Last week on the right side of my Facebook page, there was an interesting factoid which said that "the average person has been to seventeen cities".
At first I just scratched my head in wonderment that anyone would say that. How would you do research to determine that? What constitutes a city?
My house is about a ten minute walk from the border with Wisconsin, yet my next door neighbor admits to having been in only two states. I have a classmate from nurses' training who loves the U.P. and has rarely left Michigan. We've talked about this and she claims to be blissfully happy here (with the help of her antidepressants), but I claim she has no idea if/what she's missing.
I know there are many reasons to remain at home. We couldn't travel much while we had to show up at work every day. (Darn work.....it really cuts into your free time!)
But for others, fear of the unknown is a factor. Finances always play a part as well. Left to myself I probably wouldn't have seen much of the world, but Good Guy loves to see new things. I am afraid of getting into situations where I can't communicate, so I don't want to see Asia, but he has no qualms.
While you're knitting today, count your cities. I think we will raise the "national average".
Note to self: Dubuque and Omaha count.
Happy Monday!
How shall we define that we've "been to" a city? I've "been to" Memphis many times en route to New Orleans, but I've only stayed long enough for a meal at Waffle House. That doesn't seem like it should count.
ReplyDeleteI'm defining "been to" as anything more than changing planes at their airport. hee hee....
DeleteI've been to 46 states, and I hope to get to the other four before I die. They include Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana (a nice summer trip) and, oddly, New Hampshire. States are easier to count!
ReplyDeleteA worthy goal, and you are doing great at it. I finished my 50 state list in 2010, with Utah. I can't believe I made it to Alaska and Hawaii before Utah!
ReplyDeleteI just did a quick list off the top of my head, and with barely batting an eye I've already come up with 47. These are all places that I've spent more than just a "potty stop" or an airplane change.
ReplyDeleteI haven't even begun to try to remember ALL my "ports of call" yet - - -
Still counting
After sleeping on it I'm up to 71 and still counting - - -
Delete101 and the count continues to climb - - -
ReplyDeleteAtta girl! I think this is a pretty interesting topic. But that's just me. I am happy to have been able to visit so many interesting and varied places.
DeleteYou ladies are too funny...I have lived in many cities and been to that many more...Lived in 8 states...Hmm....Would like to have roots, but for me, I think the Lord wants me more ready to leave the planet for Heaven and therefore, not so rooted in the ground somewhere....Only my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteLove from NC...ex Yooper...
I think you're right, Sandy. Moving around is surely what you were meant to do!
DeleteWhen I was 15 I went to Sweden, Norway and Denmark and stayed with 9 different families in 9 different cities. That's already over half the 17! This is an incredibly interesting question. I'm going to have to make my list like Keetha has, although I'm beginning to wonder if I have the memory to get all of them.
ReplyDeleteOH! I've recently found out that I have indeed been to Mackinaw Island - I was 4. Someday I'll go again when I can remember it.
Oh, I'm way over a hundred cities. My road trips have taken me to more places that I ever imagined, it seems!
ReplyDelete