Riffing on Suzanne's blog, I now present: Oh, the places I've been!

Burley, Idaho -- I was born when my family was living here on some land just outside the city limits. My earliest memories come from this point in my life. I think we moved when I was 3 or 4.

Rexburg, Idaho -- Dad got a promotion so we moved and lived here for a year or so. I went to preschool at Ricks College and was madly in love with two of my teachers. Looking back, I realize they were probably 18 or 19 years old, girls who would be my students now. Crazy.

Blackfoot, Idaho -- Another promotion. I attended kindergarten and part of first grade here. Our house was right across the street from the church. First best friend, Gavin Mikesell, lived a few blocks away.

American Falls, Idaho -- Another promotion (my, he was an upwardly mobile man.) We lived here for four years, the longest I'd been anywhere. We lived in a house at the crest of the highest hill in town and had a great view of the AF reservoir. I attended first through part of sixth grade here and went from being pre-baptism to being ordained a deacon the month before we moved back to...

Rexburg, Idaho -- Dad was promoted to branch manager and some kind of VP position. We moved in midway through my sixth grade year and, for those of you with kids contemplating a move any time soon, try to pick almost any time other than middle school/junior high to move your kids. Everyone has already formed their cliques and things are kind of set until high school. If you're a shy, nerdy type (as I was), moving at that age is pretty tough.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming -- Summer of 1991. One summer spent cleaning up after tourists. Tony and I thought we'd be all tough and independent but in reality we went scampering back to Rexburg every chance we got.

Mississippi, Jackson Mission -- Hattiesburg, MS; Hodge, LA; Shreveport, LA; Jackson, MS; Gautier, MS; Bossier City, LA; the open road. I won the shiny shoe contest as well as the starched shirt competition but never won the clean car award. Ah well. I left a six pack of diet Coke in the car for the Fleet Coordinator to find and was given an extra hundred miles anyway. Bribery works, people.

Provo, Utah -- I lived here for a month with Tony at the Riviera Apartments just prior to his marriage to Cassie. It was a blast.

Rexburg, Idaho -- I had to finish up at Ricks. I was on the three-year plan when it was still a two-year school. Ran into Suzanne here again.

Pocatello, Idaho -- Went to ISU after finishing at Ricks. Spent some time just being a pathetic mess but eventually started dating Suzanne who was in Logan at Utah State at the time. Things looked up. We got married and I graduated in 2000.

Boise, Idaho -- We spent three years in Boise while I pursued an MFA. Both our children were born here. I loved BSU, loved Boise. I'd happily go back any time. Do you hear that, Boise State University? Do you hear? Any. Time. I'm available. Very.

Twin Falls, Idaho -- My first full-time teaching job. We were there for three years. We had some good times as well as some monumentally bad times. Suzanne's entry for this part of our life made me laugh: "Mark taught at CSI, and I stayed home with my youngin’s off and on. I taught ESL to migrant workers in Kimberly, ID, babysat, proctored tests at CSI, freelanced edited bits & pieces of random writing here and there, but mostly sat on my driveway with a tin cup looking for handouts."

Metro Detroit, Michigan -- Never did I imagine I would live in Michigan and yet here I am. I've been here for a year and a half and I already know my way around downtown better than most of my suburban neighbors and ward members. I spend 80% of my day with the most frightening demographic in white America -- young, unemployed, black men with criminal records. Never thought I'd be here and yet, because I'm with my family, it's all good.