• How To Find Cheap Flights
  • Southeast Asia Railways

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Travel Booking Sites
  • Travel Gear
  • Travel Insurance

New Country Day – the sensation from visiting a country for the first time

October 23, 2009 By James Clark 3 Comments

On October 23, 2009 I arrived in Serbia for the first time via a train from Hungary. It occurred to me when my passport was getting stamped that I can never arrive in Serbia for the first time again. I call this “New Country Day”.

Being in a country for the first time can only officially happen 193 times times in your life, though it depends on what list and country definition you use. “New Country Day” is an extra special travel day. Even though I travel a lot, it’s a different feeling when you arrive in a country for the first time.

I’ve lost count how many times I’ve been to Bangkok, and I’ve found myself half way from the airport in the back of a taxi before thinking about that I’m in another country. When you are in a new country though, all your senses are on full alert. I’m looking at everything around me completely aware of little details, such as the uniforms of the passport control officers, to seeing new country URL’s everywhere (yes of course I would notice that). The language (or accent) is different, and there’s a new currency to deal with (most of the time).

When I’m in the bus or taxi from the airport I put the phone away and pay full attention to my surrounds because this day will not happen again.

That feeling 😊 when you just arrived 🙏 in a new country riding in the backseat of a cab 🚕🎶 from the airport 🛬 to the city center 🌃👌

— Marc Köhlbrugge (@marckohlbrugge) March 3, 2018

Filed Under: Travel Thoughts Tagged With: new country day

Comments

  1. RennyBA's Terella says

    November 1, 2009 at 2:32 am

    I’ve never been there, but as an European I know their variegated history.

    Btw: Thanks for following me at Twitter! I can tell you’re a traveller so I ask you right away: Would you like to join us at the Oslo Blog Gathering 2010?

    Reply
  2. James Clark says

    November 1, 2009 at 5:26 am

    Renny what a fine offer you propose. Truly you are the devil’s advocate. I haven’t planned that far in advance but I will keep the dates in mind.

    I was in Oslo briefly in 2000. I remember the Euro 2000 being on at the time and the bars overflowing with football fans. I would love to go back and see the rest of Norway as well.

    You should give the Oslo Blog gathering a plug at Travel Blog Exchange if you haven’t already.

    Reply
  3. Stephanie says

    November 4, 2009 at 9:39 am

    Enjoy Serbia! I found it a very interesting place, especially coming in as an American right after Kosovo declared Independence. Belgrade is a party city, but I wish I’d seen more outside of their and Novi Sad.

    Also, I love love that new country feeling!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

I’m currently based in Vietnam, writing about transport and infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the free weekly newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Where I’m At: March 2021 – Con Dao edition
  • Notes on Phan Rang–Thap Cham
  • Where I’m At: February 2021 – Saigon edition
  • Da Lat – Trai Mat Railway – A restored heritage railway in Vietnam
  • Notes on Da Lat – The cool mountain city in the Central Highlands of Vietnam
  • Notes on Nha Trang – pandemic edition
  • Where I’m At: January 2021 – Saigon edition
  • Notes on Lao Cai – The provincial capital on the Vietnam-China border
  • Where I’m At: December 2020 – Tam Ky edition
  • Notes on Sapa – Visiting a tourist town without tourists (2020 pandemic edition)
Top 200 Travel Books
Southeast Asia current and proposed railways
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

European Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Featured Travel Sites

Living In Asia

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Digital Nomad Resources

Digital Nomad Resources
Long-term Travel

Travel Resources

Travel Gear
Travel Guides

Travel Blog Resources

Travel Blog Directory
How to start a travel blog

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Search Nomadic Notes

Copyright © 2021 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in