Welcome to the Questboard 🌍✨
This is an ongoing tool, I truly believe it will always be changing. Even the name, Bucket List, Dream List, Side Quests Log – You call yours, as whatever you like to call it! – The important thing is the meaning of those things to you.
“The Questboard”, “The notebook”, “That special whiteboard” were born not just from wanting to escape a life that didn’t feel mine, but for the size and the amount of my dreams themselves, since I was a kid,
I longed to see the world, but more than that —
I was curious about all the unknown possibilities waiting out there.
It started simply: scribbles on notebooks, sketches on a whiteboard. I began writing down my daydreams, then chasing them. Along the way, I discovered something powerful:
You don’t always know what you’re looking for… until it finds you.
(I talk a litle more about it in “The Paradox of the Unplanned: Why the Best Travel Moments Aren’t Planned”)
Passions, sports, skills, foods, people, places, ideas — so many of my favorites today weren’t even on my radar before. That’s the magic of self-discovery.
Us mesmerized by sunset at Dún Mór Cliffs, Inishboffin, Co. Galway, Ireland – by Jesse James Johnson
I left on what I thought was a single quest, and quickly realized I was stepping into a lifetime quest.
This is the visual heart of that journey. a living map of curiosity, courage, and connection.
Some quests are done. Some are still in motion. Others are waiting for their moment.
Together, they are the trail markers of a life built with intention.
Us about to summit at Acatenango Volcano, Guatemala
Honest Reflections,
At the very beginning, I can confess to you that I wasn’t necessarily sure of all the things I wanted; however, I was certain of all the things I didn’t want to be… What’s relevant about this is, it’s okay to not know what your wishes are, or your dreams… What I feel it’s not okay is not exploring options of what those could be, sometimes, if you don’t search, you would never know! – Trust me, I know it’s hard to not know yourself and let you be in circumstances that you want to be different.
Istanbul, Turkey
Second reflection to share,
At the beginning, I didn’t know what I was doing, NOT AT ALL,
However, years after I built some “ideas frame” to actually describe the meaning of what I was doing, in a way of feeling alive, valuing all experiences, good and bad, taking lessons and trying more than anything to be present and aware of this opportunity to be alive…
In case it is useful for this, it started to look like this:
I started thinking of it like layers,
Main Quest 🌟 (Yep, the A lifetime quest)
As the overarching pursuit with transformative weight.
Give life’s travel arc direction. Life-shaping.
“Reinvent my life through travel and storytelling.”Side Quests 🌀
All those optional missions that build skills, memories, or perspective.
Smaller, but still can open a whole set of unknown possibilities, still life-shaping.
“Improvise and go to the Galapagos.” Learn to cook with a Turkish Grandma.”Journeys 🗺️
Paths you walk through, which can exist inside or outside of a Quest.
“Explore Spain from South to North with our foreign Family✨.”
Every quest is a journey, but not every journey is a quest.
And often you don’t even know it at first…Bucket List Items & Moments ✨
Quick wins, magi moments, memorable sights, or experiences you dreamed of since childhood.
Are the flashes of wonder you collect along the way, treasures in your pocket.
“See whales,” “Celebrate Konigsdag,” “See Harpy Eagle.” “Take my mom to see Europe🧡”.
-At the end, is all about making your own story…
Making it one you are grateful to live in-
Sivri Tepe, Egirdir Lake, Turkey
Photo by Lorena Salazar
Dani, Joa, Esteban, Me & Lore, Aín, Valencia, Spain
Photo by Jesse James Johnson
Sea Lions, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Photo by Jesse James Johnson
My Mom & Lore, Sevilla, Spain
Photo by Jesse James Johnson
Some things are milestones that lid the memories, some are journeys, some are side quests,
and most of them will forever shape who I am… And sometimes it’s hard,
but sometimes it’s also packed with beautiful moments.
Some small detours I considered minor side quests,
can absolutely transform life as I knew and start becoming part of the main quest…
These are part of my life, I’d love to remember. (Yes, like the Avicii’s song, “The Nights”)
“To live a life you will remember”…
Isn’t about collecting stamps or checking boxes.
It’s about honoring those moments when movement turns into meaning.
When the world doesn’t just change around you, it changes within you.
So now that you know a bit of how I let experiences and travel shape the road as a compass,
Let’s see more memories of it, some ongoing journeys, and some future marks that are in my mind…
Take into consideration,
This is all merging and flowing in my head, so there are different ways to see it.
The following is purely by “Status”:
Last updated on: February 20th 2026
✅ Done |
|---|
- Stay in Island only with local people.🇵🇦🇮🇪
- Visit more than 15 islands of my country.
- Completely change career.
- Take my Mom to a country we don’t know nothing about.🇧🇿
- See whales🇵🇦
- Celebrate Konigsdag🇳🇱🧡
- Swim with stingrays🇰🇾🇧🇿
- Work an unusual job in another country🇧🇦🇦🇱🇧🇬🇹🇷🇨🇿
- Visit Galapagos Islands🇪🇨
- Visit 35 countries before 35
- Live with a local family for a month 🇧🇪
- Learn a new language by immersion🇵🇹🇧🇷
- Work in anything related to the food business
- Work in a farm🇵🇹🇧🇪
- See Bears🇽🇰
- Go on a 10KM hike or longer deep into the forest, don’t crossing with other humans.🇧🇬
- Be in a remote island, and be part of the staff of one of the few business there.🇮🇪
- Go to the coast in Albania🇦🇱
- Cross to a new continent and flow without a route.
- See Condor🇪🇨
- Hike and see an active Volcano🌋 🇬🇹
- Visit Machu Picchu🇵🇪
- Explore Transylvania🇷🇴
- Explore West of Ireland🇮🇪
- Take my Mom to Europe
- Witness a rare cultural ritual or ceremony respectfully.🇬🇹🇵🇪🇹🇷
- Explore North of Spain
- Participate from an Art Event🇭🇷
- Have a role speaking to youth🇨🇿
- Live a year without a fixed address.
🔄 Ongoing |
|---|
✨Future |
|---|
- Learn a 4th Language
- Visit Baltic Countries 🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹
- Visit South Caucasus 🇦🇲🇬🇪🇦🇿
- Follow the Steps of a Pirate
- See Harpy Eagle in the Wild
- Create travel documentary🎥
- Scuba Diving Certification🤿
- Cross an entire continent without taking a flight.
- Spend a season following a river from source to sea.
- Learn to cook a dish with a Mediterranean Nonna👵🏼
- Learn to cook a dish with Caribbean Grandma👵🏼
- Travel with My Sisters
- Camino de Santiago
- See Orangutans
- Visit Skellig Islands
- Explore Albanian Mountains
- Learn to play an Ukelele
- Retrace an old trade route.
- Visit every country in one cultural region
- Journey through a borderland where two worlds meet.
- Create portraits of 100 people who shaped your journey.
- Produce a short documentary in each region visited.
- Write a letter to your future self from every country.
- Take my mom to Turkey & Greece
- Share 100 micro travel stories on video.
- Track 10 iconic species in their wild habitat.
- Document a journey entirely in sketches.
- Live in every continent for at least 6 months.
- Build own travel-inspired project (NGO, company, or creative hub).
- Collect stories of resilience from locals and publish them.
- Collect stories of resilience from people who went on journeys and quests.
- Learn animation.
All of this used to be flowing and happening only in my whiteboard, notebook, and, well, my head.
Now is the first time I’m trying to condense and let it be seen.
I might have hundreds of different stories, adventures, and bucket list wishes,
All of this would keep changing, trying to improve ideas on how to see these dreams and goals.
Nevertheless, my only priority for now,
is to have more in the lists between the -future and the ongoing-, than what is done…
Remember, these are just ways of portraying ideas
You can see yours, in whatever way makes sense to your own path.
Now, another way to think about it is just by pure geographic or cultural wish.
You might not know what you want to do, but maybe you know exactly what country you want to visit…
It could be out of nowhere, or after a movie, or it could be a child’s dream…
The last time I was speaking with my Armenian friend Ruby, I got to think deeply about this question:
“If you could go to any country in the world right now, what would you choose?”
This is a top 10 Countries I would go to
if I have to choose right now♥️✨
Armenia🇦🇲
Photo by Aleksandr Popov via Unsplash
Faroe Island🇫🇴
Photo By Flavio via Unsplash
Uzbekistan🇺🇿
Photo by AXP Photography via Pexels
Georgia🇬🇪
Photo by Iman Gozal via Unsplash
Barbados🇧🇧
Photo by Kathryn Maingoat via Unsplash
Tunisia🇹🇳
Photo by Noelle Guirola via Unsplash
Japan🇯🇵
Photo by Satoshi Hirayama via Pexels
Vietnam🇻🇳
Photo by Arnie Chou via Pexels
Bolivia 🇧🇴
Photo by Alain Bonnardeux via Unsplash
Iceland🇮🇸
Photo by Josh Reid via Unsplash
Last updated on: February 20th 2026
Last Explored – El Salvador🇸🇻
The last country I visited that was part of the list above was El Salvador! We recently spent 2 weeks in El Salvador, we did a complete loop in the Southwestern side of the country, covering completely different types of places – From Lakes to Volcanoes, from Magic Colorful Towns to thriving cities that preserve history and blend with a modern twist. From Coffee Culture to Surfer Vibes, few places can pack so much in such a compact territory. We are extremely happy to have a chance to see another Latinamerican country, with so many loving people and stories to be heard.
It feels extraordinary. You can check more about our 2-3 week experience in El Salvador here.
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley
Last updated on: September 30th 2025
Previously Explored – Peru🇵🇪
The last country I visited that was part of the list above was Peru! Since childhood, it had always carried a mythical weight in my imagination, a land of lost cities, ancient empires, and epic landscapes.
It is one of those destinations that I’ve been intrigued by all my life! The experience exceeded every expectation. Peru is a country that overflows with wonder. Its culture, gastronomy, nature, and history are layered and rich, while its landscapes often feel like they belong to another world entirely. It’s a place that doesn’t just look spectacular, it feels extraordinary. You can check more about our 2-3 week experience in Peru here.
“Eventually, what started with small adventures on that list turned into bigger ones.”
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This is A Lifetime Quest — and maybe it’s yours too.
Thanks for joining, Thanks for reading! See you soon
And go for it!
Peace