Well, You Can't Work in the U.S.

[Martin Hash]

Travelers Century Club.JPG

After you've been traveling a while you meet people who have to 100+ countries, which seems unobtainable until you've also visited a 100 countries then it doesn't seem like a big deal, but you still want the certificate. The Century Travel Club is the best recognized accrediting organization, and they keep a list of countries to check off to see if you've met your goal. Actually, until I looked at the list, I'd never really cared or thought much about what should count towards my 100-country goal, but in the strange realm of the relative, the list kind of pissed me off. For example, Great Britain is worth 4: England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland, with Ireland & The Shetland Islands for another 2, but the U.S. is only 3: continental, Alaska & Hawaii. I asked my Anglo traveling companion why that would be the case. She said because each of those British subdivisions were nations unto themselves, and the States were not. This I just couldn't let pass.
“Do England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland have their own governments?” I asked.
“Scotland & Wales do, England & Northern Ireland don't,” she answered.
“All of the States have their own government, pass their own laws, and collect their own taxes” I said. “Do they their own military?”
“No,” she said. “They have regiments. Why should they have their own military?”
“Every State has its own military; it's called the National Guard. They fought in the Iraq War,” I replied. “Can doctors, lawyers, engineers & accountants work in any of the subdivisions?”
“Yes.”
“Doctors, accountants, engineers, and attorneys, can only work in the State they licensed in,” I said.
“I'm a CPA and I can work all over the world,” She answered smugly.
“Well, you can't work in the U.S.,” I replied, flatly.
I definitely won that argument; the U.S. should be worth 50 given the same requirements as Britain uses, but that's not the most egregious miscounting: The United Arab Emirates is worth 7!

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