So yes, here I am again, popping up to after 10 days to write what will be only my second entry this month—and looking at my calendar for the rest of October, it will likely be my last until next month, meaning yet again I’ll fail to manage even three entries for the fourth month in a row. I admit is has crossed my mind to just put this journal on hiatus and focus my escribitionist energy soley on the nail blog. I haven’t because as much fun as I’m having on the nail blog, it’s not the same sort of space as this journal is. I was reminded how much history I have here, and how much more I wish I had, when I was making a list of all the states I’ve visited and searching my archives here to double check some of the ones I’ve added in the last decade.

Back in 2002, I wrote about places I would like to go to. As of now, I’ve only knocked one off the list of five places in that entry (Japan, in 2004, though I hope that’s not the last time I’ll get there). While I’ve yet to get to Hawaii, or France again, or Australia and New Zealand, or the Corn Palace, I have increased my life list of states to 49.

Alabama Picked this one up on a road trip with Mr. Karen in 2006 (see South and Back Again)

Alaska Just the once, on the land/sea tour Mr. K and I took with his folks (Alaska and the Yukon Day by Day)

Arizona Several times in pre-Hat on Top days, including a trip to see the Minnesota Vikings play the Arizona Cardinals in Sun Devil Stadium at ASU. That trip was the only time I’ve been involved in an accident while driving a rental car, and boy was I glad we’d decided to purchase the insurance that time.

Arkansas Also a part of our southern road trip in 2006, but long before that I’d been there for work, back when I worked for a company that had a plant in Paragould.

California So many times, the first on my honeymoon in 1986 and the most recent to celebrate our 25th anniversary (So Cal)

Colorado The first plane trip I ever took was to Colorado. I was eleven or twelve, and it was just my mom and my brother and me as by that point my parents’ marriage was over. As an adult, I’ve been back more than a few times for skiing, most recently in 2009. (Goodbye Snow)

Connecticut Another 2006 addition to the list, on a quilt show trip that was supposed to be my mom and I but ended up just being me. (Garden, Empire, and Constitution States)

Delaware I don’t remember exactly when we did this, but Mr. Karen and I made a detour on a trip specifically so both he and I could add this state to our respective lists. I do remember it was Rehoboth Beach we ended up in.

Florida Another “so many times” state for me. There’s Walt Disney World, going to see Mr. Karen’s folks several years in a row when they were wintering down there, Vikings games against Tampa Bay, a quick trip to Miami for Cirque du Soleil and meeting an internet friend. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been there, though. (Orlando Day by Day)

Georgia Drove through it on the way to/from Florida more than once, went intentionally on our 2006 road trip.

Idaho Now my home away from home. (Goldilocks and the 17 Condos)

Illinois Born there, grew up there, met and married my husband there.

Indiana Close to my home state, so I went there for recreation (like the Dunes) and drove through it on the way to other places (like Michigan and Canada).

Iowa My mom had relatives in Davenport, so my first visit there was with her when I was a kid.

Kansas First visited accidentally when I got lost driving from Missouri to Oklahoma; visited intentionally for a quilt show in 2005. (There’s No Place Like Home)

Kentucky Several times, most recently for the big AQS show, which I saw for the first and so far only time with work friends in 2007. (Tired But Happy)

Louisiana Yet another addition thanks to that 2006 southern road trip.

Maine Picked up on a pre-online journal eastern road trip with Mr. Karen in 2001. We were camping in Maine when the 9/11 attacks happened and found out about them only when we stopped at a quilt shop in Freeport, which had a little portable tv setup on the counter.

Maryland Lots of times, most recently this past August. (Three Trips Behind)

Massachusetts Several times, including a 2002 family reunion. (Back East Part 1)

Michigan I live here.

Minnesota Because it has a Delta (formerly Northwest) hub, we frequently connect through here, but we’ve also driven through and even stopped to do things like the Mall of America.

Mississippi You probably already guessed: 2006 southern road trip.

Missouri Multiple times, including a high school marching band trip on which the future Mr. Karen and I were voted most compatible couple even though we were not yet dating.

Montana Driven through it (so wide) and also skiied there, most recently in 2008. I sometimes still think about those oatmeal cranberry cookies at Moonlight Basin. (Biggest Skiing in America)

Nebraska Driven through this one, too, but also went to a quilt show there with my mom one year.

Nevada A few times, including a quilt show in Reno with my mom years ago, and a couple of trips to Las Vegas for internet-based outings, most recently for Wheatfest in 2006. (What Happens in Vegas Gets Written About Here)

New Hampshire A few times, including my solo road trip on which I got to hang out at Mack Hill Farm. (Road Trip Part Two)

New Jersey Picked up on that quilt show trip mentioned earlier for Connecticut.

New Mexico Just once, to ski at Taos. (Brown, Snow, and Kokopelli)

New York A handful of times on road trips and quilt show trips.

North Carolina Went here for the first time in high school for a yearbook conference.

North Dakota Another mostly driven through it but sometimes have stopped to see stuff state for me.

Ohio My neighbor to the south. For a while, I worked so close to it that I could take classes at a quilt shop in Toledo after work.

Oklahoma Picked it up on a quilt show trip with my mom.

Oregon I’ve been there a few times, in summer and to ski, but apparently not for a while since I can’t seem to find any mention of it in my archives.

Pennsylvania Back when I kayaked, I did it here most often.

Rhode Island Added to the list on that family reunion trip in 2002 mentioned for Massachusetts.

South Carolina Southern road trip in 2006? Yep.

South Dakota See Nebraska.
Tennessee Also part of the southern road trip, but I’d been there before that.

Texas It’s been a while. I used to go there for work long ago and later for internet-based fun.

Utah Skiing.

Vermont Road trips.

Virginia First time was in 8th grade, when Williamsburg was on the itinerary for the class trip.

Washington We’ve got family on one side of the state, and our home away from home is near the other, so we’re there quite a lot for people who live in Michigan.

West Virginia Mr. Karen had to remind me that Mom and I went to a quilt show here. I looked it up—it was in 1994.

Wisconsin My parents were from here, and my grandparents lived there when I was young, so I went there a lot on visits. And in more recent years, there’s been Weetacon. (So Much for the Sleigh Ride)

Wyoming Skiing. If the real estate market around Grand Targhee hadn’t tanked when it did, that might have become our home away from home.

I realize this entry is the journal equivalent of a clip show, and more interesting to me than anyone else. The important thing is I’m making an effort to write here, right?