On a Journey and Writing Your Own Story

Sometimes, travel is a destination. Other times, it’s a journey – both literally and mentally in terms of finding yourself, or finding something but you don’t know what you’re looking for. Today’s guest Jane Devin is doing just that: writing her own story and looking for something that she couldn’t find elsewhere.

Can you introduce yourself?

I’ve worn a lot of hats in life, and all the different collar colors. I’ve been a secretary, cook, marketing executive, salesperson, factory worker, and counselor. I’ve written through all of my experiences, and have since I was a teen in search of stories that reflected my life. There were none, so I began writing my own.

You’re currently writing a series of stories about travelling across America. What triggered your idea for this journey?

I spent the latter part of 2008 and much of 2009 being ill with autoimmune disorders. For a time, I did not know if I’d survive. During my illness, I had a lot of time to examine the life I’d lived, and found it wanting. I spent too many years as a self-supporting teenager, then a struggling single parent, working whatever jobs paid the rent. My passions for writing, travel, and cultural learning were, out of necessity, suppressed. When I got the news that I’d live, I knew I wanted to do something totally different.

The idea for findingmyamerica.com sprung up, oddly enough, in a therapy session. I was seeing a counselor to help determine the next course of my life, and one day I’d casually told her I entered a sweepstakes. She asked what I would do if I won. Instantly, without any pause, I said, “I’d travel across the country and write stories.” I didn’t even know such an idea was in my head. She then asked what I would do if I didn’t win, and that’s when the proverbial light bulb went off.

Of course, I was in no position to go. Illness had exhausted my resources. I was broke and driving an old, beat-up Ford, but this was important to me. I came to the conclusion that I could just as well be broke on the road. I was very fortunate, though, that General Motors found my idea worthwhile and decided to sponsor the automobile portion of my trip. It has been a blast to test drive GM products like the Chevy Camaro and GMC Yukon Denali. The cars have really become part of the story since I spend so much time in them, not only driving, but writing.

Andy:  Wow, thanks for being so honest and upfront.  Powerful stuff here.

How long have you been on this journey? Have you found anything profound so far? Any surprises?

I began in October, 2009. The most profound lesson so far has been simply “don’t look back.” During the trip, I decided to go back to the city of my childhood, which was full of misery and despair for me then. It still is. Certain memories do not really fade, they only burrow. I discovered the same thing again recently when I visited Minnesota. Apparently, I needed to learn this lesson twice.

The best surprise has been the warm welcome I’ve received from readers, who often invite me to stay with them in-between drives. The worst has been discovering that whatever drew certain people to comment on your blog can end after meeting in person. Part of it may be some disappointment factor — part of it may be the feeling that now that we’re friends it’s not necessary to communicate that way — and part of it may be that they didn’t like what you later wrote about them or their city. I don’t know, but it makes me sad and somewhat self-doubting.

Andy:  I suppose this is a sorry truth of being a writer/journalist; you know what they say – you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

I think your journey is inspiring for people who want to explore but are afraid to leave their own country. What would you tell people who are stuck on their sofa and afraid (for whatever reason) to travel?

I used to have this imagining when I was a child that fear was a thing in my pocket, and all I had to do to quell it was take it out and throw it away. As an adult, I realize it’s a very fanciful idea, but I still abide by its simplicity. Fears naturally dissipate when they are faced — and when what drives them ceases to be of great value or importance.

Not everyone would like to live as I do. Most, in fact, might find it unthinkable. I have no savings, no retirement account, no keys to a house — there is no safety net. There never was much of one in my previous life, but like worker bee I thought “one day, one day…”. I kept doing the same things and expecting different results — and isn’t that the definition of futility? When I answered that question affirmatively, my values changed, and suddenly having the keys to a cramped place that I worked 40 miserable hours a week to maintain didn’t seem to make any sense at all.

What’s been your most inspirational travel experience?

Things that inspire me and inspire readers are sometimes different. For me, New Mexico was healing on several levels. I’ve written two articles on my experiences there, one deals with the family behind La Mirada Inn, and the other is a piece on gratitude. The Sisneros family inspired me with their closeness, warmth, and laughter. I fell in love with the matriarch, Viola, and her three daughters. They are truly amazing people.

The gratitude — for where I am, what I’m doing, and the supporters I have — washed over me powerfully on a second trip to New Mexico. There’s something about the desert and mountains there that takes layers and years of hubris off and scrubs the soul clean.

When will you end your trans-American journey? What happens after that?

I planned a one-year journey, but if I could I would do this for the rest of my life. I really don’t wish for it to end. When I think about what may happen afterward, I frankly find it depressing. The thought of returning to a life spent under fluorescent lights is one I find cataclysmically sad, so I am determined not to think of it until the end is in immediate sight. I am too interested in right now to fret about tomorrow.

For those reading, you can follow Jane’s travels on her site, Finding My America. Connect with her on Twitter.

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