Places that I’ve been. Places that I’d like to go.

According to Lightroom, I’ve taken 11,470 pictures this year, but the year ain’t over yet. My count just rolled over to 10,250 images on my D300.

In cruising through the photos, I see that I’ve been a number of places this year! Some near. Some far. Some really far. In order: I’ve been to:

• Greenville, SC – January – My first time.
• Alamagordo, NM – February – My second trip to White Sands … first with the cameras.
• Utah/Arizona/Grand Canyon – May – 3rd trip to Utah, 1st to AZ and Grand Canyon
• Orlando, FL – June
• West Virgina – July
• Savannah, GA – October
• Charleston, SC – August -> present – By far, my most extended trip!
• Coolomee, NC – December – Thanks, Earl!
• Seattle, WA – December – My first time.

The nearest being Coolomee, NC, some 40 miles, the most distant, by far, Seattle, WA a whopping 2,825 miles! I suppose that I could see a good deal of the country that I have missed by driving to Oregon … but that ain’t happenin’!!! Anything over about 6 hours is ‘flight time’, baby!

It’s been a busy year. Tallying all of the states that I’ve visited in the contiguous US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii, neither of which I’ve ever visited either), I have only the following states remaining and they are all clustered in the northwest portion of the U.S., for the most part:

• Oregon – Hi Amy!
• Idaho
• Montana
• Wyoming
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Nebraska
• Kansas
• Iowa
• Minnesota
• Alaska
• Hawaii

OK. So that’s 38/50 or 19/25, for you math guys that have to have reduced fractions, or 76% of the states visited! Next year, budget allowing, I think that I’d like to take in a couple more, but I’m not sure which ones; however, I must be honest, I want to go back again to Arizona and Utah. Those places are fascinating!

Outside of the U.S. I have open invitations with a couple of guys that I worked with. One has returned to India and one still lives here. Both said that I can come to India and hang out for a while. I think that I’d love to do that! It would make the experience that much greater hanging out with a native!

Also, as I’ve never been to Europe, I’d certainly like to go and meet and hangout with my European friends! So many places. Only such much $$$ and time!

Certainly, one can spend their whole life shooting in their neighborhood and find interesting things, but there are lots of interesting people and places out there.

Looking back, I’m very thankful that I got to do so many things. This coming year, even if I only get to explore my own backyard, that will certainly be something to be thankful for!