I love to travel and regretfully don't do it enough. So far, I've visited 11 of out of the 50 states of the US. I recently added my 11th state, Utah, on a trip to Vegas when we drove to visit Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. Something I've learned from my time traveling is that each new place you visit teaches you something, even if you don't realize it until later.
Here's one lesson from each of the states I've been to thus far.
1. Washington: Beauty comes in all forms.
Railroad trestle near the bay. Bellingham, WA
Alisan Keesee
Being the state I was born and raised in, Washington is responsible for many life lessons. But, being a diverse state in its climate, environment, people, and innovations; Washington taught me that beauty comes in all forms and can be found everywhere. From the Hoh Rainforest to the Palouse, beauty can be found throughout the state in the most surprising of places.
2. Oregon: The world is more connected than it seems
A beach in Oregon
Alisan Keesee
Oregon has functioned as a home away from home for most of my life. My home state and Oregon share a lot in common, but I always found myself more drawn to Oregon's beaches than those of my own state. My grandma lived in Florence, Oregon, for the majority of my childhood and we visited nearly every year. When I stood on the beach and let the ocean lap at my toes, it was as if I could feel everyone the Pacific Ocean had ever touched before. It still feels almost magical to stand on the beach and face the ocean, knowing that it's very likely someone is standing on the other side doing the same thing.
3. California: Dreams don't always come true, and that's OK.
The Los Angeles skyline
I've been to various parts of California, but none of them turned out to be exactly how I imagined. Don't get me wrong, I love California and the time I have spent there, but sometimes things just don't turn out as expected. However, I'm glad my trips all took different turns than I expected as they all turned out to be good in their own right. Sometimes you need to take a detour to find the good things in life.
4. Nevada: Fears can be overcome.
Las Vegas, Nevada
The first time I ever flew on a plane was on a trip to Las Vegas when I was 12. I was terrified, but I did it and ended up loving the trip (despite being underage in a city full of things unavailable to me at the time). The trip proved I could do things I was scared to do, which inspired me to travel.
5. Arizona: The world can be weird, embrace it.
A road in Arizona
My first trip to Arizona felt surreal. We made last minute plans to go to the Grand Canyon (it was the same trip as the trip to Las Vegas that was mentioned above). However, we didn't have enough time to drive all the way there. Instead, we ventured to Grand Canyon West. On the way, we passed many sketchy alien themed convenience stores and roadside attractions, cattle guards in the middle of the road where it didn't make sense, blacked out speed limit signs, and, in the end, didn't even end up seeing the Grand Canyon. Despite the odd experience, I still fell in love with the deserts in the state and when I returned for a second time recently, in a different and less surreal part of the state, and found it to be an oddly charming state.
6. Idaho: It's OK to be uninterested.
Arboretum in Moscow, Idaho
Out of the few times I've been to Idaho, it was either to drive through or simply to shop when staying in Eastern Washington. Even though I haven't seen much of Idaho, I discovered I don't have much desire to see the rest of the state. While I would never rule out visiting again, as it will almost certainly happen, Idaho taught me that it's OK to not be interested in places, things, or people; and not to feel guilty about that.
7. Montana: Happiness can be found in the strangest of places.
St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park, Montana
Montana is hands down one of my favorite states I've visited. Not only was it's beauty absolutely breathtaking and it's cities small, but the state itself was surprising. It fosters thriving outdoors and art communities and I found myself not wanting to leave Montana. I didn't expect to find so much happiness in the state, but was pleasantly surprised and found myself smiling from ear to ear the entire trip.
8. Wyoming: You can always come back.
Tower Falls in Yellowstone National Park
While visiting Montana, my family and I went to Yellowstone National Park, which straddles the border of Montana and Wyoming. When we crossed over, it didn't feel much different, but as the day wore on and our plans to explore more of Wyoming were interrupted by darkness, we were forced to make our way back to Helena. However, I promised myself that one day I would come back and explore the history and nature of Wyoming I wanted to see back then.
9. Pennsylvania: Even short distances can create large gaps.
The Philadelphia skyline
When I stepped off the plane and into the Philadelphia airport (my first time on the East coast) I was surprised by the size of the airport and the differences between it and West Coast airports. There were no recycling bins or charging stations and the air was more polluted than the fresh Northwest air I'd become accustomed. While I only spent two hours in Pennsylvania on a layover to Glasgow, I realized that although only a five-hour flight apart, my home and the East coast were very different from one another (in a good way!).
10. North Carolina: People can come together.
Skyline of Charlotte, North Carolina
On my way back from London, I was stuck with a four-hour layover in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, when an infamous southern thunderstorm rolled in; our four-hour layover turned into a total of eight hours. With the majority of flights canceled, the entire airport felt tense, stressed, and exhausted. However, once people got over their initial frustration, the airport became a beautiful place of people helping to soothe crying children and strangers working to keep each other entertained.
11. Utah: Sometimes a place so different from home, can feel like home.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Alisan Keesee
The most recent new state I visited, Utah, became a quick favorite as I realized not all deserts are deemed the same. I feel in love the environment of the state and the roads that seem to stretch on forever. While in a new place, I hardly felt out of place, it felt nearly like home. Utah is a state I plan to visit again and despite feeling so different from my home; I felt at home.
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