50 States in 46 Years, 9 Months
When I was going into 5th grade, my mom taught summer school at Burdge Elementary in Beloit, WI and decided that my sisters and I should take her class on the United States. At the time in the summer of 1990, it felt a little unfair, but also typical of a teacher’s daughter.
We memorized all 50 states, capitals, geography, and random facts. To this day, I can still sing the “fifty nifty United States” song with gusto, much to Denise and Benny’s dismay. Looking back, it feels a like my 10 year old summer school Mel self was foreshadowing.
This month in June 2026, at age 46 years and 9 months, I finally visited all 50 states.
The last one was Vermont.
There wasn’t a grand finish line. No parade. No fireworks. Just Burlington, the Green Mountains, and a family trip that happened to complete a goal I didn’t even realize I’d been working toward.
The first 42 or so states happened naturally through family trips, so many colleges, conferences, moving across the country, road trips, housesitting adventures, and the love of movement. The final 7–8 states were completed with Denise and Benny, which somehow made it more meaningful.
What follows isn’t a travel guide. It’s a collection of memories attached to places. Some states changed my life. Some surprised me. Some I loved. A few I never need to see again. But every one of them has a story.
Alabama – June 2025 drove down to the TN/AL stateline when staying in Nashville. Never realized that Nashville and Huntsville were only three hours away. Stopped to eat at a local greasy spoon diner, talked to a local about the storm the night before and the pepper shaker, read my book that felt mildly subversive because it had gay content, and drove through some of the rural areas. Alabama reminded me that some of the best travel memories happen over diner coffee in the Heart of Dixie.
Alaska – Once in 1999 because my college friend lived there and invited me to visit the summer after our freshman year. Fly fishing. Are and filleted my own salmon. Clean air. Turquoise water. Then back in summer 2023 with Denise for her midwife conference. Alaska truly earns its reputation as The Last Frontier—ironically it was one of my first frontiers to visit because my friend was from there.
Arizona – 2000 on another band trip. Played at various venues. Didn’t get to see the Grand Canyon due to weather, so may have to go back 😉. Arizona still owes me a proper visit to the Grand Canyon State’s biggest attraction.
Arkansas – Road trip in 2011 to New Orleans. Arkansas was one of those states that quietly connected me to another adventure without asking for much.
California – First plane trip for my Augsburg College band tour in San Francisco in 1999. First place I saw two women kiss. Remember Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf. Then Back in 2003 with my sisters—loved the MMoCA and riding our bikes (not e-bikes then) across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. Then back in 2009 for a conference—stayed in an Art Deco Airbnb and loved the square, Little Italy, and walking the entire city. Back again in 2022 for the GLMA conference—first time biking through the big-ass park and back across the bridge. LA in May 2025 and May 2026. California always feels like five completely different states hiding inside the Golden State.
Colorado – Denver in 2004 on a road trip with a friend’s family, but had to return in the middle of the night because of my dad’s kidney transplant. Back again in 2012 for my first AERA conference. The best Colorado experience was actually driving through southern Colorado in 2010 near the New Mexico border. I like the red mountains of the Southwest better than the Rockies. Colorado taught me that even in Colorful Colorado, I apparently prefer red rocks to the quintessential snow-capped Rockies.
Connecticut – Met in Hartford at a little brewery to see my friend in 2018 who lived in Boston. I was staying in New Jersey with another friend, and Hartford was halfway between Boston and NYC, so it seemed like the perfect meeting spot. Connecticut may be small, but it turned out to be the perfect crossroads state.
Delaware – Around 2009 went to Rehoboth Beach and stayed at a gay-owned B&B right on the water. Delaware has some of the best beaches—and cleaner than NY and MD. The First State spent the entire trip quietly showing off while nobody seemed to notice.
Florida – Least favorite state. Drove to Daytona Beach in 2004—my first experience with Waffle House. Crashed a friend’s hotel where they were grading AP English exams. Later helped a friend of a friend move from Maryland to Florida by driving their U-Haul. Key West for our honeymoon in 2015. Miami for a Men in Nursing conference in 2017, probably my favorite Florida city. Then Tampa in 2021 to visit my sister, where we swam with manatees and Benny got scared, which somehow led to Disney World because it was nearby. I would have never gone to Florida just for Disney. The Sunshine State has received more chances from me than most people in my life, and somehow we’re still not a match.
Georgia – Went to Savannah in 2013 and loved the Southeast. The city felt like walking through a museum for miles. Also drove through Atlanta multiple times en route to Florida. I remember how thick the forests felt compared to the Midwest. Georgia’s combination of moss-covered history and endless trees made the Peach State feel like a world of its own.
Hawaii – Took the opportunity to present at NCORE in May 2024. Stayed at the Moana Surfrider right on the ocean. Definitely haunted. One of the fanciest places I’ve ever stayed, complete with a pool, beach, veranda, beautiful people, and incredible views. I’ll never forget Hawaii 2024. The Aloha State is one of the few places that somehow exceeds the postcard.
Idaho – Road-tripped to Seattle twice—once in 2001 and again in 2017. I remember barely being able to see the sky because the mountains were so high outside the car window. Idaho reminded me that sometimes the drive itself is the destination in the Gem State.
Illinois – The first state I ever visited outside Wisconsin—LOL. Chicago, of course, but I also lived in Normal, Illinois, surrounded by cornfields while earning my master’s degree at Illinois State from 2003-05. Flat enough that biking was even easier than Wisconsin. Now I own a cottage in Galena and have fallen in love with historic river towns. The Land of Lincoln somehow became both a launching pad and a second home.
Indiana – From 2005 through 2009 I drove through Gary and Indianapolis multiple times en route to Maryland and everywhere east. Truly a drive-through state more than any other of the fifty. Indiana’s greatest contribution to my travel story may be existing between Wisconsin and places I was trying to reach.
Iowa – Driven through and stayed at Iowa State a few times while visiting my former graduate advisor in 2012 and then again for a Big Ten meeting in 2022. Of course, there’s Dubuque, only twenty minutes from our Galena cottage. I love the rolling hills as you head west and the increasingly bigger skies. Iowa reminded me that the Hawkeye State is far prettier than most people give it credit for.
Kansas – In 2019 I visited Denise’s hometown of St. Mary, Kansas (not to be confused with Kansas City, Missouri). Totally understand why tornadoes happen here 😉. I’ll never forget pulling over on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere Kansas to make out with Denise. The Sunflower State unexpectedly became part romance novel and part weather warning.
Kentucky – The Appalachian Mountains were actually prettier than I expected in Kentucky. I’ve driven through Louisville and other locations multiple times traveling back and forth between Maryland and North Carolina. Kentucky reminded me that the Bluegrass State has a lot more mountains than grass.
Louisiana – I’ll never forget the long-ass highway we drove to get to New Orleans in 2011 for a conference. My dad had died a few months earlier and I needed to get out of the region. Louisiana is truly a marsh—you would never fully appreciate it flying in, but driving? Miles and miles of houses on stilts. Loved staying in the B&B and of course Bourbon Street.
Maine – Cat-sitting gig in Yarmouth, Maine, in 2023 in a house in a meadow that they built themselves. We went up and down the coast with Denise and Benny. Beautiful beaches, college towns, but I didn’t like the lobster 😉. My favorite part of the Northeast. Maine’s nickname, Vacationland, is surprisingly accurate.
Maryland – 2005-09 lived in Baltimore for four years. I even started watching The Wire when we lived in Bolton Hill, only a few blocks from where they filmed it. Then moved to Roland Park—still Baltimore City proper. Found my love of teaching here at community colleges, got an education as a “nice” white lady from Wisconsin, and brought back my co-parent Rae. There would never be a Benny without Baltimore, Maryland. Also loved Annapolis and all the communities around DC. Maryland’s nickname is America in Miniature, but somehow it contained some of the biggest turning points of my life.
Massachusetts – Boston conference in 2017. Loved the history here. It somehow seemed even older than Maryland (because it is LOL). Went back in 2023 while driving up the Northeast coast. Massachusetts made me appreciate why the Bay State takes its history so seriously.
Michigan – Drove through Lansing and stopped at a local diner and some graffiti art on the way to Toronto. Didn’t realize how close Michigan is to Toronto until I actually made the drive. Michigan reminded me that the Great Lakes State is bigger—and closer to Canada—than it looks on a map.
Minnesota – Lived in Minneapolis for five years—four in college and one as a barista at the downtown Barnes & Noble Starbucks. One of my favorite cities in the country. Clean, artsy, and community-oriented. When I visited Augsburg for the first time in 1998, I knew I wanted to go there. After visiting ten more schools across the Midwest, I still chose Minneapolis and Augsburg. The Land of 10,000 Lakes is where I became an adult.
Mississippi – Did not realize how rural this state truly is. Beautiful swampy forests and not nearly as hot as I expected when I road-tripped there in March 2011. Mississippi quietly challenged every stereotype I had about the Magnolia State.
Missouri – Took a trip to St. Louis in middle school—one of my first trips out of Wisconsin—and have driven through many times since 😉. Funny how some states become part of your story not because they’re the destination, but because they quietly connect so many of the places you’re trying to go. Missouri has always been that state for me—the Show-Me State.
Montana – One of the best true western states. It took eight hours on I-90—the longest state! Not only big skies but breathtaking mountains and ranches. I’ll never forget a small diner on the railroad tracks in Billings. Montana’s Big Sky Country slogan sounds cheesy until you’ve actually driven across it. Four times.
Nebraska – Thought it would be just another Midwest state like Indiana or Ohio while driving to Colorado and New Mexico, but western Nebraska starts to feel like the actual West—tumbleweeds, railroads, and beautiful skies. Unexpected beauty. Somewhere in western Nebraska, the Midwest quietly becomes the West. It reminded me why road trips beat flying every single time—you notice where the landscape begins to change.
Nevada – Las Vegas layover in 2003, but we literally ran through the airport and I didn’t even miss the slot machines. Still didn’t count it because my feet weren’t really on the ground, so in July 2024 I drove from Utah to a border town and, sure enough, there were casinos LOL. But the real surprise was the Bonneville Salt Flats. We bought jewelry from an Indigenous vendor at a lonely roadside stop, then looked out to see a man playing baseball miles out on the salt flats—nothing but white in every direction. It was one of the strangest, most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. Nevada reminded me that the Silver State is about so much more than Las Vegas.
New Hampshire – Drove through to visit a little café that used to be a house more than 200 years old. Felt like going back in time. Loved the small coastal towns between Massachusetts and Maine. New Hampshire made the Granite State feel surprisingly warm and welcoming.
New Jersey – Stayed with a friend in 2018 and even did hot yoga in a random neighborhood. Also stayed in a hotel in Elizabeth because it was right next to the train into NYC 😊. New Jersey reminded me that the Garden State is far more interesting than its reputation suggests.
New Mexico – My absolute favorite place in the United States. First drove there in 2010 for a photography show in Santa Fe. Stayed in Taos with wild horses, a pueblo town, and a little bed-and-breakfast. Loved the Rio Grande and enchanted forests. Back again in 2019 with Denise for another road trip. Totally different than flying into Albuquerque. Will go back again. And again. Spiritual grounds. The Land of Enchantment is the only state slogan that feels completely earned.
New York – Went to NYC when I was 16 in 1996 on a band trip and loved it. Slept in churches, went to my first NY Broadway, REAL delis. Returned multiple times while living in Baltimore since it was only a few hours away. Won’t forget New Year’s Eve 2018 at a queer party in Brooklyn warehouse.. One of the best cities in the world. New York somehow manages to live up to most of the hype in the Empire State.
North Carolina – Been to Asheville several times—one of my favorite mountain towns. Stayed both in town and in the mountains. Also completed my first Trusted Housesitters gig while road-tripping between jobs in 2013 and again in 2023. North Carolina was First in Flight and one of the first mountain states I truly fell in love with.
North Dakota – Truly one of the flattest states. Maybe even flatter than Illinois because at least Illinois has more people. I drove through for four hours in the middle of the night on the way to Seattle and saw exactly two semis both directions LOL. Fargo is pretty much the claim to fame. North Dakota is proof that “wide open spaces” can become an entire state personality.
Ohio – Interesting vibe when driving between Maryland and Wisconsin. It definitely feels like an in-between state—not quite East Coast but not quite Midwest either. Even the drivers seem confused. I remain completely baffled by Ohio. The Buckeye State remains one of the great unsolved mysteries of my travel career.
Oklahoma – Route 66 for the win here. One of my favorite states that is not considered West. Drove through a few times en route to Texas and New Mexico. Every time I cross Oklahoma, I know I’m getting closer to my favorite part of the country. The Sooner State always feels like the beginning of something.
Oregon – Portland in 2012. Visited my sister’s friend and remember Powell’s bookstore and blueberry picking. A LOT of blueberries. Oh, and the waterfall pic of Multnomah Falls that was a framed poster from my room in middle and high school—I actually got to see it. Oregon somehow managed to combine books, blueberries, and waterfalls into a very successful advertisement for the Beaver State.
Pennsylvania – First time in 1996 on a bus – I started to see the pine trees on the mountains in the rain in the middle of the night and fell in love with travel right then and there., Then back in 2003 on another bus for the Women’s March on the way to DC. My favorite trip was Amish Country in 2008 for my birthday—not even Philly or Pittsburgh! Back to Philadelphia in 2017 and 2026 for NADOHE and, of course, found a hot yoga place in a warehouse. Apparently that’s a recurring theme. Pennsylvania taught me that the Keystone State is often best experienced between the major cities on and off the 95 corridor.
Rhode Island – Stopped in Providence with Benny and Denise in 2023. Didn’t realize how much of a “big city” it would feel like compared to some of the New Hampshire towns. Of course, we supported a local Black-owned diner for lunch. Rhode Island proved that the Ocean State may be tiny, but it doesn’t think small.
South Carolina – Drove through in 2007 to help a friend move down the coast. Felt very similar to Georgia and less like North Carolina. I remember South Carolina less for one destination than for the feeling of driving its coast. Sometimes that’s enough. The Palmetto State doesn’t need to compete with its neighbors.
South Dakota – Another unexpected surprise. We took Kamala, our new trailer, out here in summer 2020 because we couldn’t stay in hotels. Stayed at a family campground the entire time and had a blast, including swimming in nearby hot springs. Benny, Denise, and I had an amazing trip. Custer State Park (which should be a national park) had mountain climbing, buffalo safaris, and some of our favorite family memories. We were going to make it to Yellowstone in Wyoming but never got there. South Dakota may be known as the Mount Rushmore State, but Custer State Park stole the show.
Tennessee –Drove to Nashville for a conference in 2004. This is when I really started enjoying solo road trips. Back to Nashville again in 2025 to pet sit three amazing dogs in a country home outside the city with Denise and Benny. Tennessee helped launch both my love of road-tripping and my tendency to randomly end up caring for other people’s animals. The Volunteer State has been surprisingly good to me.
Texas – Austin for our babymoon in early 2014. Great food trucks and surprisingly good swimming. Loved downtown Austin. The city is growing so fast that the highways seem to be reproducing. Amarillo, though, was my favorite Route 66 experience in Texas. Back again in 2022—twice—to White Sands and to visit my sister in El Paso. Everything really is bigger in Texas, including the amount of time it takes to get anywhere in the Lone Star State.
Utah – Made a special trip to Salt Lake City and stayed in Park City to dog sit in July 2024. Loved touring the Winter Olympic village with Benny, driving through the mountains, and getting to live like a local for a few days. Utah made “Life Elevated” feel less like a slogan and more like an accurate description.
Virginia – Mostly Alexandria because of its proximity to DC. I didn’t realize just how close it was to Washington until I lived in the Mid-Atlantic region. Virginia made me realize how different the Mid-Atlantic feels from the Midwest, where crossing a state line usually means you’ve actually gone somewhere.
Washington – Seattle in 2001 and again in 2024 for a conference. Also flew out to Seattle briefly in 2017 to drive my sister’s car back across the country. Visited Spokane on my first trip as well. The western part of the state is definitely better. Pike Place Market felt very different in 2024 than it did in 2001. Like many cities after COVID, there were fewer people and the energy felt different. Washington showed me how much places—and people—can change over twenty years in the Evergreen State.
West Virginia – Visited Harper’s Ferry several times as a short trip from Baltimore in 2007 and 2008. Loved the history of the town and, of course, the Appalachian Trail running right through it. Harper’s Ferry is one of those places where I could spend an entire afternoon just wandering. The Mountain State always made me slow down.
Wisconsin – My hometown. Born in Beloit, graduated from high school here, and have lived in Madison since 2009 (!!). Came for my PhD and somehow ended up with a house, a kid, a few dogs, a few partners, and an entire life.I came back for graduate school and accidentally stayed for a life. America’s Dairyland wasn’t supposed to be the destination—it quietly became home.
Wyoming – Drove here from Utah in July 2024. Benny said it reminded her of Wisconsin. I wasn’t expecting that because of the mountains, but it was definitely woodsier than some of the other western states we visited. Wyoming reminded me that even after visiting all 50 states, I was still capable of being completely surprised by a landscape—and by an 10-year-old’s perspective on it. The Equality State wasn’t at all what I expected.
And finally…..Vermont – Final state to visit in June 2026. Explored Burlington on our way to Montreal and Quebec City. Who knew Montreal was only a few hours away? After 46 years and 9 months, countless road trips, conferences, moves, detours, and adventures, the Green Mountain State quietly became my 50th. Somehow it felt fitting that something I’d been unknowingly working toward my entire life ended not with a bucket-list attraction, but with a quiet afternoon in Burlington on the water with Denise and Benny.
As I looked back through these memories, I realized this was never really about checking off all 50 states.
It was about the moments.
It was about the people.
A college friend who offered me a couch in Alaska. My sisters and me road-tripping through California and seeing an Eve Ensler play. Friends who packed U-Hauls, cats, and entire lives. Conferences that unexpectedly became adventures instead of just another poster presentation. Random diners, bookstores, hot yoga studios, and campgrounds. The places where I fell in love, grieved, found community, changed careers, became a parent, and built a life.
Every state has a story, but the stories were never really about crossing all those borders. They were about the people I met, the moments, and the versions of myself that I became and am still becoming.
And somehow, after 46 years and 9 months, it all ended in Vermont.
A quiet, green, beautiful place that smells like pine cones – it feels like less of a finish line and more of a reminder that the best part about all of this isn’t about arriving at your destination – it’s about the places, spaces, people and moments you collect along the way.
Thanks, Mom. Turns out that Beloit summer school class was only the beginning.
