Where I’ve Been
Ally posted this little US Map, where you can show places you have lived, visited, passed through, etc. You can create your own US map, here, and a European map, here. My Europe level is 17, I haven’t been to many places in Europe. In the US, a lot of these are from driving across country, and then traveling for business. So I haven’t seen much of quite a few of these states.
I’d kind of like to go to New Orleans, and I’ve heard Wisconsin and Michigan are lovely. I’ve always been curious about South Dakota, might be cool to see the town where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.
To my Canadian friends, I’m sorry, there is not yet a Canadian option for this map. I looked around a bit trying to find something comparable, but didn’t see anything that differentiated between places where one has lived/visited/stayed, etc.
If you decide to play, what’s your score? Have you lived in different states, or are you still close to where you grew up?
36 Comments
Ally. Bean
Thanks for the shoutout. It is fascinating to see where everyone has been and wants to go now. In my experiences Wisconsin and Michigan are pretty and relaxed. We went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans once, which was the complete opposite of relaxed.
J
LOL, yes, I can only imagine that Marci Gras would be the opposite of relaxed! I’m not sure I want to see Marci Gras, but I would like to see the architecture and the food.
Margaret
I think I got 98. The Midwest strip from ND south was white for me except Texas. I’m also missing many of the New England states and a lot of the south except Florida. Actually, I just realized that I may have missed Georgia which I’ve been through on my way other places.
Margaret
102 for me now although I’m not sure whether if I stopped in an airport for a couple hours that it would be stopped or passed. Hmmm.
J
Margaret, my score changed from when I first did it as well, as I remembered one or two changes. I counted a layover as a stop, and used a pass for a state that I had driven through without stopping. I don’t think stopping for gas counts, but I guess we all can use our own rules, right?
Margaret
43 for Europe for me.
J
Nice!
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
How fun! My US score is 113, thanks mostly to the fact that we used to drive to CA and CO to visit my grandparents when we lived in IL. I’d like to at least spend the night in each state over the course of the next few years. Given how many states I visited this year without really trying I think it’s an achieveable goal. Actually maybe later tonight I’ll redo the map based on where I’ve been in the last year.
Before I bought my house I was planning to visit a big city twice a year and I wish I would have followed through on that. Oh well, guess I’ll do it now. The first big city on the list was New Orleans and I’ll let you guess why I ended up doing a staycation instead of going in the summer of 2005.
My Europe score is “my parents used to go to the UK for vacation when I was little but I haven’t been since I was 6” – meaning that I didn’t click the link;-)
J
Oh goodness, yes, late August an onward in 2005 would not be a good time to visit New Orleans! So tragic. I like your goal, you should do it!
Melissa
I live in Australia but I got US level 35 and Europe level 52. I think our next trip to the US will probably be to Boston for the marahon but I’d like to add in some other sightseeing. For Europe I’d like to go to many places but I think top of our list at the moment is Spain.
J
I’ve only been to Massachusetts for work, I’d love to visit that part of New England. My ancestors spent a few generations there, in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and it would be interesting to see more of it. April is a lovely time there, I think. Not humid and (hopefully) not cold!
Tina
How fun! I didn’t score very well in the US (69) or Europe (14). I pretty much have missed the whole eastern seaboard of the US. I’ve lived in several states and stopped or passed through a bunch so I was surprised I only scored a 69. I wasn’t shocked by Europe. Even though I lived in Germany on and off for 10 years or so, I didn’t do a lot of traveling unfortunately. Something I totally regret now of course.
J
Interesting that you’ve been to so many states but didn’t score high. And living in Germany! How wonderful.
Suzanne
This was really fun! Like you, I am missing a big chunk of the South/Southwest. I would really like to see Arizona and New Mexico at some point.
Now I’m off to do the Europe map!
J
I would like to see the Grand Canyon…maybe someday.
Nicole MacPherson
I answered this on Ally’s, but I have been to Hawaii, California, Nevada, New York, Florida, Illinois, Montana, and Washington. I have visited briefly (one night, drive through) Idaho, Oregon, Utah. I spent an eight hour layover in Minnesota, and I drove over for one afternoon to North Dakota. I think that’s all!
J
It’s a fun map, isn’t it? I wish we got credit somehow for visiting places multiple times.
NGS
My US level is 144. I’m missing some very northeastern states, Hawaii and Alaska, and all of the territories, but otherwise have at least driven through all the other states. But my international scores are basically zero, with the exception of a few Canadian trips. Most of that was done when I was younger, though. As I get older, I like traveling less and less, so it’s possible I’ll never be 100% on the US.
J
I dislike flying, but otherwise I love travel. I mean, I WiLL fly, clearly, it’s just not fun AT ALL.
Lisa's Yarns
I did this last week but didn’t save it – I think I got a score around 120 or 130? I was born/grew up in ND and now live in MN so I haven’t gone far! Besides Minnesota and ND, I’ve lived in Colorado (for a summer during college) and North Carolina (for a year due to a relocation).
J
Wow, 130 is a high score! I am impressed.
Amanda P.
New Orleans is an amazing city. In summer of 2022 we spent a week in SOuth Dakota and I cannot recommend it enough. The National and State Parks (Badlands, Custer, Jewel & Wind Caves, etc.) are gorgeous.
J
Those both sounds SO GOOD to me!
Meike
My score is pathetic on both accounts: I got 28 for the US and 29 for Europe. It seems like we always stick to the same places – close-ish by in the US because we mostly drive and Germany and surroundings for our Europe trips. I would like to travel more but I also want to see my family. Withe aging parents the latter wins right now.
J
Exactly! We tend to go to the same places locally, because we go to visit family. We’ve been to Hawaii on vacation, but most of our vacations are to Oregon to visit family there, and then more recently Alaska to see my brother and SIL.
Ernie
I haven’t done this map yet, but I’ve lived most of my life in Illinois. I feel like I’ve visited many states, but I’ve never been to California or Hawaii. Those are high on my list of places to see. I enjoyed parts of New Orleans, but sadly because of celiac I can’t eat the beignets.
*I”m getting back in the swing of reading blogs after the time suck of the b-ball drama ramped up surrounding the high school coach. I switched my blog to private temporarily while the lawsuit and media stuff is going on, but if you send me an email I can invite you to read it. I can’t find your email address. My email is (my real last name)clan7@yahoo.com. Not sure you can figure that out. 😉
J
Ernie, I don’t know your real last name. 🙁 I posted my email on a comment here before, but for some reason people don’t get notified when I reply to their emails, so likely you didn’t see it. If you come back here, my email is j_asregadoo at yahoo dot com
Stephany
My score was pitiful – 35. I haven’t done a ton of US traveling. It was something we did when I was a kid and then I’ve mostly traveled by cruise ship since then. I’m trying to visit at least one state every year to see them all!
J
Oh goodness, one state a year! That’s ambitious! Traveling by cruise ship would definitely limit a lot, but you could definitely get to Alaska that way.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
I think that you probably saw my similar post; Ally’s was so inspiring, wasn’t it!? It looks like you are due for a road trip (and me too)! I lived in New Orleans for a while and really enjoyed it, but my suggestion to you would be to go in Dec – Feb if you can (and maybe avoid Mardi Gras unless you are into that) as the weather is so much better in winter! In summer it is hot and humid and rainy almost every day. If you decide to go, let me know and I can give you some tips!
J
Thanks for the tips! I hate humidity, so will consider January as the perfect time if I ever decide to go for reals.
San
I have visited a few states, but have only lived in CA. I don’t think there are many other states I would consider moving to. Ha.
J
Oh San, you said a mouthful there. We feel pushed out by California prices, and then the risk of earthquake and wildfires. But when we think of where else to live, we are stymied by similar weather or very different politics, so we are stuck for now!
Anne
Oh, what fun! I did the US, and got… 162. In my defense, I was a travel nurse, have lived on both coasts and in-between, and have driven across the country more than once. My parents also took us to a LOT of places when we were younger. I seem to have missed NM, OK, AR, AL, and MS. There’s probably a reason for that. 😉 I haven’t been nearly as many places in Europe, though.
J
1st, WELCOME ANNE! I hope this comment means that you received your SANta gift!
2nd, wow, 162! That’s a lot. We moved a LOT when I was a kid, but we moved a lot withing California and within Alaska, so it doesn’t show up as much. I suspect with your travel nurse job, though, you would still end up with more places lived than us, even if all it meant was one apartment vs. another.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Oh this is fun. I just posted something similiar on Instagram today. I did live in Idaho. And I have seen most the western states. But everything else is a blank. I have to check Europe. I am only missing a few countries here. a