100 and Done! (Countries that is...)

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We are back! This last trip brought the total countries visited to 100! It is a crazy milestone. It is difficult, time-consuming and can be (IS) expensive. After I got back from Antarctica in 2007, I started thinking about it. After 2010 I was thinking about it more (as I moved from NY to Georgia) and in 2014 it had become a real goal. Between Angie and I we have been to 109 Countries. We are tied at 100 countries each. We have 9 countries different in our lists. For example, I have been to San Marino. She has not. She has been to Israel. I have not, yet. There has been some fun competition in this area. That's why we had to establish rules. 1.) Must be listed (as a country) with the US State Department 2.) Being in an airport doesn't count. You have to get through immigration somehow and not in a DMZ or a no-mans-land 3.) A passport stamp is not required. I have been to Canada, Paraguay, and Uruguay without getting my passport stamped. There are friendly borders in many places...
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I just arrived at McMurdo. It was agreat flight on the LC-130. They call us "Talking Cargo". The air is so dense here. There is dirt (Well.. volcanic ashhh Hummm)it is above zero and there is humidity. What else could you want. It didn't seem like such a difference on the way out. The big city lights of McMurdo are really something to the Polies. It is good to be here. I am going to have a beer. I already had my first shower in a week... How nice.

I found the geographic pole a great place to meditate. Not that I meditate a lot. I just noticed that when I get in these deep thinking spells, I am mediating. I just didn't know what it was called. The pole was awesome!

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