I credit my urge for travelling to my late father. Family members have told me he set foot in all but four of our United States during his lifetime. I'm not sure which four he ultimately missed, but what a cool accomplishment! I'd love to be able to say I've set foot in even half that many!

I've struggled with this innate desire to see the world ever since I was a little kid. I say struggled not because I view this compulsion negatively, but merely because a gross lack of time, and more importantly funds, prevent me from such things as backpacking across Europe. Still, while I have yet to even go on a cruise somewhere, and my bucket list of destinations may forever remain as long as long as the Great Wall of China, I have at least been to some places aside from the state I was born in.

To commemorate the places my feet have trod, I sew patches representing the destination onto a tatty black denim jacket that always travels with me. In honor of my father, I've decided to create a travel log of the places I've been, and the things I did there. It will be interesting to see how far I've come when it's time for my own journey's end. Before we get to that finish, we'll start at the beginning!

New York

I was born in the capital region of the Empire State, and raised from infancy through first grade in the area. Through the cyclical patterns life sometimes moves in, I ultimately ended up back in this state after I graduated high school; first to the Mohawk Valley, then back closer to the interior of the capital region. I live in the state, but have never visited the city. Maybe someday. I enjoy the change in seasons here...except winter. As far as I'm concerned, it should snow only from the week of Christmas until New Year's and then be springtime again!

Florida

My second grade year found me in the Sunshine State, when we moved to Fort Lauderdale. I learned to swim in the Atlantic, visited Disney World and Sea World by the grace of a family friend, rode an elephant at a giant flea market and circus called the Swap Shop, and survived a category 5 hurricane. We left the state before I entered third grade, but were back in time for me to enroll in 4th grade. Unfortunately during the interim, they had rezoned the school districts, so instead of returning to the same school I'd gone to in second grade, I had to attend a whole new one. If you've read my Jiggery-Pokery, you'll already know I attended 4 different elementary schools in three different states, and this explains why. My grandmother on my father's side is buried down there, and I revisited the state a few years ago to scatter my father's ashes between her grave and the ocean he loved.