Posted by ~ Sheldon Redditt 09/28/2015
Soon, I can claim it! I will have visited all 50 states in my lifetime in just a few short days! "To live is to travel.", that is my wife's' favorite quote. It's a quote that we both live by. Travel is the key essential thing that started our relationship. We both had and have a love for travel.
A Boy With BIG DREAMS
My love for travel started very early in life. I remember being just 7 years old when my older sister brought home a book of the 50 states and capitols. She had to learn all 50 states and capitols for a test. I was so intrigued by the fact that there were 50 of them and how big the United States actually was. I studied the states right along with her until I mastered all 50 of them in order. Today, I am still able to recite all 50 in order and in 28 seconds flat! I just timed myself lol. I remember vividly, the amazement I felt, knowing that there were 49 other states that I could visit. I remember sitting there and making a promise to myself that I would visit all 50 before I transitioned on to the next level of existence. It definitely wasn't a short lived fascination either, I recall playing with my 50 state puzzle map while my friends played with their GI Joe toys. Everyone thought I was odd. I was obsessed with traveling this country and the World.
Embrace The Different
My wife and I were blessed to see a powerful speaker a few years ago in Arizona by the name of Rex Crain. I bring this up because he said something to the effect of, "you never know who you have in your house. You might have the next James Paterson, Bill Gates or Michael Jordan. Feed your children's dreams and even their quirkiness." Now, I'm not saying I'm any of those guys, but I am saying that my obsession or passion if you will was not something to discount, despite the fact that I was 7. Little minds go on to accomplish great things! My wife has told me numerous times that her Mom tells a similar story of her sister having a book of all 50 states. My wife says that when they climbed Diamond Head together in Hawaii, that her Mom told her that she had envisioned herself climbing it in her lifetime. Childhood dreams while she was looking through her older sisters book! You see the similarities? Our birthday's are literally a day apart! I guess we think a lot alike!
No Longer A Dream
For me to see this dream coming into a reality is truly amazing. I, along with my wife, daughter and mother-in-law, will visit my 50th state of Maine in just a few short days! My wife and daughter are just as excited. We will fly from Miami to Washington DC where we will meet my mother-in-law and then we will drive up the coast to Maine. We will visit a lot of amazing places along the way from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, The Statue of Liberty in New York City, Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts and perhaps take a gondola ride in Providence, Rhode Island! One of the top places I have always wanted to visit is Kennebunkport, Maine and there we will get to see former President Bush's residence. We will see the changing of the leaves in Acadia National Park and a lot of other amazing sites in between. It will be an amazing 15 day trip, capped off with my 25 year High School reunion. I feel blessed to have been able to travel to some of the most amazing places in this country. I have memories of having walked on the Salt Lakes in Utah with my Dad at 15, memories of sitting on Virginia Beach with my Mom for hours just talking about Life, singing Karaoke in New Orleans, then climbing Chimney Rock in North Carolina with my amazing wife and more recently walking on the Golden Gate Bridge with my wife and daughter. I have had too many incredible experiences to list here.
Following My Footsteps
I was online the other night to see if I could find out who the youngest person to visit all 50 states was and it was a 7 year old boy. My daughter Hayden will have visited 24 states after this trip and she is a month shy of 4! My goal is for her to break the World Record and visit all 50 states before she turns 7. That will be pretty awesome to have her to break the World Record before 7, which is the exact age that I made a promise to myself that I would visit all 50 states. I would love it if you would join my family and I as we embark on this 15 day journey. You can follow along in my blog or you can watch as we video journal the trip LIVE on Periscope. Follow me on Periscope @TheRedditt. All aboard! Last stop Maine!
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