50 Nifty United States

Whenever I am asked to provide a "fun fact" or something that people probably wouldn't know about me I usually use fact that I have been to all 50 States. This is often met with surprise and even questioning like "really?" So, I figured that for today's Mondays with Madison, I would explain this fact more and detail some of my favorite parts of this adventure.

Arizona

My parents started traveling with me very early on in my life. For both of their families, traveling was limited and so with their new family they wanted to change this and travel whenever possible. I am the oldest so it wasn't until both my sister and brother were born that this kind of "challenge" began. I can remember traveling to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon and much more. It was after this trip that my parents remember realizing that we had already been to a couple of states together. Over time we devised a challenge: get our whole family to all 50 of the states before I graduated high school. This time frame was due to the fact that this would be the last time that would be easy for our whole family to travel together.

After this decision was made (however somewhat unspoken or undefined) we traveled literally whenever we could. I feel so lucky that this was my reality and that I had the opportunity to experience so many different cultures, learn about so many moments in history, and engage in so many fun activities, all while growing closer to and having fun with my amazing family. I consider myself truly blessed!

Throughout my childhood I got to travel across the country seeing all of the wonders that our amazing country has to offer. Although going on tropical vacations or worldwide excursions is definitely tons of fun, I would urge you to consider all the beautiful places, the historical places, the people, the food, the culture in general that the United States has to offer. I can almost promise that you won't be disappointed.

Delaware

In the summer of 2015 we completed our challenge when we traveled to Delaware. Conveniently Delaware, which was the first state to become a state, was our last! I had so much fun learning and growing through each trip we took. This is a challenge that I hope to continue with my family in the future!

Madison's Favorite Moments!

I definitely have some favorite moments from our many adventures! Here are just a few:

Dog-Sled Ride in ALASKA

Alaska is usually my response to the question "What was your favorite state?" It is simply so beautiful and there are so many unique things you can take advantage of!

Seeing the Hollywood sign in CALIFORNIA

White-Water Rafting in COLORADO

Parasailing in FLORIDA (Key West)

I had always wanted to go parasailing and it definitely did not disappoint! It was awesome to experience it with my sister and the guys in charge of our boat dipped us in the water a few times!

Coca-Cola Factory in GEORGIA

The taste testing was easily my favorite! We got to sample sodas from around the world.

Surfing in HAWAII

Hawaii was also an amazing state to visit! It is gorgeous and there are so many fun things to do! We also went snorkeling, took a ride in a submarine, attended a Luau, and frequented the beach!

Picking our Lobster in MAINE

Playing on the Dallas Cowboys Field in TEXAS

I am so grateful to have had the chance to do all these things. Traveling has become one of the things that I truly LOVE and I hope to continue to do a ton in the future.

Thanks for reading!

Much Love,

Madison

#LIFESTYLE