It’s getting more difficult to amass 5 new countries each year…it is uncommon now to get more than one in a single trip. This year with tickets purchased already for the remaining months, I will have managed to do it: Lebanon (had I done proper research, might have flown or ferried to Cyprus), Dominican Republic ( in order to fly to Haiti I would have had to fly back to NYC!), Bhutan, Ethiopia and Azerbaijan (could not go through land borders when I was in Georgia or Armenia).

    still to come: Bhutan, Ethiopia and Azerbaijan