Gone are the days when travel was simply a holiday from work—these days, it’s a bonafide ambition. There’s the Travel Channel’s new series, 1,000 Things to Do Before You Die (looks like they came up with a few additions to their original 99 Things to Do Before You Die), a slew of websites devoted to “must” lists, and increasing buzz about the ultimate one-up in the race to see the best, travel the farthest, and do the most. But there’s something to be said for the surprises—the travel experiences that aren’t just mileposts in a lifelong race. Whether you find them off the beaten path or on, it’s the unexpected discoveries among all those checkpoints that make travel an ambition worth pursuing.