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For my Dad, James Caruso. Thank you for your years of encouragement and for always believing in me.
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To Dad, Love Emily I
t’s doubtful he knew it at the time, but when I was a kid I liked to consider myself a daddy’s girl. Who wouldn’t be when you grew up being the only girl and the middle child of divorced parents? So naturally when my mom got a job in Dayton, Ohio and we moved from Canton, Ohio where my whole life was, I was immensely homesick. I kicked my adolescent feet, pouted and asked daily when we were moving back. A year later my dad got promoted at work and got the opportunity to travel all over the country. He sent me postcards along the way along with a map of the U.S. for me to mark his locations. States racked up on my map as he saw the country, instilling a desire to travel in me at a young age. I fantasized about Grand Canyon or Florida’s beaches, painting elaborate pictures and making plans to travel there one day too. This past year I got the opportunity to study abroad in Scotland with the help of my dad. His reasoning: he wanted me to learn to love to travel as much as he does at an early age. I’ve always been curious about other places and cultures, but nearly ten years after seeing my dad travel all over and one trip to Europe, all I want to do is get a plane ticket and see the world.
Would I Travel There? Based on the post cards my dad sent me, I’ve decided if I would travel to the places he went as an adult or not, or stated if I’ve already been there.
Done that 4
Not interested
Let’s go!
Contents Santa Fe, NM...............................06 Madison, WI................................08 Chicago, IL..................................10 Detroit, MI...................................12 Dearfield Beach, FL.....................14 Melbourne Beach, FL..................16 Roanoke, VA................................18 Newport, RI ................................20 Long Island, NY...........................22 Grand Canyon, AZ......................24 Winnsboro, SC.............................26 El Paso, TX..................................28 Crosslake, MN..............................30 Omaha, NE..................................32 Edinburgh, Scotland....................34
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Santa Fe, NM 18 APRIL 2006
At roughly 7,000 feet above sea level, Santa Fe is the United States’ highest capital city.
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LOVING VISUALS FROM A YOUNG AGE, I STUDIED THE PICTOGRAMS ON THE FRONT OF THIS POSTCARD.
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Madison, WI 01 MAY 2006
Madison, Wisconsin is named after James Madison, the fourth President of the U.S.
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IF I COULD GO BACK AND GIVE ADVICE TO 11 YEAR OLD EMILY, IT’D BE TO ALWAYS ANSWER YOUR DAD’S PHONE CALLS AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO WORK YOUR VOICE MAIL. 9
Chicago, IL 22 MAY 2006
The Twinkie was invented by Chicagoan Jimmy Dewar, during the great depression. The dessert was named “Twinkie” after Dewar spotted an ad for Twinkle Toe Shoes.
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CHICAGO HAS BEEN ON MY BUCKET LIST SINCE I GOT THIS. SOMETHING ABOUT BIG CITIES GETS ME EXCITED.
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Detroit, MI 01 JUNE 2006
Detroit is the potato chip capital of the country. On average, people in Detroit consume seven pounds of potato chips a year, the national average is four pounds a year.
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I DIDN’T KNOW DETROIT HAD BALD EAGLES, HUH.
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Deerfield Beach, FL 24 JUNE 2006
Deerfield Beach is named after the numerous deer that appear on the beach.
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I REMEMBER LOGGING ONTO MY FAMILY COMPUTER AND FOLLOWING HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO FIND THIS ONE.
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I LOVED THIS ONE BECAUSE WE HAD JUST LEARNED ABOUT THE MOON LANDING IN SCHOOL.
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Melbourne, FL 24 JUNE 2006
Evidence of Paleo Indians having once inhabited the Melbourne area was uncovered in the 1920s.
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NOT MY FAVORITE POSTCARD, BUT READING THAT MY DAD WAS HAPPY EVEN IN VIRGINIA MADE ME SMILE.
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Roanoke, VA 02 AUG 2006
During colonial times the site of Roanoke was an important hub of trails and roads. The Great Wagon Road, one of the most heavily traveled roads of eighteenth century America, ran from Philadelphia through the Shenandoah Valley to the future site of the City of Roanoke, where the Roanoke River passed through the Blue Ridge.
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Newport, RI 16 SEPTEMBER 2006
Newport, the colonial capital of Rhode Island, was the first of the thirteen colonies to declare its independence from England on May 4th, 1776.
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MY BROTHER IS GETTING MARRIED IN RHODE ISLAND. I CAN’T WAIT.
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Long Island, NY 18 SEPT 2006
Long Island is the most populated island in the country.
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I’VE BEEN TO LONG ISLAND, BUT PERSONALLY WASN’T A FAN. IT WAS TOO CROWDED AND DIDN’T HAVE MIDWESTERN HOSPITALITY.
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Grand Canyon, AZ 02 OCT 2006
Hikers enjoys a resting spot near Anasazi Indian ruins with a magnificent view of the Colorado river. The Anasazi inhabited this area between A.D. 200 to A.D. 1300.
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PLACES LIKE THAT EXIST?!
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Winnsboro, SC 06 OCTOBER 2006
Winnsboro is a small town in Fairfield County, South Carolina with the motto “A Town for All Time”.
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I’M STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE MEANT BY “TRIP TO SPAIN?” BUT I’LL TAKE IT.
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El Paso, TX 06 OCT 2006
Before El Paso was nicknamed the Sun City, the city was known as the Six Shooter Capital because of its cowboy ways.
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ONE OF MY CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WAS FROM HERE. SHE MOVED BACK TO EL PASO THE YEAR I GOT THIS.
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I LAUGHED SO HARD ABOUT THIS ONE. MY DAD HAS BEEN MAKING DAD JOKES SINCE 2006 AND HE’S COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF IT.
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Crosslake, MN 05 DEC 2006
The city covers thirty-seven square miles with over one third of it covered by water.
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Omaha, NE 05 DEC 2006
Nebraska was once nicknamed the great American Desert.
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BY FAR MY FAVORITE POSTCARD BECAUSE OF THE CURSE WORD, NOT BECAUSE I PARTICULARLY LIKE NEBRASKA.
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Edinburgh, 01 AUG 2016
Scotland O
n cold winter days like these, I think fondly of Scotland. From hoping on trains to seemingly nowhere to hanging out in pubs, my time abroad completely changed my outlook on the world. I’m more confident, proud of my work, and able to think on my toes. I met people that changed my outlook on culture and how other people live. Hell, I even danced in an old castle with my friends at sunset. One day I want to design in another country and be able to travel freely. I owe my adventure to my parents. If it wasn’t for there hard work to put me there I would have spent my summer working retail and dog sitting. The least I could do was return the favor and send a postcard home to my dad.
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Love, Dad
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