The author’s note on this photo: “I have no idea who this is.” Feature photo: Conscious Vision.
Days since leaving home: 150
Countries: 8
Blisters popped in the bathroom of a train: 2
Makeout sessions in a treehouse: 1
Hours spent on planes: 81
Fantasties about quesadilla grande from Tortilla Flats in NYC 150
Number of upgrades to business class: 3
Chinese meals eaten in Paris over 24 hours: 2
Times gone to grocery store without environmentally-friendly bag purchased specifically for grocery shopping: 11
Times gone to grocery store: 11
Number of people befriended on anti-depression drugs: 4
Scorpion Fish nearly touched: 3
Dollars spent frivolously on sneakers: 160
Tim Patterson
Pictures taken in which it looks like Matador contributor Tim Patterson and I are on our honeymoon: 8
Days that I enjoyed being in India 1.2
Nights slept in India with picture of Jesus present: 7
Imodium Emergencies: 3
Imodium Emergencies Not Handled In time: 1
Times nail-clipper thingy has been bought and lost: 4
Number of Ambien left in a bottle of thirty: 6
Times my mother has figured out how to check her email since I’ve been gone, despite explicit instruction, notes, private tutoring, etc: 0
Subpar pizzas eaten: 6
Hours spent in buses designed for short Asian legs: 18
Times I’ve fantasized about snuffing out a dorm snorer with a pillow: 7 to 20
Girls who have mistakenly hit on me: 7
Girls who have still tried to kiss me even after “the talk”: 2
The statue.
Times a little turned on by a statue: 1
Number of pictures on my camera with people whose names I can’t remember: 12
Number of these people who are friends on Facebook: 10
Number of museums I’ve been to in five months: 5
Longest number of days without shaving: 3
Longest wait for a visa: 5 days
SIM cards purchased: 8
Hours spent looking for Wi-Fi in foreign countries: ∞
Community Connection
For more on Tom’s journey, as well as his epic adventures with Tim Patterson, check out Tim and Tom’s Excellent Adventure, and Whilst Traveling via Eurail.
Have a good “By the Numbers” you’re interested in submitting? Please send to david[at]matadornetwork[dot]com.