For me, 2017 began in Kazakhstan, after which I took a couple of domestic trips to Las Vegas and to Boulder, Colo., but there was a seven-month gap before I traveled internationally again. Yet, I managed to (barely) beat my personal record set in 2016 (was 52,575 miles) for the most miles traveled by airplane in a single calendar year.

I flew 54,329 miles (87,434 km), which equals to 2.17x Earth circumnavigation, and spent 127 hours and 45 minutes, or 5.3 days, on airplanes—all in coach! I know, my carbon footprint isn’t the best for our planet… Still, I visited 10 countries, seven of which for the first time. Here’s my 2017 travel history.

Image courtesy of FlightMemory.com

Image courtesy of FlightMemory.com

 

I’m grateful for how my life has changed. I was able to quit the 9-to-5 grind and make a living out of freelance writing. As long as I have an internet connection, I can work from anywhere in the world. Some of these flights were booked with points and miles and others with cash at killer prices.

In this entry, I’m posting a photo from each country I visited in 2017.

January

Astana, Kazakhstan

August

Three generations in Split, Croatia

September

Perast, Montenegro

 

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy

 

Menorca, Spain

October

Munich, Germany

 

Porto, Portugal

 

Chefchaouen, Morocco

December

Tam Coc, Vietnam

As for 2018, I have a few trips planned already. I’ll be returning to some countries (Russia and Spain) and setting my foot in some new ones. Either way, I have a feeling it’ll be life changing. Stay tuned!