We sort of stumbled into this.
I wouldn’t classify our family as avid travelers, globe trotters, or nomads. Honestly, we enjoy being home and being together. We are completely content taking in a sunset on the back porch while playing catch or making S’mores. Admittedly, we like the IDEA of the outdoors probably more than the ACTUAL outdoors. We are not “outdoorsy.” There, I said it. That’s why this is so crazy.
That said, we’ve set a high and lofty goal, and here it is:
We want to visit every state by the time our oldest kid graduates high school in 2031.
There are so many reasons why I love this goal. First, it’s SMART! That means it is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant (or Realistic depending on your model), and Time-bound. (The leadership training nerd in me loves that!) Second, it will take some time to accomplish. My hope is this goal gives our family something to rally around and creatively accomplish together. More than the travelling, I’m excited about the memories of planning and strategizing we will create. Last, it feels big and uncomfortable, which is the true mark of a good goal.
What crazy thing is your family chasing? It could be something deep and philosophical or it could be something fun and entertaining. Whatever it might be, I would encourage you to find something your family can accomplish together which will produce memories and teaching moments along the way. Any parent knows any long road trip naturally produces SO many teaching moments….some for the kids too!
Now, to set the expectations. This is not going to be a blog, or a series of blogs, about the “12 Ways to Travel on the Cheap” or “The 37 Things You Must Do in Every State.” This is simply going to be our family’s plan to make this dream a reality.
Also, there might be states where we cross the border, look around, snap a photo, and move on. Clark Griswold style. Again, the goal is for all five of us to physically BE in every state, not that we have done a deep historical tour of every state. You might think that’s lame, and that’s just fine. It won’t be perfect. There will probably be better ways. But we’re making it happen, and it’s going to be awesome.
So, here’s where we’ve been so far, in no particular order, with no professional photography, and a brief explanation for each photo! (Safety Notice: All stops were taken with safety precautions in place with little to no traffic present.)
(Living in Missouri, we had to get a family photo at the “Gateway to the West,” the St. Louis Arch)
(We have made the trip from Springfield, MO to west central Ohio many times to visit family. We finally decided to stop and get a photo when this whole idea was coming together.)
(Ok, you need to go back through these photos and look at the expressions! There were times when we would be on the side of a major highway. SOME in the family were terrified and refused to get out of the car, and SOME jumped out before we stopped moving. I will let you figure out who is who!)
(We may or may not have run ACROSS THE HIGHWAY to get two signs at one time, this one and the Indiana one. You can see the fear and trepidation in the eyes. I thought it was awesome. Others in the family….not so much!!)
(On our way to a wedding, and we HAD to cross the border to get the sign.)
(Driving down to visit friends in DFW. Sometimes we stop on the side of the highway, other times we find a welcome center with a great sign.)
(Kudos to Texas and Oklahoma for two great signs!)
(Myrtle Beach, to be exact. You will just have to trust me on this one. We took this vacation before we set this goal so we didn’t cross the state line to get the welcome sign. Still counts!)
(Part of our drive to Disney World! Gotta love a good lens flare!)
(I may or may not have crossed the highway and backed up 100 yards to get this one!)
(Another two for one special!)
(We panicked at first because there was no place to stop for the welcome sign. We were on a two lane road when we crossed the border with no space to pull over. I mean, I could have MADE SPACE, but wiser counselors in the vehicle prevailed. Thankfully, we found a welcome center.)
(On our way home from Disney, we took a different route so we could hit more states. Because GOALS!)
(Thankful for the cool welcome center or we may have had to stop on a bridge!)
(Last leg of the Disney trip and got Kentucky thanks to Paducah!)
Next up, we are planning to do the Mt. Rushmore thing and hit seven more states: Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. I will update the blog and post photos from that trip when we get back.
We live in a big, beautiful country, and we’re going to go see it.
DADDYLESSONS 