30 Day Challenge - Day 5

Day 5 - A picture of somewhere you've been

Outside the Medford Oregon Temple, Central Point, Oregon,
with brother-in-law J (He's single!!), and Mom and Dad C.

Us at the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, South of Port Orford, Oregon

I'll be the first to admit that I am NOT all that well-traveled. I'll also admit that I often am behind the camera, not in front of it. AND that I'm bad about scanning in pictures from cameras that actually use *gasp* FILM.


I was having a hard time going through (MYRIAD) pictures, so I just chose a couple, practically at random.


Here are the facts of my travels:

• The only time I was out of the USA was when Nana, Cousin S, and I went to Victoria, BC.
  Because of Victoria, I have a tender spot for Canada. People were so nice. Everything was really beautiful.
  I didn't take any pictures at the Butchart Gardens (forgot my camera. LAME!). I think Mom's finally forgiven me.
  I'd love to go again.
  It's the farthest north I've been.
• The farthest south I've been ... Louisiana. Mostly when I was, like, TWO. So I don't remember THAT time. But we went with Michael's family to visit his grandfolks in Mississippi. And I got to go to New Orleans. (Didn't get to visit the cemeteries, which I really would have liked to do. BUT we DID get to go see a Space Museum while we were there. And that was really cool.)
  The other contender for farthest south would be San Diego. Aren't you glad that I checked the map? I'd have felt really dumb if I screwed that one up.
• Mississippi would the the farthest east that I've gone. And it was a fun trip. SO MUGGY, though. (We were there in August.) When I first got off the plane at the Louis Armstrong airport (Louisiana), my first impression, stepping off the plane, was that it FELT and SMELLED exactly like The Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland. I'm not lying. That's how the air smells. Unless you're driving near the bayous. Then it smells ... different. I'm not quite used to it.)
• The farthest west that I've traveled ... probably, Astoria.
  Yes, I had to check the map for most of these.
• I've lived in Oregon nearly all my life (except one year. Exactly). I lived in Washington (State) for one year. 
• I've been to California (at least five times), Idaho, Louisiana, and Mississippi  on vacations.
• We had a brief layover in Las Vegas.  Not enough time to get off the plane. So, does that really count?

More about travelling, but less about PLACES:

• I've traveled by car, airplanes (of different sizes), trains, ferries, and clipper ships.
• My biggest problem with airplanes = connecting flights/scheduling.
  This is explained by a trip with my dad (who was only legally blind at the time), when I was 15.
  One of our flights was delayed. This caused us to miss the connecting flight (which would have brought us to the airport where my mom was waiting). We ended up getting a different flight to another airport. Then a flight that circled where we needed to land, but it was fogged in. Then we flew up to Portland and waited for a bus to take us down to the Eugene airport. And then I needed to stay awake to help keep my mom awake. And I then needed to go to a sleepover the next night.
  My first all-nighter ... and then poor Mer was bored when I fell asleep maybe ten minutes into the movie the next night.
  Since then, I've always been wary of connecting flights.
• I like traveling by trains. Maybe since my dad LOVES trains. He used to have a model railroad set up when I was little. He dreams of having a backyard railroad on his property.
  We took a train from Portland to Seattle on the way to Victoria. Cousin S and I had a blast. 
• I've taken ferries while in Seattle. And I like them.
  We took a clipper ship (like a ferry, but FASTER) from Seattle to Victoria. Cousin S got seasick. I didn't. But we both took Dramamine and napped on the way back. (I think Nana was glad for the respite. :P)

I've never taken a subway. And I've always been a little scared to travel by bus. 
I used to ride the city bus in Seattle ... less enthusiastically, though, after Dad and I ended up lost downtown as it was getting dark. (I was in fifth grade.)

I always just worry that something will happen. I worry a lot about silly things.

However, once I picked up my Ty-bro as he came to visit me from the bus station.
I crept up behind him and purred, "I was told to come pick up the best lookin' guy at the bus station. And you're him."
Then we laughed.

He has that effect on me ... making me laugh, that is.
Which is why I always look forward to chatting with him (online or by phone).

Semi non-sequitur: The train stations in Portland and Seattle are WAY more awesome then the one in Eugene. (My dad used to take the train from Eugene up north when he lived up there.)

Places I still want to go:

• Scotland - It's where my Great-great-great-great grandfather is supposed to be from. It'd be good to go there and do some research. And it's pretty.
• England - Mme. Tussand's!!!! I NEED to go there! And Shakespeare! And go to the Bravissimo shop! And see Westminster Abbey and all the other beautiful buildings ... *sigh*
• Germany ... since I really SHOULD go. I studied German in high school (and started over in college). It'd be good to get to USE it, right?
• Egypt - I've wanted to see the pyramids since I was little. I went through a phase where I wanted to be an Egyptologist. (WAY before The Mummy came out with Rachel Weisz making it seem REALLY awesome.)
• Japan - Since Japan is AWESOME. I want to learn the language a bit first. 
• Belgium - My Cynthia is there! And I want to go visit HER sometime!
• France and Italy - Because, hey, why not?
• Hawai'i - Needs no explanation. And maybe I'll get to learn to surf.
• I'm sure there are more (El Paso, for example ...)

And I want to take the kids to Disneyland and Disneyworld. And I'd be happy camping out in D.C. to look at everything I possibly can in the Smithsonian.

And I really SHOULD go to Utah sometime. See if it's all that it's cracked out to be, right?

(My current joke -- they call them "settlers" because they settled for someplace that's NOT Oregon. ... Yes, I do love my homestate. I like trees and being near enough to the ocean and the mountains and the desert. We don't have a sales tax, which is awesome. And most of our family is close.
It makes me happy.

So, yes, even though I really WOULD love to travel ... I also REALLY love having a home. And being home.
It's where I'm comfortable and am surrounded by awesome people.