North Dakota is not one of those glamorous states that everyone wants to go to. It is not even one of the top forty-nine states on most people’s list. It was at the top of the list for my family, though. Out of all the states that we have been to as a family, somehow we skipped over North Dakota, so we made it our mission last summer to hit this elusive state that we missed. Our vacation was very special to me, not only because North Dakota was the last state that we had not been to, but also because the road trip there was full of thrilling stops and adventures, and the long trip in our tiny twenty-four foot camper helped my family come closer to one another (both figuratively and literally).
North Dakota was the last state in the country that my family had not hit. It symbolized an end to a long journey that started when I was very young. By hitting this final state, my journey to reach all fifty states had been accomplished. By smelling the crisp North Dakota air, and by setting foot on its dense, dry soil, I had accomplished a great feat that many people have only dreamed of achieving. Few people can say that they have been to every state in our nation, and even fewer can say that they did it before they were eighteen. I am truly blessed, and my trip to North Dakota helped me realize that.
Some people say that the journey is the destination. That was very true for our trip. We stopped at many wonderful and exciting places along the way, such as an abandoned salt mine in Kansas where we were able to venture deep into the mine. That was a strange and unique experience for me. We also stopped in Tulsa, Oklahoma to see the University of Tulsa. I actually got to go play around on their real game field. That was one of the coolest things that I have ever been able to do on a college campus. We also went to see Mount Rushmore for a second time. It was just as majestic and breathtaking the second time around. It truly is one of the