It was 2008 when we took our first big vacation. The plan was to be gone for almost a month. It was an overwhelming thought because we had no clue what we were doing, we were traveling with one of our two kids, staying in hotels, and a month is a long time to be gone. Questions filled our heads – Could we stay on budget? Could we be gone that long? Is there is really that much to see? I laugh now because we have learned that we never stay on budget, but we know how to do it much better, and there is too much to see and never enough time.
We have put all of the places we have traveled on one big map by clicking on the image above. We have visited 44 of the lower 48 states in the United States and 6 countries. We also have individual maps of all of our trips and a map of the national parks we have visited. To see them click here.
It’s interesting when you put your travels on “paper” so to speak. We experienced many emotions when developing this map. I was reminded of all of the repeat trips because of family obligations. Seriously, I love Michigan but I don’t need to travel there again anytime soon. Hahaha
I was reminded we are the type of people who love to revisit places we have been because we know there is always more to see at one destination. For example, you can’t see all Yosemite National Park or New York City have to offer in one trip! We also know we are more confident the second time around. We are more willing to take risks, dig deeper, and see more when we go somewhere the second time. When you plan all-new destinations in a trip it can be overwhelming. But if you plan to re-visit a few of your past favorites then you have something special to look forward to seeing again.
Finally, I was reminded of how big this world is and how little we have actually seen so far. Even the United States, we have visited all but 4 states in the lower 48 and we still need to get to Alaska and Hawaii, yet I feel like there is so much more to see in this country. The little villages, bigger cities, and a lot of national parks still to see. My inner conflict reminds me the world is huge and we have many countries we still want to see. Will we have time to see it all? I don’t know because tomorrow is not promised but we are sure going to try.
Why didn’t we start blogging a long time ago? Good question. Maybe confidence, maybe it felt like work, maybe it wasn’t time yet. We traveled together for 10 years before we started this blog so we have a lot to write about going forward. In that same sentiment, going forward, we are thrilled to bring you along.
Enjoy looking through the maps we have created, we will continue to develop them and continue adding new destinations. We know it will inspire you to travel. If you like what you see, click the like button below. If you have a question about any of our travels, leave a comment. If you are looking for a travel planner, drop us an email at info@cruisinwiththecolemans.com.
Happy travels!
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