Recollections 2

After leaving Canada I travelled through Alaska, which is of course up there on its own, separated from any other US states.

I then travelled down the west coast, from Washington into Oregon, and then California, before heading east into Nevada. While I think that was the most direct route I could have taken, to remember them I think it's best to swap California and Nevada around, so that a WONC acronym is created.

I then covered the next seven states to the east by travelling north and then south, but you learn as you travel, and to remember them I think it's better to split them into the northern three states, and then the four corner states at the bottom.

For the top three states, I think an acronym starting with Wyoming, and followed in a clockwise direction by Idaho and Montana is the most memorable: WIM.

For the four corner states I think an acronym of CUNA is the most memorable, but it means starting in the top right hand corner with Colorado, then travelling west for Utah, then back to the south-east for New Mexico, and then west again for Arizona. So unfortunately not as straightforward travelling around the CUNA acronym, but sometimes you've got to break off from the easiest path to reach your preferred destination.

The straight north-south line of the next six states provides a nice smooth journey. I travelled south to north, but to memorise them I think it's best to start at the top and work down; creating a memory package of D2KNOT: yes, a D2 knot, as in a rope knot. That's the Dakotas at the top, easily separated with North and South, and then Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas creating the knot.

So that's the first 18 American states covered, and I'll soon be heading into unknown territory as I move east. See you there!