“Sorry, Sis, not every Kim’s View is an epic landscape at a UNESCO site.”
But the quality of our Kim’s Views has improved dramatically since we first started.
Before you left us in December 2003, you asked us to spread your ashes in three special places; on the beach in Coronado, California, in the mountains near your home in Durango, Colorado, and on grandma and grandpa’s grave in Corydon, Iowa.
When Jimbo (your husband) gave me some of your ashes I thought I’d keep your spirit alive by spreading them around the world.
As a sales manager for a Japanese, high-tech manufacturer in San Diego’s wireless industry, I sourced electronic components from our factories in Japan, Korea, China, and Philippines.
Kim’s View was born on my business trip to Seoul, South Korea in September 2004. I only had one hour of free time before my taxi left for the airport, so I picked the largest green spot on the hotel’s tourist map and hoofed it to Solan Park.
Seoul, South Korea
For the next seven years we scored less-than-spectacular Kim’s Views on my business trips to Asia and Europe.
“My Kim’s View requirements were simple at the time; some place natural, peaceful, and respectful.”
The actual view wasn’t that important, just keeping you fresh in my mind was paramount.
Clark Air Base, Philippines
Shanghai, China
Taipei, Taiwan
We have since scored better Kim’s Views in China, but we need a Kim’s View do-over in Taiwan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
“After one Caribbean cruise, Kim, I learned that I’m not a cruise guy.”
Yes, the food is great and waking up in your next country is a bonus, but when you dock in a small harbor—together with three other cruise ships—the cluster fuck of tourists is unbearable.
Grand Cayman is a perfect example. Ugh!
George Town, Grand Cayman
In December 2011—after catching cubicle fever and fumbling through a break up—I decided to do a test run for a Kim’s-View-in-every-country epic adventure. If I could enjoy backpacking through central America on a shoestring budget, then I could backpack to every country in the world.
My central America experiment was successful, so I spent the next four years preparing for our Kim’s View world tour and—while I still had a steady paycheck—taking vacations to weird, hard-to-get-to places like Kiribati, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, and other south Pacific island-nations.
The only way to get to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands is on United’s “Island Hopper” service from Honolulu.
“Kim’s View is way more than checking countries off a list, but sometimes that’s all it is.”
Because of my limited vacation time and frugal budget I couldn’t stay in Majuro or Pohnpei, so the Kim’s Views of the airport tarmac are among our worst.
Majuro, Marshall Islands
Pohnpei, Micronesia
Since we started our Kim’s View epic adventure in October 2015 we’ve scored some amazing Kim’s Views; these are my top ten favorites.
But I’ve failed to get a great Kim’s View in several places.
Kim’s View in the Maldives looks nothing like the postcard photos; the expensive, honeymoon resorts were above my means and ego-bruising without a girlfriend.
My first choice was at the Malé Friday Mosque—a cool, seventeenth-century mosque built with coral blocks—but the vibe in the surrounding cemetery wasn’t right. Luckily, the Kim’s View from the main island’s beach was acceptable.
Hulhumale, Maldives
“After four months of traveling overland in West Africa, Kim, I had Africa fatigue. “
Burkina Faso is a tough place to travel and it was my base for visiting Mali and Niger.
While taking a bush-taxi to the border with Togo I realized I’d forgotten to get a Kim’s View-Burkinabe. The small village of Nadiagou was better than the urban sprawl at the border.
Nadiagou, Burkina Faso
We had very few choices for a Kim’s View-Congo and my fallback was beach-side in Pointe-Noire, but Diosso Gorge at sunset became our latest “Bottom Ten” Kim’s View.
Diosso Gorge, Congo
