I like to take stock of each year’s travel as we pass from one year into the next. There’s usually a clear favorite trip, and there’s certainly a clear favorite each year. I’l reflect on the key factors that made the best a resounding success. If things go wrong, I’ll try to note what to avoid in the future to make our future travel better. This is the qualitative side, and arguably the most important.
But as a points and miles nerd with a numbers brain, I also like to tally up travel quantitatively. Things like how many new airlines, new states, new countries, etc. I did this back when 2022 drew to a close. Normally, I’d have assessed the end of 2023 at the beginning of 2024. But I was busy recovering from an accident I had on Oahu. Given that recovery has been as thorough as it has, my 2024 is a year characterized by thankfulness more than anything.
Now let’s jump into the numbers.
Three New States
I’m closing in on visiting all U.S. 50, having added three more to the list between 2023 and 2024. As the beginning of 2023, I visited friends who lived in Connecticut at the time, and we took a brief trip over into Rhode Island. That was an easy two. Then, in October 2024 I spent a few days in Boston, adding Massachusetts to the list. So now I only have the following six remaining:
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Maine
The three in the northeast of the country I plan to do in a single trip. Nebraska and Iowa I bet I’ll accomplish together, but I have little reason to visit either of the two. North Dakota will be the toughest. I won’t be surprised if it’s the last one a check off the list. It’s a two-stop trek from my home airport, and I have no pressing need to visit. I rather spend the couple days required traveling out of the country.
So, I don’t expect 2025 to be the year I complete the list of 50 U.S. states.
Six New Countries
As states get more difficult, I’m not surprised that I visited more countries. Over the two years, I made a total of five trips to another continent. Three of these were to Europe, and I made it to four new European countries. South American and Asia each saw one visit, and I made it to one country in each case. That’s the downside to taking short trips. Added to my list in 2023 and 2024 are:
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Chile
- South Korea
Technically, I did have an overnight layover in Lima, Peru where I stayed the night at an airport hotel. But I don’t count it. I’ll count short stays in a small country (e.g. most of a day in Monaco with no overnight stay), but counting a layover as a “visit” is cheating.
This brings my total to over 30 countries. I think I’m at 29 if counting strictly the 193 in the United Nations, but I also have the likes of Kosovo and Taiwan among those tallied.
What About Airports and Airlines?
In addition to countries and states, I do track the number of airports I visit. Logging all my air travel in OpenFlights makes this a fairly easy task. Between 2023 and 2024, I added seven to the tally. These include:
- Lima (LIM)
- Madrid (MAD)
- New York-La Guardia (LGA)
- Raleigh-Durham (RDU)
- Richmond, Virginia (RIC)
- Santiago (SCL)
- Zurich (ZRH)
Don’t laugh at La Guardia. Yes, it was truly my first time there. What’s the total, you may ask? I’ve been to 110 airports around the globe.
In terms of airlines, I added three to the list:
- Hawaiian Airlines
- LATAM
- SWISS
For both Hawaiian and SWISS it was a single business class fight. My first LATAM flight was in the pointy end as well, but I followed it up with an economy segment.
Final Thoughts
Right now, I have a solid set of plans for 2025. Travel with the kids will remain domestic, but I plan to venture abroad for a few short solo stints. My hope is to add three more countries. I currently also have tickets booked on two airlines I’ve never flown, both times in business class. I have one more likely window where I may add a trip on either ANA or Lufthansa, in first class if I’m fortunate.
How did your 2024 travel stack up? Was it everything you expected? Do you track flights, airports, states, and countries like I do?
I hit my 50th in 2023 on a National Parks trip. It was actually Montana and we went to West Yellowstone, MT while visiting the park. I hit North Dakota via a Saturday drive while I was working in MSP. It was a two or three hour drive if I remember correctly. That was also the same time that I knocked out South Dakota.
If I had work in MSP, I would have definitely availed myself of that opportunity to hit ND.
Love this reflective post on travel in 2023-2024! It’s interesting to see the key moments and trends
Thanks for reading!
I’m currently at 43 states. Like you, I’m missing North Dakota, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. The other three I need are Alaska, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.
Not as many countries yet, 23 so far.
I’d like to visit all the continents too, but Antarctica is a bit more of a challenge!
I’m at 5 of 7 continents. Africa I’ll get to. Not so sure about Antarctica.
In terms of states, get yourself to Alaska! It’s lovely. My favorite I’ve visited.
My wife and I have now visited 48, with just the Dakotas to go, and we are from the UK, and have always loved there.
Nobody can tell us why we should visit North Dakota except that it is there if we want to visit all 50!
We have even done Puerto Rico in case you add it in our lifetime.
Even for us in the U.S., no one can tell you why you should visit.
South Dakota has a couple minor draws. Passed through when I was 13, but haven’t been back.
I’m sure I’ll make it to Puerto Rico in the next few years. Have nearly booked flights a couple times.
As a result of so many people doing N Dakota as their last state there are shirts you can buy there declaring “I finally made North Dakota my 50th state.
I am at 36 states and 26 countries. I also count flight legs, in 2023 I had 57 and in 2024 I had 50.
How many flights did you take?
I should have listed the full flight stats. For 2023:
– 38 segments
– 72,694 miles
For 2024:
– 48 segments
– 68,046 miles
Lifetime:
– 453 segments
– 599,250 miles