World Map Cork Board – A Fun Travel Tracker
When I first laid eyes on what I’d later transform into my “Wanderlust” Globe, I knew I wanted a travel theme sprinkled around my office. Although I have done some globetrotting and roadtripping, there is a whole wide world I am yet to explore. I really wanted to create a travel tracker board of sorts to note the places I’ve been to and bucket list destinations. And it all started with the massive world map cork board.
World Map Cork board
At first, I just wanted some kind of a unique world map, but I only decided that this one was perfect when I found the listing on (of course) Facebook Marketplace.
I loved the idea of bringing in cork as a natural texture into the room. Also, country names written in outlines of each countryI looked fun. But I was the ginormous size that really sold me – a whopping 4.5ftx3ft!!! This map came with a wooden backing and it barely fit in the back of my Civic. But I managed to get it home and quickly hung it on the wall using probably way too many Command strips.
Pushpins as ticks on the travel checklist
After sticking the map to the wall, I needed to decide how to make the travel tracker a reality. I wanted to mark countries and US states I’d already visited and also pinpoint the places at the top of my bucket list. So I went on a search for the perfect pushpins to make it happen.
Country flags
I found these round pushpins with country flags and thought – Yup, that’s it! The set has 194 flags, more countries than I will ever get to in my lifetime, but it’s good to have options, right? And I am very happy with the quality of these little markers.
The only pain point is that the list of flags is not in alphabetical order and it took me a bit of time to locate some of them. But then again, I had fun looking through them all. As was placing them on the map.
US states vintage pins
Initially, I looked for similar flag pins for US states, but I figured it would be too much of the same thing. And to be honest, besides California, Kansas and maybe Arizona, I have no idea what the other state flags look like. But they are a nice option, too!
And I wanted something a little more fun, like these pins shaped like their respective states with their state flag AND name!
Or even more fun, like vintage lapel pins. Who says you have to wear them! But apparently, they are not cheap, and I wish I had this idea when I used to see them at estate sales. However, I found a smaller pack of vintage state pins on Mercari and snatched it as my starter collection.
From here, I will patiently collect them on my thrifting adventures. I mean, how cute are these???
Yes, they are a bit on the chunkier side, but that is ok. So far I have visited almost 20 states, just need to find pins for them. If it gets crowded on the map, I will have to get creative. For now, I love the way they look.
Bucket list darts
And then there are the destination I want to visit and are high on my travel bucket list. To mark some of the spots in the world I used these adorable dart pushpins I’ve had for years.
And I am pretty happy with my progress on the map, but I need to work on adding more experiences!
This cork map is a work in progress, just like my travel is and I cant’t wait to add more destinations to my fun travel tracker! How do you document and track your travel?
