50 states in 18 months

SANDUSKY — Matt Thomas aims to travel to all 50 states in a year and a half, and he's made it through 15 so far. Most recently, his journey has brought him to Sandusky. While he's taken some short breaks for work and family-related matters, Thomas — who was born in New York state and most recently lived in Portland, Oregon — has, for the most part, been on the move ever since beginning his journey on Feb. 10. He has two rules: the place in each state he visits can be nowhere too obvious and nowhere he's been before. "The truth is that the genesis of this trip was because I got divorced," Thomas said. "I tried to fit into a traditional life and it wasn't working. I wanted a sense of adventure, exploration, and randomness." He tries to spend one week in each state he visits. His remote job provided the perfect opportunity. "I tried to go in without expectations," he said. "I was worried at first that it would get lonely or tedious, but I've adapted well. It's such a wonderful and diverse country." As for which states to go to and when, Thomas has completed his journey in no particular order, except to try to catch certain important events like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. So of all the places in Ohio to visit, why did he pick Sandusky? "I really chose Sandusky as my city to visit in Ohio because I rewatched 'Tommy Boy,'" he said, referencing the 1995 comedy film starring Chris Farley and David Spade, which is set in Sandusky. "It's such a silly answer. "It's really the only place so far that I can see myself returning to," he added. "I've met so many great people here." Thomas enjoys writing about his travels on his blog "50 States of Matt" at 50statesofmatt.com, chronicling both how he feels about each place and where he is on his emotional journey. He plans to turn the blog into a book once he's finished his American travels. "After this, maybe I'll fall in love with somewhere along the way, maybe plant roots when I'm done," Thomas said. "Or maybe I'll go international after this. I've tried to remain completely open about it. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."