14 January 2010

oh, the places I've been

Over the past few months I've found some friends from my high school days on Facebook.  With lots of questions on what I've been doing the past 30 years – THIRTY YEARS?! – it got me to thinking of all the places I've lived and traveled.

In talking to several of my friends, it seems that not very many of them have traveled quite as much as I have.  And to think all this time, I thought traveling was something EVERYone did.  Apparently this is not so.  Apparently I am in the category of people known as "well traveled."

Bear in mind, being "well traveled" doesn't necessarily mean "traveled well."  I can count on one hand the number of times I've flown business or first class.  As I've gotten older I do find myself leaning towards the four and five star properties, but I have to admit one of my favorite places is the Lake Yellowstone Cabins.


They are the most basic of accommodation but the location makes up for anything I could possibly be missing.  And a little pink hotel on the beach beats a huge resort any day of the week!

So, as I said I got to thinking of all the places I've lived and visited and thought it would be interesting to make a chronological list just to see if I really am "well traveled."

Since leaving high school here are places I've lived.
  • Las Cruces, NM
  • El Paso, TX
  • Hobbs, NM
  • Spring, TX
  • San Angelo, TX
  • Polkville, NC
  • Birkenfeld Germany
  • Clovis, NM
  • Tucson, AZ
  • Valdosta, GA
  •  Lafayette, CO
  • Longmont, CO
Since leaving high school here are the places I've visited.  Some of them many, many times.  There's really no way I could list every town I've visited...  For one I seriously doubt I can remember them all, and to spare you, dear reader, from falling into a catatonic state, I'll limit it to states and countries.
  • New Mexico
  • Arizona
  • Texas
  • Colorado
  • Wyoming
  • California
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Oklahoma
  • Arkansas
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Kentucky
  • Nebraska
  • South Carolina
  • North Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Washington DC
  • South Dakota
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • Utah
  • Alaska
  • Illinois
  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Virginia
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • South Korea (and into the DMZ)
  • Germany
  • East Germany
  • Austria
  • Luxembourg
  • Switzerland
  • Czechoslovakia
  • England
  • Italy
  • Ireland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Dominican Republic
  • United States Virgin Islands
  • British Virgin Islands
For those of you who are really interested you can continue reading and I'll list all the National Parks, Monuments, and sites I've visited too!
  • Petrified Forest National Park
  • Casa Grande Ruins
  • Saguaro National Park
  • Chiricahua National Monument
  • Fort Bowie National Historic Site
  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • National Mall and Memorial Parks
  • Redwood National Park
  • Yosemite National Park
  • Death Valley National Park
  • Sequoia National Park
  • Joshua Tree National Park
  • Golden Gate
  • Muir Woods National Monument
  • Mojave National Preserve
  • Dinosaur National Monument
  • Cache La Poudre River
  • Rocky Mountain National Park
  • Black Canyon of the Gunnison
  • Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
  • Bent's Old Fort
  • Canaveral National Seashore
  • Everglades National Park
  • Little Bighorn Battlefield
  • Glacier National Park
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
  • White Sands National Monument
  • Fort Union National Historic Site
  • Gila Cliff Dwellings
  • Scotts Bluff National Monument
  • El Malpais National Monument
  • Tonto National Monument
  • Petroglyph National Monument
  • Bandelier National Monument
  • Pecos National Historic Park
  • Blue Ridge Parkway
  • Fort Sumter National Monument
  • Mount Rushmore
  • Badlands National Park
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  • Guadalupe Mountains National Park
  • Fort Davis National Historic Site
  • Big Bend National Park
  • San Antonio Missions National Historic Park
  • Fort Laramie National Historic Site
  • Grand Teton National Park
  • Yellowstone National Park
  • Flaming Gorge
  • Devil's Tower National Monument