I saw that one from the middle of Wyoming. If you have never seen a total eclipse, and think that being nearby where it’s maybe 95% total or even 99% total is good enough, nothing short of 100% totality even comes close. I thought I knew what to expect, but when the moment of totality arrived and I saw that indescribable image of the dark black circle of the moon surrounded by the pure white corona my knees almost buckled and I got seriously choked up. It is emotionally overwhelming because it feels like you are suddenly peering directly into the universe and finally getting a true look at the indescribable majesty of God’s creation. No photo you have ever seen comes remotely close to accurately conveying the experience.
I now fully understand why people plan for years, and will travel halfway around the world, just to experience two or three minutes of totality. For weeks afterward, any time I encountered someone else who had seen it we automatically started babbling excitedly about how incredible it was. We must have sounded like members of some weird cult to those who missed it. There is absolutely no way to overstate how powerful it is. If you haven’t experienced a total solar eclipse (and there’s another one coming to the U.S. in 2024), do anything and everything you have to to get into the path of totality. You will never regret it.
I was in the path of the last one here. We had around 90s of totality IIRC.
One statement I heard that sums it up a bit more crudely, but very effectively - the difference between being in a partial eclipse vs. a total one is like the difference between kissing a woman, and having sex with a woman.
I will be in the path of totality in 2024. We decided that on the drive home from the last one.