Patrick Forhane, 45, hit his 50th state, , in 2022. Two years earlier, he wasn't sure if achieving the feat would be possible. Forhane, a credit review manager for a bank, had a longtime goal of visiting , though a serious health emergency in early 2020 put a wrench in his plans.
He was out of commission for a few months, then had to postpone travel plans after the outbreak of the pandemic. However, by the end of the year, Forhane was back to traveling to hit his . Forhane has also been to 45 , his favorites being Sweden, Japan, and Chile.
He's also traveled to Azerbaijan, Tanzania, Malaysia, and Russia. "When I was younger, I didn't plan on driving around the country, and I never have still. I've been to all these places randomly, and I'm just surprised at how much there is to see in the US," Forhane said.
"It's sad that not everybody knows what's out there." Forhane ranked his , preferring the colder Northern states to the hotter South. Forhane grew up on Long Island, where his dad worked for United Airlines.
He and his family took vacations in states such as California, Florida, and Hawaii, though he said that his parents "weren't very creative with traveling." He moved with his family to , where he attended college and explored the West Coast. He then moved to Seattle for work for seven years, visiting states including Idaho and Montana.
He took two trips to Alaska, where he rented a car and explored the major cities. "When I lived in Seattle, a very large portion of the .