World Travels
Over the course of my life I have lived in Russia (1988-94), the UK (1994-2006), the US (2006-2016), and repatriated to Russia (2016-2022). I became a “digital nomad” in 2022. The map above shows most of the places I have been to.
I maintain irregularly updated guides on the following travel topics and regions:
- Digital Nomadism (coming soon)
- Russia Expat Guide (unfinished)
- Moscow
- Saint-Petersburg
- London (coming soon)
My travel reports are catalogued in the table below. Relevant blog tags to follow here are AK’s Travels and my ongoing national comparisons series. As a proponent of Open Borders/No Borders and the replacement of nation-states by network states, I treat them on a level playing field here; to the extent I have a favorite “country”, it is Zuzalu.
I often announce new places I’ll be visiting on Twitter. Goals for 2023-24 include Turkey, Germany (Berlin), India, Thailand (if Zuzalu), Taiwan.
| The biggest/most important cities are highlighted to the appropriate extent (not a rating of quality, though overall, I strongly privilege big cities), while places where I lived (spent >3 months) are underlined. ⭐ Major city or capital 🏞️ National park or natural wonder 🏔️ Hiking/mountains 🏖️ Beach 🚠 Skiing 🗿 Wonder of the World – outside cities, otherwise consult AK’s Travels map |
| R | 🌐 | Country⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ | ★ | Year | notes | Short Review: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 | Austria | 8 | 2023 | |||
| 🇧🇪 | Belgium | 6 | 2003/2018 | |||
| 🇨🇿 | Czechia | 6 | 2023 | |||
| 🇫🇮 | Finland | 6 | 2022 | |||
| 🇫🇷 | France | 7 | often | |||
| 🇩🇪 | Germany | 7 | 2003 | |||
| 🇭🇺 | Hungary | 5 | 2023 | |||
| 🇮🇪 | Ireland | 6 | 2001/2006 | |||
| 🇲🇪 | Montenegro | 4 | 2023 | |||
| 🇳🇱 | Netherlands | 7 | 2022 | |||
| 🇵🇱 | Poland | 6 | 2019 | |||
| 🇵🇹 | Portugal | 7 | 2018 | |||
| 🇷🇴 | Romania | 4 | 2018 | |||
| ⠀ | 🇷🇺 | Russia | 8 | 1988-1994, 2016+ | Russia ★★★★★ | |
| 🇷🇸 | Serbia | 7 | 2023 | |||
| 🇸🇰 | Slovakia | 5 | 2023 | |||
| ⠀ | 🇬🇧 | United Kingdom | 7 | 1994-2006/8 | United Kingdom ★★★★ • England ★★★★ / 1996-2006/8 • Northern Ireland ★★★ • Scotland ★★★ / 1994-1996 • Wales ★★★ |
|
| ⠀ | 🇺🇸 | United States | 8 | 2006/8-2016 | United States ★★★★ • California ★★★★★ / 2006/8-2016 • Cascadia ★★★ • Midwest ★★★★ • Mountain ★★★★★ • Northeast ★★★ |
|
| 🌐 | Zuzalu | 10 | 2023 |
| R | 🌐 | 🌆 | CITY/PLACE⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ | ★ | YEAR | notes | Short Review: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⠀CITIES | theseriesmain | ||||||
| 🇩🇪 | Aachen | 7 | 2003 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Aberdeen | 4 | 1994-1996 | ||||
| 🇵🇹 | Albufeira | 7 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇫🇷 | Amiens | 5 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇳🇱 | ⭐ | Amsterdam | 8 | 2022 | good | ||
| 🇧🇪 | Antwerp | 6 | 2003 | ||||
| 🇫🇷 | Arcachon | 7 | ~1998 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Bath | 7 | |||||
| 🇬🇧 | Battle | 6 | 2022 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Belfast | 4 | ~2001 | ||||
| 🇷🇸 | ⭐ | Belgrade | 7 | 2023 | good | ||
| ⠀ | 🇺🇸 | Berkeley | 9 | 2008-2014 | Beautiful city with high concentration of human capital. • Institutions: UC Berkeley • Communities: MIRI HQ; CSSC • Restaurants: Chez Panisse (set menu, designed by Alice Waters); Great China; Gypsy's Court; House of Curries; Turkish Kitchen. |
||
| 🇬🇧 | Blackburn | 4 | often | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Blackpool | 5 | often | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Bolton | 4 | often | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Borovsk | 7 | 2019 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | Boston | 7 | 2013 | good | ||
| 🇷🇴 | Brașov | 4 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇸🇰 | ⭐ | Bratislava | 5 | 2023 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Brighton | 6 | 2019 | ||||
| 🇧🇪 | Brugge | 6 | 2003 | ||||
| 🇧🇪 | ⭐ | Bruxelles | 4 | 2018 | best | ||
| 🇷🇺 | Bryansk | 5 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇷🇴 | ⭐ | Bucharest | 5 | 2018 | good | ||
| 🇭🇺 | ⭐ | Budapest | 6 | 2023 | good | ||
| 🇲🇪 | Budva | 6 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇫🇷 | Calais | 4 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Cambridge | 8 | ~2005 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Canterbury | 8 | 2018 | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇮🇪 | Cashel | 5 | ~2001 | Visit for Rock of Cashel. | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Chatham | 7 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Chester | 7 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | Chicago | 7 | 2013 | best | ||
| ⠀ | 🇬🇧 | Conwy | 6 | 2007 | Visit for Conwy Castle. | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Deal | 6 | 2022 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Dolgoprudny | 6 | 2021 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Dover | 6 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇮🇪 | ⭐ | Dublin | 6 | ~2001, 2006 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Dundee | 4 | |||||
| 🇬🇧 | Durham | 5 | ~2007 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | ⭐ | Edinburgh | 7 | ~1995 | good | ||
| 🇵🇹 | Estoril | 6 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇵🇹 | Faro | 5 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Guildford | 6 | 2017 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Gus-Khrustalny | 5 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇩🇪 | Heidelberg | 8 | 2003 | ||||
| 🇫🇮 | ⭐ | Helsinki | 6 | 2022 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Inverness | 6 | |||||
| 🇷🇺 | Ivanovo | 3 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Kendal | 4 | often | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Klin | 5 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇩🇪 | Köln | 5 | 2003 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Kolomna | 7 | 2017, often | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Kostroma | 3 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇲🇪 | Kotor | 6 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇵🇱 | Kraków | 7 | 2019 | ||||
| 🇵🇹 | Lagos | 5 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Lancaster | 6 | often | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | Las Vegas | 8 | 2013 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Leeds | 5 | |||||
| 🇵🇹 | ⭐ | Lisboa | 8 | 2018 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Liverpool | 5 | often | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇬🇧 | ⭐ | London | 8 | Guide | 2016 / often | best | GUIDE / 2016, 2018, 2019 • Restaurants: The Golden Chippy; The Olde Bank of England. |
| 🇺🇸 | Los Altos | 6 | 2006/8 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | Los Angeles | 7 | 2013 | best | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Lytham St Annes | 4 | often | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Manchester | 4 | often, 2023 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Monterey | 8 | often | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Morro Bay | 7 | often | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇷🇺 | ⭐ | Moscow | 9 | Guide | 1988-1991, 1993-1994, 2016+ | best | GUIDE |
| 🇺🇸 | Mountain View | 8 | often | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Murmansk | 5 | 2021 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | New York | 7 | 2013 | best | ||
| 🇷🇺 | Nizhny Novgorod | 6 | 2020 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Nottingham | 5 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇷🇸 | Novi Sad | 6 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Oakland | 6 | often | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Obninsk | 6 | 2019 | ||||
| 🇵🇱 | Ostrołęka | 6 | 2019 | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇬🇧 | Oxford | 8 | 2016, 2018 | • The Eagle and Child. Bodleian. |
||
| 🇷🇺 | Ozery | 4 | often | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Palo Alto | 7 | often | ||||
| 🇫🇷 | ⭐ | Paris | 7 | ~1998, 2003, 2005, 2023 | best | ||
| ⠀ | 🇬🇧 | Penzance | 6 | Most famous for St Michael's Mount. | |||
| 🇷🇺 | Pereslavl-Zalessky | 5 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Pittsburgh | 4 | 2013 | ||||
| 🇷🇴 | Ploiești | 3 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇲🇪 | ⭐ | Podgorica | 2 | 2023 | good | ||
| 🇵🇹 | Portimão | 7 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | Portland | 6 | 2014 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Portsmouth | 6 | 2016 | ||||
| 🇨🇿 | ⭐ | Prague | 7 | 2023 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Preston | 3 | 1996-2006/8 | ||||
| 🇲🇪 | Radovići | 2 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇷🇴 | Râșnov | 3 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Reading | 6 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇫🇷 | Reims | 8 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Reno | 4 | often | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Richmond | 1 | |||||
| 🇬🇧 | Rochester | 7 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇳🇱 | Rotterdam | 4 | 2022 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Rybinsk | 6 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Sacramento | 3 | 2014 | ||||
| 🇵🇹 | Sagres | 7 | 2018 | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇷🇺 | ⭐ | Saint-Petersburg | 8 | Guide | often | best | GUIDE / 2004, 2017, 2019, 2022 |
| ⠀ | 🇬🇧 | Salisbury | 7 | 2022 | Visit for Stonehenge, Old Sarum, and admire the 123 m spires of Salisbury Cathedral. | ||
| 🇺🇸 | San Diego | 7 | 2013 | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | San Francisco | 8 | often | best | • Restaurants: Samovar (chain); Sheba Piano Lounge |
| 🇺🇸 | San Jose | 7 | often | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | San Leandro | 6 | 20014-2016 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Santa Barbara | 8 | 2006/8, 2013 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | Seattle | 7 | 2014 | good | ||
| 🇬🇧 | Sellafield | 4 | |||||
| 🇷🇺 | Sergiev Posad | 7 | 2019, 2020 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Sheffield | 5 | |||||
| 🇵🇹 | Sines | 4 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇵🇹 | Sintra | 8 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Solvang | 7 | 2006 | ||||
| 🇷🇸 | Sremska Mitrovica | 5 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | St. Albans | 8 | 2019 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Suzdal | 7 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | Tahoe | 7 | often | ||||
| 🇳🇱 | The Hague | 7 | 2022 | ||||
| 🇲🇪 | Tivat | 3 | 2023 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | Torquay | 6 | |||||
| 🇷🇺 | Torzhok | 6 | 2019 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Tver | 6 | 2019 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Uglich | 5 | 2004 | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇷🇺 | Veliky Novgorod | 7 | 2018 | • ZAVOD Bar |
||
| 🇦🇹 | ⭐ | Vienna | 9 | 2023 | good | ||
| 🇷🇺 | Vladimir | 5 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Volokolamsk | 5 | 1991-1993 / 2017, 2019, often | ||||
| 🇵🇱 | ⭐ | Warszawa | 7 | 2019 | good | ||
| 🇺🇸 | ⭐ | Washington D.C. | 6 | 2013 | best | ||
| 🇩🇪 | Worms | 6 | 2003 | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | Yaroslavl | 7 | 2004 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | York | 6 | |||||
| ٴ⠀ PLACES OF INTEREST | theseriesmain | ||||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🏔️ Grampian Mountains | 7 | ~1995, ~1996 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🏔️ Lake District | 6 | often | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🏔️ Snowdonia | 7 | often | ||||
| 🇷🇴 | ٴ🏔️ Transylvania | 9 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇫🇷 | ٴ🏖️ Arcachon Bay | 8 | 1998 | ||||
| 🇵🇹 | ٴ🏖️ The Algarve | 8 | 2018 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🏞️ Giant's Causeway | 5 | ~2001 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🏞️ Isle of Skye | 6 | ~1996 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🏞️ Isles of Scilly | 5 | |||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🏞️ Land's End | 5 | |||||
| 🇺🇸 | ٴ🏞️ Napa Valley | 9 | often | ||||
| 🇷🇺 | ٴ🏞️ Teriberka | 7 | 2021 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ٴ🗿 Fort Ross | 7 | 2015 | ||||
| 🇮🇪 | ٴ🗿 Newgrange | 8 | ~2001 | ||||
| 🇬🇧 | ٴ🗿 Stonehenge | 8 | 2022 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ٴ🚠 Big Sky (MT) | 8 | 2012 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ٴ🚠 Jackson Hole (WY) | 9 | 2011 | ||||
| ⠀ | 🇺🇸 | ٴ🚠 Lake Tahoe | 7 | often | Lake Tahoe is a major ski resort area. • Alpine Meadows ★★★★★ • Homewood ★★★★ • Kirkwood ★★★★ • Northstar ★★★★ • Olympic Valley ★★★★ |
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| 🇺🇸 | ٴ🚠 Park City (UT) | 8 | 2010 | ||||
| 🇫🇷 | ٴ🚠 Val d’Isère | 8 | 2007 | ||||
| 🇺🇸 | ٴ🚠 Winter Park (CO) | 8 | ~2013 |