January 21, 2005 - Maybe I'll try something new today. Instead of writing about what I ate (although I can't promise I won't mention it at all), I'm going to try to post some of my thoughts and future goals. I was in line at the airport today, going through security, when the lady checking tickets asked why I was going to Albuquerque. I replied, "I don't know, I've never been there before". In a way, that sentiment has been the impetus for my cross-country travelling so far. Now that I've been to 44 states, coming up on 45 when I get to New Mexico, I am getting a much better sense of what to expect when traveling to a new city/state. Through the rest of the year, I'm planning on visiting Colorado, Delaware, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Alaska, which will complete my tour of the 50 United States. When I first came up with the idea of visiting all 50 states, the plan was to discover where I want to live. I had just finished college and had no idea where to go next in my life. Now that I'm near the end of my plan, it seems appropriate that I should pack up my stuff, move to a new place, and begin 'the next phase' of my life. But what's so wrong with me being satisfied with the city of Cincinnati? My US travel so far has taught me that I will be able to have fun anywhere that I go, and that everyone has their own set of problems associated with the geography of the place they live. The thing that Cincinnati has that no other city has is the friendships that I've been building for the past 20+ years. Frankly, it's nice going to the mall, to the grocery store, to bars, to music events, and parks, and running into people I am friends with or recognize. I don't think that my travels will stop once I finish the 50th state. I discovered along the way that it's not so much the destination as it is the adventure and journey that I enjoy about traveling. I get to discover new things, experience new things, and meet new people in places that I have never been to. There is an entire world out there that I am getting excited to see, and I don't think it will be possible for me to become complacent with spending every day in Cincinnati for the rest of my life...but Cincinnati will always be a great place to keep coming home to.