You have covered most of my life except with the only country I have been in besides the United States is Canada on both the west coast and east coast! I was born and raised a good part of my life in the Northeastern part of Or. I loved Niagra Falls, N.Y. during the spring and summer. Have you ever been to Or. and precisely in the N. E. part to hike or fish? Wallowa was or may still be called 'Little Switzerland'.