30 Places to See by Age 30? As If

The over-the-top Huffington Post headline immediately caught my eye: “30 Epic Places You Absolutely Must Visit Before You’re 30.” As it happens, I just turned 30 earlier this year, so I clicked on the link with interest. I’d consider myself reasonably well traveled — so how many of these amazing, “must-visit” places did I manage to knock off before hitting this milestone age?

Alas, just one: the Plaza Mayor in Madrid, Spain. (And while it was a perfectly pleasant square, I’m not sure I’d call it “epic.”)

To be fair, I’ve also been to Paris and Las Vegas, but not to the specific cafe and nightclub the author recommends. And I’ve walked around the Washington Monument in D.C. — I just haven’t gone up to the observation deck (which has been closed to the public since the city was rocked by an earthquake in 2011). You can read the full list here.

At first, reading through the list and seeing so many places I hadn’t been made me feel like a bit of an underachiever. But frankly, this list is absurd. Few travelers make it to Antarctica in their lifetime, let alone by the time they hit 30. (Dedicated Antarctica cruises typically go for $10,000 or more per person.) Bhutan is also too rich for the blood of many 20-somethings, with its “minimum daily package” requiring that all tourists spend $200 – $250 a night per person. And how many of us are going to make it to tiny, remote Palau, where the airfare alone will set you back $1,800 or more?

To put this in perspective, IndependentTraveler.com’s staff ranges in age from 23 to 50+, and in our collective decades of travel we’ve still not covered everything on the list. I guess if you’re a 20-something with an open schedule and a bottomless wallet, you just might manage it. As for me — well, at least I’ve got plenty of inspiration for my 30’s and beyond.

How many of the places on the Huffington Post’s list have you visited? Share your thoughts in the comments below! (Don’t worry. We won’t make you reveal your age.)