...want to see tons of countries and places in other countries. But you also have to realize how large the US is in terms of geography. The US is nearly as large as the entirety of Europe (9,826,675 square kilometers vs 10,180,000 square kilometers, respectively). The United States is an incredibly diverse place geologically and ecologically. While I enjoy cultural centers, food, art, architecture, and people (the US has a very diverse population as well, and the architectural diversity in this nation can rival anything you can find anywhere else in the world), I mainly enjoy traveling for what I see in nature. In the US, you can find rain forests, alpine mountains, high and low deserts, tropical forests, grasslands, wetlands, marshlands, swamps, lakes, rivers, wildlife, and diverse coast lines. There is enough in the United States to see that I don’t think anyone could ever see it all in one lifetime. Hell… the cuisine in this country can vary drastically from region to region even (New England, Southern, Southwestern, Pacific Rim, Cajun, Creole, etc… not to mention all the ethnic cuisines available in this country).

But please don’t get me wrong, I don’t see this country or it’s people as any better (or worse) than any other country/people. I do want to travel to see other countries in many different continents. I do want to see the landscape and wildlife that the rest of the world has to offer and I want to meet it’s people and taste all the varieties of food and see the architecture and historical sites, etc. I even plan to start doing so (I’m planning on going to Finland in August and then taking a train to Paris and then a train to the French Pyrenees and then walking 700+ km across Northern Spain… and at some point I’d like to drive to Argentina, which would be a nearly 1 year long road trip).

So far, I haven’t really made it outside of North America or the Caribbean (I’ve been to the US, Canada, Mexico, and Haiti thus far). From a purely logistical and economical point of view, it’s much easier for most Americans to see the vastness of our own country (and continent) than it is to see the rest of the word.

...is because for many Americans, it’s an attainable travel goal that over one’s lifetime (or in less time, if motivated), you could reasonably afford to accomplish. Except for Hawaii and Alaska, you could start in the state that you live and point your car toward the next state and get there within a day without needing a passport. You can pack your tent, pack your insulated cooler with food, and “rough it” along the highways and byways of America.

^{Our gasoline prices have shot up over the past month, though, so I haven’t calculated yet if it’s still affordable!}

I just re-read Josh’s last statement. That’s what I meant. I just used more words to say it.
Americans, always quantity over quality. Ha. (We got 50 states, and by golly, we’re gonna see ‘em!)

I am one of the individuals that wants to see all 50 states, but I have rarely met anyone in daily life who holds the same goal. If you ask any random person where they want to travel to they will usually rattle off distant places that will take them years to save for. A lot of people will travel half way around the world but don’t consider staying in the states “a vacation.”

For the record, I’ve visited 41 of the states. I love the beauty that the US has to offer – the Smokies and Adirondacks are great, and the southwest is my favorite! Utah is beautiful; slot canyons are a lot of fun if you haven’t hiked ‘em already.

Of course, traveling abroad is great too. =)

definitely put it best.

An added reason for me to want to see every state, province, and territory in the US and Canada is because I feel that in order to truly understand another culture and get the full impact, you need to begin by knowing your own and where you’re coming from.

You don’t have to fit in by all means, but I just feel like it’s a bit silly to travel the world in search of [beauty, yourself, culture, art, people who need/want your help] ^{insert your own reason there} without looking in your own backyard and realizing it’s there too.

I’ve been fortunate to travel all around internationally. However, I’ve decided Canada, followed by the Sates, is my primary focus for the above reasons (both as Josh stated and my own).

^{Oh, and the size and general vastness and diversity of Canada & the US is really hard for people to grasp I find. I mean, France can fit into Canada 18 times!}