I can't ask him what he's doing. I'm supposed to tell him what he's doing. I ask him what he's doing and I'm gonna look like an idiot.*

My friend, Gretel, is going to try to visit all 50 states next year (the blog that will document it is HERE). She has been to 18 states so far, so likely she won't be repeating those 18. I think it is a cool goal and I support her.

Since traveling to all 50 states is on my Bucket List I am hoping to jump on the bandwagon and join her for a few. I have been to 32 states, though not all of them for extended stays (which...some of them don't require extended stays - besides, MY bucket list, MY rules...I don't have to stay long). So basically, you math whizzes out there have already concluded that I only have 18 more states to go. I am not trying to finish it by the end of 2011...but it couldn't hurt to knock out the northeast with good company right?


visited 32 states (64%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

This did however, get me to thinking about next year and all my tentative plans. At the beginning of February I will be going to California to visit this crazy girl and at the end of February I will be driving to New Mexico (not a state I've been to yet) with this one. It looks like G (for that is the name to which I refer to Gretel as) will be heading to at least Delaware and Rhode Island in April and I am begging her to let me come along. Near the end of May I might be going to New York with Amber (New Mexico girl). That just takes me through the first 6 months of the year! The cool part, I can carry over five PTO (paid time off) days from this year to next, I just have to use them in the first quarter (by April 1st)...no problem. I have been very careful with my PTO because I want to make sure that the full five days carries over. I'll use those days for California, I'll only be gone for the weekend with New Mexico, and I'll have 17 days for the rest of the year.

I'd like to go out to Utah next year too to visit with that side of the family again. I miss them and 2010 was the first year I haven't been out there since 2000. I also want to go to the Grand Canyon, so I don't want to waste Arizona on a drive through, or lay over, and I'd like to go to Mount Rushmore, then of course, find an excuse to go to Hawaii and Alaska (those may have to wait longer). Anyway, as you can tell, I've caught the bug from G. But if you want to see someone visit all those states in record time, go follow her blog, it's sure to be a good time.