I’ve traveled to all 50 states. Here are 6 mistakes I made while trying to see each one.

• After visiting all 50 states solo, there are some things I wish I’d done differently.
• I should’ve considered the downsides of traveling to certain places during the offseason.
• I wish I had decided on a more organized way to document each state with photos and journal entries.

I started traveling solo nearly a decade ago when I turned 30. In the beginning, I didn’t have any grand plans to visit all 50 states or every national park — I just knew I wanted to experience new places.

However, as I traveled more, my goals changed, and nearly two years ago, I visited my 50th state. However, that’s not to say I didn’t make some — or a lot of — mistakes along the way.

Although I don’t like to have regrets, there are some things I’d recommend other travelers consider before embarking on a similar quest.

Here are six mistakes I made on my journey to see all 50 states.