For No Particular Reason.
Don't lose yourself in a moment.
Find yourself in every moment.
Find yourself in every moment.
Everyone always talks about seeing the world. All of these American college kids can’t wait to blow obscene amounts of money on a trip to Europe, Asia, or South America for a “semester of enlightenment” in studying abroad. Don’t get me wrong, I am one of those American college kids who did that very same thing and couldn’t have imagined a better, faster, or more memorable way of getting rid of that money.
The enlightened Europhiles always talk about how much they discovered themselves while being abroad (myself included). They said they learned so much about being American by being away from America (probably a direct quote from me this time last year). But since I returned from Italy last July, I have traveled more extensively around the US than I ever have before in any calendar year. I even had the chance to take an East Coast road trip from Tampa to Boston, crossing through 12 states in three days. As I listened to American tunes and peered out the window and saw the American landscape, I realized you don’t have to go all the way to Europe to learn about being an American. There’s a lot to learn right here.
Why don’t more Americans seem to be excited about seeing the world that’s already surrounding us? What do we have against taking a spring break vacay exploring some exotic locales right in our own American backyard? Most of my friends have never had the opportunity to travel around the US, except to visit family or take occasional vacations to the obvious touristy hot spots. I am fortunate enough to consider myself fairly well-traveled around my native land. Thanks mostly to being a sidekick to my father’s Major League Baseball Stadium tour-de-America, I have visited 33 out of 50 states. But that’s only 66%. That’s a solid D in American exposure. I’m ashamed. Hmm, maybe I should have “studied domestic” in Kansas or something…
Here’s the point to all this. I’m inviting you on a trip. A free trip around the United States… all expenses paid for an entire year. I’m starting an interactive fiction blog about a teenage girl whose family dumps their obligations for a year to see the USA. They will average approximately a week in each state. Although it is fiction, it will be based on my experiences from traveling around America. However, since I am making a D in Uncle Sam’s grade book right now, I’m gonna cheat a little. I’m asking for your help. Mostly everyone I know has likely been to states I haven’t been to. I’m looking for at least 50 people to help me tell the story and be a part of something amazing: a creative venture unlike anything the Internet has ever seen before. I have created the fictitious character who will be our representative for this all-American road trip. Her name is Ami. You can meet her by visiting her blog at www.blogginamerica.wordpress.com.
Contact me if you want to help. Tell your friends about it. I don’t care if you’re a total stranger. Even if you haven’t been to a state but want to write about it based on interest and tour book/Internet research, I encourage you to do that as well. Let me know what you think!
Let’s go find America.
