From Sea to Shining Sea

Jody Lynn McBrien
7 min readJul 14, 2019
Rocky hill with some houses at the base in the west
Somewhere in Idaho. Photo by the author.

Driving cross country in three days — from Idaho to southwestern Florida — was never on my bucket list.

But when my beloved daughter and her husband told me they planned to move from Seattle to the Tampa area, I was overcome with joy and said I would gladly help with the drive. After 15 years of living on different coasts, we would finally live within driving distance.

Honestly, the thought of driving that far made me nervous, in spite of how extensively I have traveled. This was no sightseeing along-the-way trip. They were bringing three cats and were on an austerity budget. We were going to drive as many miles as possible every day.

In spite of over 12 hours in the car for three days, I was amazed at what I thought and what I learned about the United States as we drove.

I am left-leaning in my political and social views. But my experiences on this cross-country trip opened me to understanding very different views than my own.

Hop in our car and come along for the ride!

The Kindness of Strangers

A train chugging through rocky hills in Wyoming.
A train chugging through rocky hills in Wyoming. Photo by the author.

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Jody Lynn McBrien
Jody Lynn McBrien

Written by Jody Lynn McBrien

Currently living between Paris and Florida, I explore social justice, expat & sr. life. Writer for Digital Global Traveler, Modern Women, Crow's Feet, and more.

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