Geography for $200

Yes, I'm giving in and posting one of those map things:



create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

I guess I've got the Blockbusters chain across, if barely. Surprisingly I haven't been to Alabama, given how close it sort of is to me right now. I'm thinking that will change sooner or later.

Also, it's interesting that we mention states on this map, because given the last couple of places I've lived, states aren't a true reflection of where I live, it's cities instead.

It's strange when people ask me, "So how's living in Georgia?" Yes, Atlanta is in Georgia, but I don't consider myself living in Georgia. There's a much different mentality from that area compared to say, Macon or Valdosta.

The same goes when I was in college and was living in Chicagoland. Yes, it's Illinois, but if someone asked me how it feels to live in Illinois, that's just odd. Springfield, Champaign or Kankakee is much different than that mass of land that covers the Chicago area.

Those are probably the two biggest exceptions to the city-state dynamic, but it's something to keep in mind. There isn't always the same attachment to a state like, say, New Jersey. And remember that even within states, there are different mentalities to people living there. Just think of the state of Northern California mentioned in this movie.