I decided to hit the road this year because I've been feeling this sense of urgency and importance to see our United States of America. Without getting too far into it, the results of the election this past November really shook me. I was surprised by the fact that maybe I don't actually know my country as well as I thought. I've been working towards this career of advocacy, justice, and support for incredible people in my community. All of a sudden, it felt as if that career may not be what my fellow Americans value. It felt like the base of what I deemed to be right, was suddenly not represented by the people around me.

I decided to turn the questions into a bit of an exploration of my country. I want to see how vast this land really is and how different groups of people live. I want to find a common thread running through the American people. I want to make maybe a bit of sense of our election results. Lastly, I want to see the beauty of our seemingly enormous country.

As I've been working towards my Master's in Special Education, I've also been assistant teaching and teaching at a fantastic school here in Asheville. This year's teaching position in special education was temporary, so I needed to find a new teaching gig. I also needed to finish up this pesky graduate school. Instead of taking the traditional route, I decided to take a leap and finish my Master's from the road and skip a year of teaching. Luckily, Volkswagen also doled out a hefty check this spring to fund my adventure...!

So! I have a beautiful Subaru, a spacious rooftop carrier, two bikes, and a LOT of good tunes to start my journey. I'll stop by friends' houses and have some loved ones meet me along the way. It seems as if I'll be gone for about 4 months, leaving behind dear Jamie and dearest Huckleberry to hold down our fort in Asheville. I leave on Monday for Washington DC and then onto Portland, Maine for a week.