<em>"Hell's bells, honey. It's a big country."</em>

That's a line from the final scene of a movie I love, Arthur Penn's "F

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," which manages to be about friendship, love, the Sixties and America, which is a lot for one movie. The main character, Danilo, is an immigrant who loves America with the passion only an immigrant can. In that final scene, he and the woman he loves are talking about where they'll live.

<em>"It's a big country."</em>

Until I started thinking about it, I never really considered just how much of this big country I have experienced. I always knew I had been to a lot of states. I think I've reached the point where there are only five I haven't spent at least some time in -- Alaska, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Mississippi. I figure now that I'm living in Georgia, the chances are pretty good I'll make it to the two other Southern states. Alaska is interesting enough for a special trip, and if I get serious about finishing my tour of major league baseball cities, I'll have to go to Milwaukee.

But what the hell reason would I ever have for a trip to North Dakota?

Still, a lot of people have traveled, and I'm sure there are plenty of folks who have been to more than 45 states if they've lived 61 or more years.

But I wonder how many of them have actually lived as many different places as I have without having any affiliation with the military. Even discounting the three states in which I lived during my first 10 years -- California, Illinois and Ohio -- I have lived in eight different states as an adult and worked in seven.

I've lived in four Southern states, one in the Midwest, one in the Rocky Mountain states and two in the Pacific Time Zone.

I've lived at sea level and at altitude, and the 3 1/2 years I spent living at about 4,500 feet might have been my favorite years as far as climate and seasons.

I've lived in two of the states that are near the top of many people's lists as far as being fascinating places to live -- Colorado and California.

I've lived in the bluest of the blue states (California) and one that's closest to the reddest of the red states (South Carolina). Folks were plenty nice in both of them, Americans all, even if they wouldn't seem to like each other very much.

I never lived in the one place I thought I wanted more than any other, but I've visited San Francisco enough times to have experienced its rare beauty. I've lived near two of my other favorite cities, Denver and Atlanta.

Yes, it's a big country.