Another oddity of the Obama campaign: the candidate hadn't really bothered to visit very much of America, prior to deciding to become its leader. The New York Times brings us the heart-warming story of Barack Obama finally getting to really see the United States by running for president.

"Having grown up in Hawaii and Indonesia and spending much of his adult life in large cities, Mr. Obama, 46, is now acquainting himself more deeply with his country and finds himself unusually surprised by some of his findings."

"Most presidential nominees have been on the national stage for years or even decades, traveling the country raising money and building a network for themselves and others."

"His salary as a community organizer in Chicago - about $12,000 annually -- allowed him to travel only once or twice a year. Now, it is more likely to be once or twice a day, and he often christens his arrival in a new destination with a personal greeting as he soaks in his surroundings."

"Apparently, according to the Obama campaign, In 1981 -- the year Obama transferred from Occidental College to Columbia University -- Obama visited his mother and sister Maya in Indonesia. After that visit, Obama traveled to Pakistan with a friend from college whose family was from there. The Obama campaign says Obama was in Pakistan for about three weeks, staying with his friend's family in Karachi and also visiting Hyderabad in Southern India."