Yes, I know it’s 12/23. I’m a little late. We’ve been busy with this whole Christmas thing, plus the progesterone supplement I’m on makes me t.i.r.e.d. And Noah is sick, poor guy.

It’s still a fun project, even late, so here are the next 10 states:

1. Hawaii: On the list of places I haven’t been, and I still regret that I didn’t go when Kevin and Erin were living there. Or for Christa’s wedding.
2. Illinois: Growing up in Wisconsin, the first thing that comes to mind is FIB, but since that’s both negative and general, I’ll add my most recent significant association with the state. Early in my career, I was lucky enough to get to argue a case before the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, which sits in Chicago. The oral argument was scheduled for days before Kevin and Erin’s wedding, so I had to pack for both and go directly to the airport from court. Also, I forgot to pack my shoes, which I was going to wear both during the argument and in the wedding.
3. Indiana: I have to admit, Indiana has mostly been a drive-through state for me. Two real-life friends have ended up there (Purdue and IU) and more recently, I’ve become online friends with new Mama Frema.
4. Iowa: Even though Iowa shares a border with Wisconsin, I never thought of it as nearby. My main personal memory is driving through it with my grandparents who lived (at the time) in…
5. Kansas: Heh. See Above. The coolest thing about visiting my grandparents in suburban KC was neither the barbecue nor the music. It was the fact that they had a wholesale floral business that they ran out of their home, so their bedroom had a greenhouse attached. And they had a beautifully landscaped back yard full of brick paths that were perfect for children running in circles.
6. Kentucky: On the way home from Kevin and Erin’s wedding, my flight was delayed in Cincinnati. The airline put us up in a dismal hotel in Kentucky. (Kevin & Erin show up in a lot of these locations!) Also, my first year of college, I was friends with a guy named Victor who was from southern Floyds Knobs, Indiana, whose main social outlet in high school was the Kentuckiana Mensa Society. Don’t ask me why this belongs in the Kentucky section, it just does.
7. Louisiana: When I was 7 or 8, we went to New Orleans, probably for the ABA Annual Meeting. I was allowed to get one souvenir, and I made my choice too early, asking for a green and purple beribboned mask-on-a-stick. The next day, I saw a paper doll book of old-fashioned southern belles. My parents held firm.
8. Maine: When I was 15 or 16, Maine was nearly the last state on the continental US that I’d still never visited. Dad decided he wanted to go to the Bay of Fundy, which has the most extreme tides in the world. On that trip, I also used my extensive knowledge (ha!) of extreme heavy metal to talk to some French Canadian teenage boys who were also camping nearby. Their English was only marginally better than my (non-existent) French, but fortunately as teenagers, we had the universal language of rebellious music.
9. Maryland: I heart Maryland. Especially Takoma Park, but Baltimore will always have a soft spot too. If money were no object, it is entirely possible that Jill and I would buy a cute little cape cod in Takoma Park and live happily ever after. Preferably right around the corner from Levi and his moms.
10. Massachusetts: I heart Massachusetts, too, but not enough to live there, even with the enticement of marriage. I graduated from college in Massachusetts (with Erin!), and lived there again for 6 months or so during the year after I graduated. Shortly after I moved back to Wisconsin, a bunch of my Wisconsin peeps moved there; Dave remains there still.