A solo traveler from Australia who has checked over 50 countries off her bucket list has finally narrowed down the seven that left a lasting impression - presumably so she can stop being asked about it at parties.

Mongolia won points for its dramatic architecture in Ulaanbaatar and the Gobi Desert, where she spent weeks living off the grid with nomadic families, braving extreme winds, dry heat, snow, and temperatures below negative 5 degrees Fahrenheit. The lack of crowds and intermittent cell reception, she reports, allowed her to truly live in the moment - something most of us manage just fine during a Netflix outage.

Bolivia kept her on her toes with backpacking, cable cars high above La Paz (despite a fear of heights), and traditional fashion featuring layered skirts, shawls, and bowler hats. The country felt raw, colorful, and unlike anywhere else in South America, which is high praise from someone who has seen a lot of raw, colorful places.

Ethiopia became a favorite thanks to kind locals and incredible hikes, including a 1,000-foot-high cliff climb to Abuna Yemata Guh - without a harness or shoes. She also visited the Danakil Depression, often called 'Mars on Earth,' with active volcanoes and temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit, proving that hostile environments make for great Instagram content.

In Guatemala, she hiked to see Volcán de Fuego erupt right in front of her - one of Central America's most active volcanoes - and recovered at Lake Atitlán, surrounded by three volcanoes, yoga retreats, and delicious food. It's the kind of recovery that makes a spa day look pathetic.

Nepal greeted her with pouring rain in Kathmandu, but the vibrant streets and a six-day trek to Annapurna Base Camp rewarded her with blue skies and Himalayan peaks. She recommends it for everyone's bucket list, assuming they enjoy rain and multiday hikes.

South Korea impressed her as a safe, clean destination for solo female travelers, with standout shopping at Olive Young and an iced latte from Malic Coffee in Seoul that she's still dreaming about. The Starfield Library, housing roughly 50,000 books, also made the cut.

Uzbekistan offered a cultural mashup of Asia, the Middle East, and Russia, with cuisine ranging from Russian Borscht to Middle Eastern pilaf to lagman. Traveling down the Silk Road, she says, felt like stepping onto a film set - which is probably cheaper than actual film production.