Hiked in the Swiss Alps
Looked down at Paris from atop the Eiffel Tower
Jumped from a plane above Monterey Bay
Stood among the ruins of the Coliseum in Rome
Toured the fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein in Bavaria
Survived the Road to Hana
Skipped around the Sound of Music gazebo in Austria
Cheered the athletes at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona and the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City
Tanned on the beaches of Monte Carlo
Sat in a jail cell on Alcatraz
Parasailed above the French Riviera in Nice
Danced at a street festival in Madrid
Dipped my toes into Loch Ness
Followed the Freedom Trail in Boston
Watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
Slept at the base of a glacier in central Alaska
Gawked in the Red Light District of Amsterdam
Landed near Plymouth Rock
Knocked back stein after stein in the bier halls of Munich
Visited the house my father was born in on San Miguel island in the Azores, and the house my grandfather was born in, on Rua da Morte Boa in Portugal
Gambled and lost in Las Vegas
Reflected in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
Crossed the Golden Gate Bridge driving, cycling and walking, and crossed beneath it on a boat
Marveled at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre
Rafted the rapids of the Great American River
Sipped port wine from the cask in Oporto, Portugal
Tasted various vintages in Napa Valley
Ate the world's best lobster bisque near Maine's Nubble Lighthouse
Partied on Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Lived near the sugar-white beaches of Florida's Golf Coast
Soared above California's Central Valley in a sailplane
Spotted the Big Six in Denali National Park (grizzly bear, caribou, Dall sheep, fox, wolf and moose)
Verified that there is no basement at the Alamo
Savored pints of Guinness in Ireland
Floated on a gondola along the canals in Venice
Rode across the U.S. by bus, Boston to San Jose, then drove across the U.S. one month later, San Jose to Florida
Touched the Berlin Wall
Passed before the altar in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Strolled along the river banks in Prague
Scrambled (nearly) to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite
Window-shopped on Rodeo Drive
Admired the fall colors in New England
Peered out from the crown of the Statue of Liberty
Feasted on the sights and sounds of the marketplace in Marrakech
Biked along seaside cliffs, through valleys and over hills, 585 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles
Twirled atop the Space Needle in Seattle
Caravaned by camelback in the Sahara Desert and slept under a blanket of stars
Hailed to the King at Graceland
Applauded Shakespeare in Central Park
Witnessed the spot of miracles at Fatima, Portugal
Listened to the sounds of jazz on the Riverwalk in San Antonio
Hovered at the halfway point of a 1,100-foot waterfall in a helicopter over Maui
Sailed on the Gulf of Mexico in a wooden tallship
Ran 26.2 miles through the wine country in the Napa Valley Marathon
Sampled the hot ribs and cool blues on Beale Street in Memphis
Gazed up at the Old Man in the Mountain, before he fell down
Circled the Park Loop in Acadia National Park, Maine
Zig-zagged down Lombard Street
Had only been to one other state until I was 17.