Nov 4 - So where HAVE I been?

A big move across continents and borders and cultures and climate zones and time zones and monetary zones is always a moment of reflection. As the move looms nearer on the horizon you think of where you've been, and where you hope to go.

I was walking in Luxembourg Gardens today (postponed to afternoon due to rain), and thinking about my rapidly approaching move back to the US. I thought about everywhere I've ever been, and I realized I had never actually written it down before.

So here it goes, a list of every country I've lived in and visited, plus major moves within the US. I left out vacations in the US or we'd be here all day..........

Age 0-18 - Minnesota, USA - born and raised
Age 14 - Mexico - 1 week - spring break with Mom
Age 16 - Australia - 1 month - school trip
Age 17 - the Cayman Islands (with Britt!) - 1 week - spring break
Age 18-19 - Australia - 10 months - lived the dream of an adolescent Australophile (again with Britt, on the banks of our lovely lagoon)
Age 18 - New Zealand - 2 weeks - trying to get Aussi student visa
Age 18 - New Zealand - 3 days - actually got Aussi student visa
Age 19 - New Zealand - 2 weeks - visited home of (then) Kiwi boyfriend
Age 20-22 - Madison, Wisconsin - 3 years - went to school
Age 21 - France - 3 weeks - 1st trip home with Marco
Age 22-23 - Java, Indonesia - 6 months - study abroad
Age 23 - Dallas, Texas - 6 months - kept Marco company when he began work at TI
Age 23-25 - San Diego, California - 2 years - lived a good life
Age 24 - Mexico - a couple times - short trips across border from San Diego, cuz' it's there
Age 25 - France - 3 weeks - 2nd trip home with Marco
Age 25 - France - 1 week - stopped by en route to Tunisia
Age 25 - Tunisia - 2 weeks - wedding and sightseeing
Age 25-26 - Singapore - 7 months - lived, did photography while Marco studied here
Age 25 - Malaysia - 5 days - sightseeing
Age 25 - Borneo (other part of Malaysia) - 1 week - climbed Mount Kinabalu!
Age 25 - Malaysia - 4 days - snorkling on Dayang Island in the South China Sea
Age 26 - Cambodia - 1 week - visited Angkor (cheap and uncrowded during SARS!)
Age 26 - Indonesia - 1 weekend - sunbathed on Bintan Island which barely counts as Indonesia, but was also nicely cheap and uncrowded thanks to SARS
Age 26 - Beirut, Lebanon - 10 days - wedding & sightseeing
Age 26-28 - France - 2 1/2 years - lived here with Marco, studied
Age 26 - Lisbon, Portugal - 5 days - visted home of Portuguese friend
Age 27 - London - 4 days - visited friends
Age 27 - Spain - 12 days - crossed Pyrenees mountains on foot, arrived in Spain
Age 27 - Minnesota, USA - three weeks - visited home
Age 27 - London- 1 weekend - visited friends
Age 27 - London - 1 weekend - got stamp in passport
Age 27 - Minnesota, USA - three weeks - visited home
Age 28 - Italy - 10 days - sightseeing
Age 28 - Minnesota, USA - 1 month - visited home
Age 28 - Italy - 4 days - wedding
Age 28 - London - 4 days - visited friends

And here we are to the present -- I'm typing in my apartment in the Latin Quarter of Paris on an autumn afternoon.

In 11 days I move again. I don't actually know where I'm going next. Part of me is ready to go home. Part of me never wants to leave the vast and wondrous world outside.