I have travelled across every continent—from the pyramids in Mexico to the Great Wall of China—but the point has never been collecting countries. The point is what a place feels like when you arrive tired, hungry, confused, curious, overexcited, or completely disappointed.

You will not find generic “top 10” lists here. You will find lived stories and opinionated guides: what was worth it, what was not, what I would do again, and what I would tell you to skip without guilt.

This is the world as I passed through it: messy, deep, real.