How I Learned All The States and Their Capitals

You’ve got some time…

Most of us do right now.

Why not learn a new skill that may or may not come in handy one day.

For example, when I was 18 years old, my best friend and I drove through to Chicago so I could do a college tour. We thought a road trip would be a blast! We didn’t realize that it was a nearly 12 hour drive from Fargo, ND to Chicago, IL. About halfway through our journey (between Minneapolis and Madison) we found an old CD that had a track on it called “50 States and Their Capitals.” We popped it in and found that we were a little rusty on our knowledge of US state capitals.

What happened next changed me forever…

We listened to that single song over and over and over and over. More than an hour of the states and capitals. The tune was “Turkey in the Straw” so it provided a nice beat. We would go until one of us got a lyric wrong and start back at the beginning. You don’t know the utter frustration of messing up on the 47th capital and having to start the whole thing over again.

I am happy to report that this tune has stuck in my head and more than 18 years later – I can still name every state and capital city. I may have to hum “Turkey in the Straw” while I finish the task – but I will have it all.

So why not take some time and use this classic from the amazing show Animaniacs and better yourself with some civic education. Trust me, at some trivia night or work function…this will pay off!