Amy's America

It is sooooooooo strange to be home. Well, not so much to be home, since I have been here every now and then during the last 83 days, but to drive home and know that I’m not leaving in the next day or two. Or 10 or 20. Weird. This is going to take some getting used to. But before I jump to the end of the trip, a bit about the last day…

My last night on the road was spent sleeping at my Aunt Robin’s in West Virginia, trying to cram into a few hours as much catching up with her, Isa and Tom, as possible. Going to bed I actually felt like the princess and the pea – the bed was so high, piled up and comfy. Robin’s done a nice job of cleaning up and decorating the house in her own way (which reminds me so much of my mother and my style). In the morning I had breakfast with Grandmama (my mom’s mom) and Ed – and then picked up the cat that I was driving north for my Aunt Kris. As I’ve mentioned, I wasn’t thrilled, but felt it was the right thing to do.

The cat wasn’t bad. It did cry the entire 10 hours (lots of traffic in Connecticut), but I just turned the music up and drowned it out. For those who don’t like country, you may accuse me of cat torture, but I can’t say I cared much. (Sorry.)

It was only a few minutes into the drive that I passed over the state line and into… Maryland. I’d actually forgotten about that state, even though there are several things I like there including the waterfront, antique shops and the Orioles’ stadium. I wasn’t there long, either, as I was soon driving over the Mason-Dixon line and into what I used to think of as the longest state in the world: Pennsylvania. It no longer seems that long, now that I’ve driven through some of the western states!

I would’ve taken a picture of the Mason-Dixon line sign, but it was pouring out. In fact, it was raining almost the entire drive. I passed many barns, trees, fields, animals, that I would have liked to photograph but the rain kept me in my car. Hmmm… am wondering if that was God’s way of protecting me from repeating yesterday’s mistake?

There were so many places I passed that I want to go back to – like  Mystic for its seaport, aquarium and pizza. It’s funny how as a teenager Connecticut seemed so far away, and now it seems like it’s just down the street.

It felt strange to drive into Rhode Island – to be so close to home. My Aunt Kris and cousin Ben met me at the mall so I could give them the cat. Can’t say I was sorry to hand it over. Nothing personal, but I have my own at home. I then went to the airport to pick my older brother, Steve, up. He’s flying in to attend our grandmother’s service. So technically he finished the road trip with me, since he was with me as I drove up to the house. (Which was rather nice because he helped me empty 83 days worth of stuff from my car, including Black Friday purchases.) I guess he was the stand-in for Aidan, since Aidan still won’t work. He just sat next to me completely blank. When I told Tina this, she wasn’t surprised and said that’s rather typical of some men.

It feels so weird to call this trip over. So I won’t – especially since it’s not the end. This is just an intermission for a bit more real life. There are so many things I didn’t get a chance to do:

• Sleep in a haunted house.
• Go to a rodeo. (Riding the mechanical bull doesn’t count.)
• Shop on Rodeo Drive.

And so many places I had to skip, and people I still need to visit – especially those on the east coast.

For those wondering about this blog, this isn’t the last entry.  As long as there’s an Amy and an America to explore, there will be www.amysamerica.com. I actually started a list in the last few days of what I’ve learned on the trip. It’s not done, so I won’t share it yet, but will post it on here  in the next few days. After that, whenever I do travel again – especially those spring/summer weekend trips to make up the end of the official road trip – I will blog about it here.Who knows, I may do some local travel posts, too. Whenever I do blog, I’ll put it on Facebook as I do now, and if you don’t have Facebook, either sign up for the email reminders (on home page see top of column to the right) or just check back here every now and then… thank you very much for reading and taking this journey with me!

Read Full Post »

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I’m going home. My grandmother, Maggie’s mom, passed away and my brother Steve and I both want to be there for her. So I have postponed – not canceled – the remainder of my east coast visits and explorations to go straight back to Massachusetts (well, via West Virginia). Trish agrees we can do the Eat. Pray. Love. Charleston. tour in the spring or summer (as do all my other wonderful east coast friends), so her and the kids bid me farewell.

It was a good day for driving – overcast and drizzling off and on. I watched the temperature on the thermometer steadily drop as I drove north. 50…45…42… I drove into North Carolina, by Charlotte (looks pretty cool) and was making good time until traffic came to a standstill – right near
Mount Airy, home of Mayberry and the Andy Griffith Show.

I sat for a while, wondering what the issue was, and grew more aggravated by the minute as my stomach started to growl. I was complaining to my mom on the speakerphone when I thought I spotted a Subway sign at the next exit. She convinced me it was worth stopping for, so I veered off.

I somehow went right past the Subway, but then something else caught my eye: more cows. I heard Tara’s voice in my head, so I had to get a few pictures. I pulled over and told mom to hold on while I hopped out real quick. I snapped a few photos and ran back to the car. Only the door wouldn’t open! The car’s not supposed to be able to lock from the outside with the car on – and it didn’t seem like the lock was all the way down, yet it wouldn’t open. I had no phone, no jacket, nothing but my camera (and cows) – and mom still on speakerphone inside.

I put my face up against the window and yelled, “mom!’ She yelled back, “Amy! Is everything all right? I can’t really hear you!” I tried to yell to her to call AAA but she couldn’t understand me through the glass, so went to get Mark. I just shook my head at the cows, who were staring at me. I was cupping my face to the window, trying to yell to them again when help arrived. His name was Shane, my knight in the white Honda. He offered me his phone, and with my parents still yelling from inside my car, I called Mark’s cell. Luckily he answered the strange number.

Shane helped me explain where we were (intersection of Hwy 21 and Rena Rd.) and Mark called AAA. Once it was confirmed that they would be there in an hour, I thanked Shane and told him I’d be fine. He insisted on staying with me, explaining that he wouldn’t feel right leaving me because ‘rednecks will be stopping and trying to pick you up.’ He was right in a way – people did stop every few minutes to inquire about what was going on – and I appreciated his company. Clearly my car (with its Massachusetts plates) at the side of the road among the cows was the highlight of the day in Jonesville.

We passed time (and tried to forget the cold) chatting about everything from the Red Sox (Shane’s a huge fan – even has a Red Sox screen saver on his phone) and family to work and traveling. He recommended seeing the Biltmore Estate (dubbed America’s largest home) in Asheville when I return to North Carolina. I’ll definitely add it to my list. I’d also forgotten about the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is a wonderfully scenic route. While I had a great time talking to him, my freezing body was very happy when Donny arrived – my knight in the white van. (Two knights in one day – lucky me!)

I thanked Shane and bid him farewell, then waited in Donny’s van (trying to thaw out) as he got my car door open – very quickly, I must add. (Thanks Donny!) I waved to the cows, thinking I was now all set. What I didn’t remember until I got back in the stopped traffic on the highway was that I was running on empty… I almost had to call Donny back to save me again, but luckily inched to the next exit and found a gas station. Phew!

I was so frustrated at the lost two hours (and paranoid about leaving the car) that I only stopped for gas the rest of the way. I made it to Martinsburg, West Virginia, where my grandmother, aunt and family live, by about 8:30 pm. Not bad considering…

Read Full Post »