Welcome!

Welcome to my travelogue! Let me introduce myself.

My name is Dave, and I'm a 25 year old Ph.D student in music history on Long Island. As I grew up on Cape Cod, I've lived all of my life in the Northeast, and usually surrounded by water. Because of this, the urge to travel has been with me for a long time. I love driving, biking, and exploring unseen roads.

I have spent the last three years of my life in suburban Long Island, which has only increased my Wanderlust. I have studied and worked hard here, but I plan to be ABD in the spring and to begin dissertation research outside of the northeast US. This, combined with traveling to various conferences around the US and Canada and going on trips with my lovely girlfriend, makes me want to document my travels and to talk with others about the wonderful areas in this beautiful country.

This past year, I have gotten to experience many new places. I spent a weekend in Denver, drove across the desert in I-8 from Tucson to San Diego, took a road trip out to Milwaukee and Detroit, and spent a wonderful week in northern Vermont and Acadia National Park. I also biked for charity to Montauk (about 75 miles). This year has been great, and I look forward to what 2010 brings.

So why this title? A year or so ago, one of my friends and I made a bet to see all 50 states by the time we turn 30. I currently sit at 35, due to growing up in the Northeast (where travel between states is obliged) and a few great road trips with friends two years ago. However, I want to make this bet happen. I want to spend time in these states and experience them.

Below is the list of all 50 states, and Washington D.C. I have bolded every state that I have been to. Although this doesn't apply to me, I do not count airports as states. While I have counted states that I have just driven through without seeing much other than a Wendy's, they are asterisked.

THE LIST:
Alabama*
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico*
New York
North Carolina*
North Dakota
Ohio*
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia*
Wisconsin
Wyoming

I'm looking forward to sharing my travels, whether by car, bike, plane, or train, and seeing how my life is changed along these journeys.