**** I set off from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in July 2011, zig-zagged across America, and ended up in Aspen, Colorado, in February 2012. Along the way I visited 28 states, three countries, dozens of national parks, hundreds of cities and towns, and countless friends and strangers. I'd lost my job of seven years, my apartment burned down while I was out of town for a weekend, and I ditched a toxic dude. You'd probably hit the road, too. This is my virtual scrapbook of anecdotes and eye candy from a freewheeling, cross-country, cross-cultural odyssey--past, present, and future....XOXO Amanda Rae Busch
amandaraewashere@gmail.com
![I think I can, I think I can…
Meanwhile, got caught in a blizzard while hiking on Sunday.
[Aspen, Colorado, May 18, 2013]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/17cb816efae1bb1e08743daa92056706/tumblr_mn68ynI3Ii1qloi1ho1_500.jpg)
I think I can, I think I can…
Meanwhile, got caught in a blizzard while hiking on Sunday.
[Aspen, Colorado, May 18, 2013]
onepointtwentyonejigowatts asked: Hi, i've been a follower of yours for quite some time. I love watching your adventures unfold, and I just have to ask - how do you afford all this? You're pretty much doing what I wish I could do, and I'm baffled as to how you still get around to the 'normal people' things. Keep being awesome! :)
Hi! Thanks for the kudos, and for following along on this crazy journey of mine! =)
When I originally started Amanda Rae Was Here, I had a simple goal: to chronicle my solo road trip across America in July 2011. I had no idea how long I would be out on the road, but because I’d lost my job two weeks prior to the apartment-fire fiasco, I received a substantial chunk of compensation over many weeks that followed. I received some money after the fire and with careful planning (camping/staying with friends and family/dirt-cheap motels), I was able to blow it all and have an absolute blast for seven glorious months. I understand that these are some pretty unique circumstances, but despite all the heartache, I feel SO lucky that it all happened as it did. (But, seriously, don’t go burning down your house.)
Perhaps a bit ironically, I chose to move to Aspen when I needed to start making money again. I was given an opportunity that was too good to pass up, I feel at home in the mountains, and I have family and friends in Denver. I’ve been a freelance writer and editor for the better part of a decade, so I began picking up assignments at Aspen’s many media outlets and doing ad and copy writing for local clients. I’ve also been a contributing editor at a cheese magazine—YES, A MAGAZINE ALL ABOUT CHEESE—since 2008. Sometimes I bartend for fast cash. In June I’ll start selling fine-art photography. And I have a couple of other odd jobs, one of which I might post about this summer…
Freelancing is a hustle, and I’m nowhere near my salary glory days being on staff at an award-winning regional glossy in the Berkshires, and I don’t have a huge apartment to myself or much to my name anymore besides a desk, wardrobe, and a few toys…but I have absolutely no regrets. I know it will all work out; the past two years represent just a blip on my timeline.
It can be unsettling, sure. But Aspen is Paradise, and it’s working out so far. I haven’t been blogging as often because I haven’t been traveling as much. I make my own schedule, and I save my money where I can to spend it on new experiences. To me, that’s what life is all about.
![Napa was lush and dreamy, but it’s good to be back in ASPEN!
[Britto on Ajax, Aspen, Colorado, April 6, 2013]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/f46c77690d5fa20a01caa0cdc8ee7a96/tumblr_mn08mgxR2T1qloi1ho1_500.jpg)
Napa was lush and dreamy, but it’s good to be back in ASPEN!
[Britto on Ajax, Aspen, Colorado, April 6, 2013]
![GPOYW: Flashback to champagne country, where I’m heading tomorrow for the first-ever BottleRock Napa! Four days of great bands, comedians, wine, and sunshine? Sold.
(Notice the Aspen leaf pendant ‘round my neck…four months before I decided to stop wandering and settle in Colorado.)
[Korbel Champagne Cellars, Guerneville, California, November 13, 2011]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/bb94a2421ed3dc4b63fdad24ffba3d6a/tumblr_mmg8ohCqVL1qloi1ho1_500.jpg)
GPOYW: Flashback to champagne country, where I’m heading tomorrow for the first-ever BottleRock Napa! Four days of great bands, comedians, wine, and sunshine? Sold.
(Notice the Aspen leaf pendant ‘round my neck…four months before I decided to stop wandering and settle in Colorado.)
[Korbel Champagne Cellars, Guerneville, California, November 13, 2011]
![Last week, Peter and I spent a solid 70 minutes bullshittin’ about bloggin.’ The only reason I mention this cringeworthy fact—other than to help drive traffic to #thePetecast, duh—is because our chat brought up lots of memories from my across-the-country journey and spawned some awesome new ideas for potential collaboration.
“You could write about anything and suck people in….” he says by way of introduction.
Aw, shucks, PDW! Unfortunately, I’m not the most eloquent speaker, and the sound quality is severely lacking, but out of it came this gem, discussing My Favorite Meal:
“In Portland I had the most phenomenal little packet of rice [at Nong’s Khao Man Gai]…I ate it on a park bench…watching crazy [Occupy Portland] protests around me.”
I’ll stick to writing.
[Vanity Cabinet, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, April 19, 2011]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/dee20d5937509279165ae3dab6c4fa2b/tumblr_mm7c04U4Ub1qloi1ho1_500.jpg)
Last week, Peter and I spent a solid 70 minutes bullshittin’ about bloggin.’ The only reason I mention this cringeworthy fact—other than to help drive traffic to #thePetecast, duh—is because our chat brought up lots of memories from my across-the-country journey and spawned some awesome new ideas for potential collaboration.
“You could write about anything and suck people in….” he says by way of introduction.
Aw, shucks, PDW! Unfortunately, I’m not the most eloquent speaker, and the sound quality is severely lacking, but out of it came this gem, discussing My Favorite Meal:
“In Portland I had the most phenomenal little packet of rice [at Nong’s Khao Man Gai]…I ate it on a park bench…watching crazy [Occupy Portland] protests around me.”
I’ll stick to writing.
[Vanity Cabinet, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, April 19, 2011]
Speaking of preparation…check out my shiny new Cortech 2.0 sport saddlebags. Weeehooo!
Installation couldn’t be easier; I’ll just strap my other bags on top. And, with total capacity at 36 liters (!), they’ll make packing for the trip a heckuva of a lot easier. More…balanced.
A week from tomorrow I’ll be taking off for my first long ride of the year. I’ll be traversing around 900 miles to the “Tail of the Dragon” in Robbinsville, North Carolina.
I’ve waited all winter to have the wind blowing across my face, to get deep in the saddle and get that far away look in my eyes as I pass by miles of American heartland at 80mph with a whiskey and a steak on my mind and an ever-increasing thirst for adventure.
Pure poetry, folks.
James Fallows, in his commencement speech at Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, June 1996.
*****
In the past few weeks, I’ve begun planning my second-annual solo Triumph odyssey to the Black Hills Classic, my third trip to Sturgis, South Dakota, in August. I am positively giddy just dreaming about it.
There are routes to map, friends to contact, lodging to secure, camping stuff to (maybe) ship, and a few new pieces of gear—which I expect will make the ~600-mile journey from Aspen a bit more comfortable—to acquire. (Still, no windshield yet!)
I’ll share some thoughts on the voyage—past and future—in the coming weeks. But, like Fallows says, “[the adventure] is in the doing, not in the preparing-for.”
[Sturgis, South Dakota, August 9, 2012]
GPOYW: Rocky Mountain photo sesh with Sian, Shannon, and ‘Stacy, atop Highland Bowl, Day-Before-Closing-on-Bonus-Weekend Day.
[Aspen, Colorado, April 27, 2013. Photos by Bob.]
Now that the 2012-2013 season is a wrap, I thought it would be cool to take a look back at some of our most popular Instagram pictures and give you guys the backstory behind them. Just some good old fashioned eye candy to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about how awesome this past season was.
…
The season may be a wrap, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t get a few new inches of snow early this morning!
Happy May 1 from Aspen!
