10 Places That Defined My Map
I’m going to take a little creative liberty with today’s daily prompt partially because I’m not a huge traveler and I also in part because this is my blog and I can really do whatever I want to on it.
I have a feeling that my lack of traveling might be one of my great regrets when all is said and done. I want to travel more. Sometimes it’s been a matter of having somebody to travel with. A lot of times it’s a matter of having the funds to do it. During the years I was underemployed, falling behind on child support meant I wasn’t even allowed to get a passport, and I haven’t even attempted to get one since. Add in the fact that my family didn’t do a whole hell of a lot of traveling when I was a kid, and maybe wandering just wasn’t baked into my blueprint.
There really is so much in this world I want to see. But today, I’m going to talk about the places I’ve lived, the places I’ve worked, and the places that hold real meaning for me.
1. Metro Detroit – My hometown. This is where I grew up, where I came of age, and where I returned when things got hairy in my life. Growing up here as a kid, I always felt like an outsider, but I finally reached a point where I just… am. I do my own thing and I don’t really care what other people think anymore. People are going to judge me, but it doesn’t phase me.
2. Charleston, South Carolina (“The Lowcountry”) – The Charleston area is about the closest thing I have to a “second home.” I lived there for eight years, started a family there, and went through my divorce there. I packed up, moved 200 miles from home to pursue a job, made some great friends, and left a lot of memories there. For a long time after, Charleston was almost trauma-inducing—the place brought too many heavy feelings to the surface.
3. Madison, Wisconsin – Home of the University of Wisconsin and Kid 1’s current college. It’s one thing to have your own college experience; it’s a whole different sensation to watch one of your sons embark upon this remarkable period of his life.
4. Ypsilanti, MI – The home of Eastern Michigan University. This is where I met X1. Although the early days of our relationship co-opted much of my campus life experience, I still have more than my share of memories traversing Eastern’s campus.
5. France – Thus far, my one and only trip abroad. It’s been over 30 years since I spent 15 days in France, and it still happens to be one of the greatest experiences of my entire life. One would think an experience like that would have really altered the trajectory of my traveling life, but I have yet to leave the country again. At least in earnest.
6. Canada – America’s friendly neighbor to the north. Setting aside their current administration, the international relationship between the United States and Canada has been one of the best on planet Earth. They’re not the United States, but dammit, they do a lot of things better than we do. There’s much we could learn from them. Plus, I had a few adventures there in the 90s where I could legally drink at 19.
7. The Ballpark Experiences – The closest thing I’ve done to actual traveling over the last few years is my endeavor to attend games in all 30 Major League Baseball parks. For my money, baseball is the greatest sport ever invented, and the game is absolutely interwoven into the tapestry of American life. Some ballparks are pastoral; some are downtown experiences; some are state-of-the-art, high-tech, all-weather enclosures. So far, my experiences in New York, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Minneapolis, and St. Louis have only made me want to check out the rest.
8. Myrtle Beach, SC – Early in my divorce, when Charleston felt too heavy with ghosts, Myrtle Beach became a great middle ground. It wasn’t where I lived, but it became my landing spot when I needed to pick up Kid 1 and we weren’t heading back to Michigan yet. It was a neutral sanctuary during a brutal season.
9. Los Angeles – I’ve only spent a few days in the City of Angels—not even enough time to catch an Angels or Dodgers game. While it’s a nice place to visit, I wouldn’t want to live there. Far too overcrowded, with way too many star-struck people. And yet, I still want to go back.
10. Orlando – No travel list, not even one as meager as mine, would be complete without at least one trip to the closest thing America has to a cultural pilgrimage. I made both a college spring break and my honeymoon there.
For better or for worse, this is really the extent of my travel adventures—though there are a few spots I failed to mention. All of this has taught me that I need to do even more traveling, which is part of the reason I want to live to be 412. I figure that will give me enough time to see everything I want to see.
Related: If you liked this look back at the map, check out today’s photo feature, The Look. This post explores the unspoken story behind a single glance.
Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Having crossed the 1,000-day milestone, I’m now charting the territory beyond. The mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.
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The article “The Geography of a Rebuild…” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.
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