My Journey Through the States, Part One

I ran across this on another blog and wanted to try it out: list the states you've been to and your memories there.

Alabama: I lived there briefly, from about age 3 or 4 to 2nd grade (we moved in March of my 2nd grade year). My kindergarten and first grade years were the extent of my public school education until I moved to TN many years later. I began writing stories while living in Alabama, and probably started telling them there as well. I acquired my favorite childhood stuffed animal from there. I managed to keep in touch with a few of my friends from there over the years and a couple more I have reconnected with on Facebook. My favorite thing in Alabama (besides friends and family and church and all that jazz) was the Journey to Jupiter ride at Space Center Huntsville.

D.C. (I'm counting it): I went there with my aunt and uncle the summer between my fifth and sixth grade year. I would love to go again now that I'm older, but even then I appreciated a lot of what I saw and really, really enjoyed it. It was also great to spend time with my aunt and uncle. This was my first time (and last so far) to ride a cab and my first time to ride a subway.

Florida: I've been to Florida a few times. I can't remember which trip turned out to be my first, but I know it was the summer after my freshman year of high school, because I went twice. Once was to Destin (I think this may have been the first trip), with the same aunt and uncle that I went to D.C. with, and the other was to Orlando for a youth leadership conference with a select few from my youth group. In Destin I fell in love with the real beach (before I had only been exposed to nasty Galveston Beach), and in Orlando I had an amazing time growing closer to the people on the trip and learning a lot about them and myself. Oh, and a little about leadership. I actually learned very little from the speaker at the conference. It was all about the people I was with and the experience we had. I would still probably consider it one of my favorite memories ever.

I went to Panama City Beach twice for Big Stuf camp in high school. I went to Destin again the summer after freshman year of college, this time with Garrett, Graham, and Amy, and while we were there we spent time with Clint. And then the last time I went to FL was last year on our honeymoon. We flew to Ft. Lauderdale where our cruise ship was, and then our first port of call the next day was Key West. I LOVED Key West and really want to go back. I had this awesome strawberry slush/smoothie thing at a restaurant called Chesseburger and I have cravings for it still. All good memories in Florida...

Georgia: For a while, my only exposure to Georgia was the Atlanta airport, but then I finally had the chance to go to Atlanta the city. It was an AO trip to Six Flags. The group I was hanging out with had an adventure in downtown Atlanta late at night, and let's just say I'm glad there were a couple of guys in the group! I also got shushed by my friends at Applebee's for cheering on the Astros as they beat the Braves, fell in love with the city, and greatly enjoyed the Superman ride. 

Kentucky: I have technically been in Kentucky but I have spent very little time there. I was either in Kentucky or on its border when I ate a bison burger, which I was unaware of until I had finished eating it. It wasn't bad though.

Louisiana: I rode through Louisiana many a time thanks to family trips from Texas to Mississippi. I pretty much hated it, mostly because it took up most of the trip, which really isn't its fault. I also remember giant bugs, which I was not a fan of. For a while we would always stop at a certain restaurant there to eat. I probably just had chicken tenders every time, but I remember they served alligator.

Maryland: I hope I'm not accidentally lying, but I'm pretty sure that when I went to D.C., this is where our plane landed, and from there we took a train to D.C. This was my first train ride but I don't remember much from it.

Mississippi: I was born there and spent my toddler years there, none of which I really remember. However, I have been back at least once every year since then, thanks to family. At first it was both sets of grandparents, multiple aunts, my uncle, and some cousins, but now I'm down to one grandmother, my aunt, and my uncle. (Well, I do have a couple of cousins there too, but we don't visit them.) For a while I thought everything about Mississippi (or at least Jackson) was dull and ghetto (OK, that is probably mostly true of Jackson), but in recent years I have grown to like some of the surrounding area (which is where my family is located now). I have a lot of memories attached to the place.