Patrick Smith’s column this week is a delightful meditation on “country-bagging” in which he argues that one does not count having visited a country without leaving an airport or train station for at least a few hours and seeing the place. In this situation, I am a strict constructionist of borders: pass through one, and you can check off that country, state, or territory.
In my lackadaisical quest to visit all fifty states (I’m up to thirty-nine), I count Michigan. My only time in Michigan was waiting in the very nice Detroit airport. A Michigander friend told me that unless I had stood upon and taken in the rich, verdant soil of the Wolverine State, I had not actually “been” there. By that standard, I wonder, has any resident of Detroit has ever been to Michigan?
The Century Club—a group made up of folks who have been to a 100 countries or more—sides with you—and actually goes a bit further. They count islands as separate countries (so Hawaii or Tasmania get you extra hits). Changing plans constitutes visiting a country. For my own personal lists of places visited, I only count places I’ve actually seen—at least for a few hours. But that’s because the point for me is seeing the places, not checking off a list. I think if I were checking off a list (as for the Century Club), I’d happily add the extra half-dozen places where I’ve changed planes. So I guess each approach is valid, depending on the desired outcome.
As someone who has driven through 32 states and three Canadian provinces I believe your friend is correct, unless you’ve spent more than a layover in any state you really haven’t been there.
You really don’t grasp the Undocumented American problem until you drive through the South Western states, I watch those Whopper Freakout ads and say to myself, I’ve driven all through Nevada, and I’d freak out over the fact that a white man and a black man that speak perfect English are working in a Burger King. I have been in McDonalds where they give you a picture menu to order off of in California.
-Ron
Well, I guess there’s quite a debate on this subject.