Some Americans travel to Disney World or the nearest relative for the holidays or for the weekend. Many websites claim that only 30% own a passport but when compared to Britain and Germany that get more vacation days perhaps the workaholics are doing the local economy some good. If we work our citizens ‘overtime’ and let the media influence bad behaviors, then they will never save enough to experience other states in America, other countries, or other continents.

And why would they? The media tells them it’s too dangerous, so is driving your car to work. It’s too expensive, so is the car you drive, the cigarettes you smoke, and the cable you watch every night. Life is about priorities and Americans are taught that they are superior to other nations so they have no need to waste their time learning about other cultures and languages. I feel shamed that I have attempted to learn multiple languages but then have difficulty finding someone to help keep me fluent.

Anyways, the magnets are another one of my collection ideas. I like to collect things in small amounts, like 10. I have some rocks, snow-globes, stamps, and coins; none that are too overwhelming. My biggest collection yet is now tickets, not the kind given by police, but tickets to museums, concerts, and parks. Notice the states are incomplete. There are three that we shouldn’t have but six that we’re missing. They were not made to fit together which will make it easier for me to continue to forget about them and finally let them go.

I will soon be joining the third of Americans that have a passport. I don’t know what kind of trinkets other countries sell to increase their revenue but I have moved on to buying experiences and equipment to help me capture them, for my blog of course. There is plenty to see in America that could take a lifetime, or two, depending on your interests, but there is also the rest of the world that I think deserves a bit of exploration. I look forward to the day that the dots on my virtual world map are as spread out, but just as close, as these states are supposed to be.