Hot Dogs Across America—Flash Talk Edition

In October, I joined 400 coworkers in Park City, Utah, for the annual all-hands Automattic Grand Meetup. During the weekend, everyone gives a 4-minute flash talk on any subject they would like.

This year, Hot Dogs Across America. Hot Dogs Across America is my quest/challenge with Fischer to see who can eat a hot dog in all fifty states (plus DC!) first. You can watch all four minutes of glory:

The beginning was meant to be a little comedic misdirection, but it fell pretty flat and I didn’t sell it that well. The trip itself, in June 2004, happened pretty much as the video said and ended with the Arizona hot dog. The trip was to the Gila River Indian Community outside of Phoenix to a school under the direction of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. The local community and the Sisters in general are both wonderful and was a transformative experience. After my first year (and the sponsoring parish opting to not continue the trip), Vanessa and I coordinated the trip for two or three years more.

In addition to Arizona, the video touches on the hot dogs from the District, Georgia, Wyoming, Missouri, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Hawaii.1

I’m still backfilling pictures, maps, and information for all of the states. It’ll come!