journey.