Amy's America

The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Amy’s America – May 2010

Who are you? That’s probably the most difficult one – can I get back to you? Um… I’m a woman, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a godmother, a writer, a book-movie-photography-history-sports-water lover.

Why are you driving around the country? For so many reasons! I got pregnant with my son when I was 16 years old and have not had a break since. (Had Nick in September of my senior year of high school but kept going, went straight on to college and started my first real job the day after graduating from college.) He’s just left for college, so I’m taking my gap year. (In Europe, many students take a gap year between high school and college – a year off to travel and see the world. This is my gap year – well, gap months – 18 years later.) It was perfect timing for other reasons too. I just moved back to the US after two years living and working in London. While Nick and I were there we saw so much of Europe, it made me realize how little I’ve seen of the US. I’d been with my company for 15 years, had done everything I could do there, it was the right time to leave. My fiance and I parted ways while I was in London. And now I’m selling my house. All those things put together make it the right time for some me time on the road!

Who is going with you? No one – it’s just me, myself and I. Some friends and family will join me for bits, but most of the time it’s my solo trip.

Do you like to drive?  Actually, no! Cars scare me. I’d like to go back to riding horses. But I do like to go places. So driving is a means to an end.

Where are you going? All around the US, starting and ending in Massachusetts. I’m not really going a normal or easily describable route, but a list of places where I think I’ll stop are included in the Road Trip Itinerary tab above. Mainly I’m trying to visit friends and family who are scattered around the country who I’ve been wanting to visit for years, and see things that I’ve always read or heard about, but never seen in person. If you have any must see places, please let me know!

How can I tell where you’ve been? Well, besides reading the blog, you can tell at a glance by looking at the Google map my cousin Tara set up for me. Each night I put a virtual pushpin in the towns I visited that day. Check it out at: Amy’s America map.

What are you driving? I needed a new car when I returned from London, so bought a nice, safe, reliable Volvo s40. I love it!

When are you leaving? I left on Thursday, September 9.

When will you be back? That’s a moving target. It depends on many variables. Right now I think it will be the beginning of December. Unless…

What if your house sells while you’re away? If that really happens, I would be so excited and it would be worth cutting the trip short for – or at least taking a break in the trip to go home, pack up my house, sign papers and get back on the road. I can only hope.

What if you get a new job while you’re on the road? The perfect job would be another worthy reason to wrap it up sooner than planned. I am applying for jobs in major cities while on the road, will do interviews via phone and fly there if necessary. Ultimately I’d love to start my new job in January, but that’s certainly negotiable for the right role!

What if something important happens while you’re away? Depends what it is, but basically that’s what planes are for.

How will I know when you update the blog? The one way to be sure to know when I’ve updated the blog (which I try to do almost every day) is to subscribe – simply click on Sign Me Up which is in the box on the right, just above the picture of me (that was when I was six, not now). Or, if you follow me on Twitter, I always let folks know when there’s a new post.

Can I share your blog with others? Yes, please do! Send the link to anyone and everyone who you think would enjoy it!

Thank you for reading and commenting, keeping me company on the road!