I've Now Been to All 50 States!

This post has been a quarter century in the making. As an adventure-seeking teenager, when my grandparents declared they'd seen all 50 states, I decided I'd see "50 by 50." I figured it was a good round number, shooting to lasso the U.S.A. by my half-century mark. I never would have guessed I'd cut that time frame in half, making it to 50 states at 25!

Two weekends ago I boarded a plane from Salt Lake City to Boston, just a quick bus/train ride to Rhode Island, my last state to see. My Ryan, bogged down with homework (drat that semester-end crunch!), wasn't able to join me, but lucky me he's so supportive of my big dreams.

A sampling of my USA postcard collection All Rights Reserved Crystalee Beck

On this quick weekend tour, I enjoyed the company of two brainy academics. Flying to Boston, I made acquaintance with a remarkable M.I.T. double-doctorate and we chatted the entire 33,000 feet journey, topics ranging from mountaineering, the value of simplicity, economics, and the changing social media scene. A true professor, he challenged my geography knowledge with a kicker trivia question, which took me a laughable USA sketch, one"poll a passenger," and 45 minutes to figure out:

Which states start with the same letter as their capital city?
(Can you guess them? Hint: 4 states fit this category - try not to cheat with a map! )

When I arrived in Boston, I hunted for the Amtrak train. I love the interwoven nature of the East Coast, easy-to-reach nearby states by public transportation. On a spontaneous whim, I bypassed the train, instead boarding a bus marked for "Providence," where I met my next new friend. The French physicist who sat by me was visiting the states for his bi-annual research meetings with his colleague at Brown University, in Providence, R.I. He was kind to tell me about the city and point out some of the main downtown buildings. Although a foreigner, he related to my states quest, as he'd once been an 18-year-old hitchhiker across the country.

Learned in my 50 states journey:

• People, more than places, are true treasures. Everyone has a a unique, interesting story.
• Our country boasts an incredible spread of cityscapes, landscapes, flora and fauna. This is one gorgeous nation.
• There's always more to see, and although I can claim time in each state, it would take more than a lifetime to really know each state.
• Having an overall plan, but going with the flow, makes trips (and life) more sweet

What now? I'm planning to write up vignettes of my 50 states journeys, and hopefully get an editorial article published. We'll see how that goes....