Helena learned about a bucket list today in school, so she asked if I had anything on my list. The first item that popped into my head was to visit every state in the lower 48. This might be because Helena has been learning the capitals and singing a song that helps her remember the cities, so it's been on my mind. Maybe it's because my short substituting stint ended today, and it's time to consider where we might be as a family next year at this time, especially since Lisa has made it clear she'd rather be somewhere other than Wisconsin in the winter.
Yes, I'd like to visit all 48. I've been to 40 so far, but some seem less likely than others in the short term. For example, since I never ventured down to Louisiana for Mardi Gras back in college (and I could have gone twice), I probably won't head that direction for that reason any time soon. And since my dad and I missed Rhode Island when we went to Connecticut and Massachusetts, it seems kind of silly to fly into Providence just to cross it off the list. Arizona was not on the agenda for Lisa and me when we went out West, so it's kind of stuck down there, waiting.
My best bet might be Oregon and Washington, especially since Lisa has received two phone calls from potential employers in that part of the country. And she's interested in seeing more of the area before someone seriously considers her for a job there.
Of course, I'd rather see Greece someday than Mississippi, and I could probably think of plenty of other goals in life that do not involve long rides in a car. I guess we do like to make lists and check off our goals in life, so there's nothing wrong with wishing.
[update] As of March, 2016, Washington and Oregon are checked off. 42 states! Ironic that my own nickname in my Indiana Jones-like stories is Arizona.
