Mission: Forty before 40
One of my most exciting travel goals is to visit 40 countries before I turn 40! This mission is all about embracing new cultures, exploring incredible destinations, and making unforgettable memories along the way.
Each country I visit adds a unique chapter to this journey, and I’m always on the lookout for my next adventure. Whether it’s wandering through bustling cities, relaxing on stunning beaches, or uncovering hidden gems, every trip brings me closer to achieving this goal.
Why 40 before 40?
Interestingly, this mission originally began as “30 countries before 30.” For a long time, I wasn’t sure I would achieve it. Lockdowns and travel restrictions meant that my plans were put on hold for nearly two years, which was incredibly disheartening. However, when the world started opening up again, I jumped at the chance to travel and I made up for lost time. In one unforgettable year, I managed to visit seven countries, a pace I never thought I’d achieve and still to this day, I’m not really sure how I did achieve it!
To my surprise, I reached my 30-country goal by the time I was 28, giving me a head start on my next milestone: 40 countries before 40. While much of my travel so far has been focused on European countries because of their proximity and ease of travel, I’m now setting my sights further afield. The pace might slow down as I venture to more distant destinations, but I’m okay with that: it’s all part of the adventure✈️.
Ultimately, my long-term dream is to visit 50 countries in my lifetime, but that’s a challenge for another day! For now, I’m thrilled to work towards 40 countries before 40, and I’m determined to make it happen.
If you’d like to see where I’ve been so far, you can check out my Visited Countries page. I hope you’ll follow along on this journey, and maybe even find some inspiration for your own travel goals.
Here’s to exploring the world, one country at a time!
FAQs
Below are the questions that I get asked the most often when I tell people that I’m aiming to visit 40 countries before I turn 40. If you have a question about this mission, that isn’t below, feel free to email me and I’ll be happy to answer 😊
I have always had a strong passion for travel and by creating these missions, I found that I was able to motivate myself to travel and live the life that I want to. I felt such a sense of achievement after completing my travel goal of visiting 30 countries before 30 so I am particularly excited and eager to complete my goal of visiting 40 countries!
I have a list of countries that I would like to visit, however time constraints and travel ease has a lot to do with how I choose the countries that I visit. When I didn’t think I would reach my goals of visiting 30 countries before 30, I focused on countries close to the UK which is why the majority of my visited countries are based in Europe. My dream continent to visit is South America and I hope to visit one day soon. Who knows, that might be a whole mission of its own!
I am currently on a whopping 35 countries!! I can’t quite believe that I have 35 countries under my belt but I’m definitely not stopping there! I can’t wait to explore so much more of this world and continue travelling further afield. I have travelled to some incredible countries and will forever be grateful for my travel experiences🥰.
Meeting new people and experiencing the culture of each country. It’s amazing how different every country is, even when visiting neighbouring countries, you will be amazed at the difference in the culture between them. I am also a massive lover of food so experiencing incredible local food in places such as Italy and Montenegro, have been particular highlights for me.
My main challenge has been finding the time to fit all my travel goals in! I have become a master at seeing the best of a country in limited time. I have also mastered the art of day trips by visiting nearby countries and finding the most affordable train/boat trips to get the most of each destination.
Travel as often as possible! You don’t have to be participating in backpacking or travelling to multiple countries in one trip to be considered a traveller. My favourite trips have been weekend city breaks where I have travelled after work on Friday and arrived back in the UK Sunday evening. Even with limited time, it is still possible to travel and see the best of new countries and cities.
A Gallery of my favourite travel pictures so far
