By the time you read this column, I will have accomplished a major feat. No, I’ve not taken up marathon running. Honestly, walking around the block makes me sweat. And no, I haven’t written the book I swore I would. Though I do have a fine collection of blank notebooks waiting for me to write a word … any word. My feat will be visiting all 50 states! Yes, as you read this, I’ll be boarding a cruise liner in Juneau and heading down the coast of Alaska with lots of stops along the way. I’m both excited and apprehensive. I’ve only been on one cruise, and it resulted in a 10-pound weight gain and a horrible case of claustrophobia! Let’s hope this is different!
How did I manage this amazing accomplishment? Prior to my career as the writer of this column, I had a more traditional career. I worked in the financial services industry for a firm that had offices in all 50 states plus two other countries. My work included traveling around and giving seminars to both investment professionals and clients. Yes, I was paid to talk! It was a great gig because, well, I am just vain enough to like the sound of my own voice!
So what have I learned as I cross this great country? Some really basic stuff like two days in Wyoming in January will make you never complain about the cold in St. Louis again. Some of the nicest and friendliest people live in Iowa, especially when you are lost. Driving through West Virginia scared me to death since people kept warning me not to pull my car off the road and wander into the ‘holla.’ I didn’t know what the ‘holla’ was, and no one ever said what would happen if I did. I also learned that nearly every town had a cafe that offered the best breakfast you could find. I also found I have an awful sense of direction, was always unprepared for the weather and am not an adventurous eater. No alligator for me, even in the bayou of Louisiana. This country is wild, weird and wonderful, and my journey across all fifty states proved that.
The people I met were what stood out … about as much as I did as I toddled around in my high heels on gravel roads. People are kind. No one was ever rude, mean spirited or made assumptions about me because I was dressed in a business suit and spoke with an accent. No one ever asked me my political or religious beliefs, and no one seemed to judge me for anything other than being a little lost.
Sure, there were hotels that creeped me out—especially the one where I found a man in my bed who wasn’t there at my invitation. Just a simple room key screw up. I am overwhelmed by the beauty and kindness this country offers and am quite proud to say I’ve seen it all. Well maybe not all of it, but let me enjoy my accomplishment! Here’s hoping you too get a chance to meet the people and see the beauty that this country has to offer. Happy traveling my peeps!