An American Astray

What is “An American Astray”?

Launched in 2014 prior to my year living abroad, An American Astray (formerly “An American in London”) is a personal travel narrative, a community for wanderers who also love to read, and a place for me to share my writing adventures.

Why astray, you ask? We often think of this word to mean irrevocably lost—but to me, there’s nothing else that describes what it feels like to be off the beaten path and wandering the world quite like astray. It is my mission to embrace this beautiful word with every fiber of my globetrotting heart.

Is this blog for me?

If you are a first-time traveler, are interested in culture and sightseeing, or enjoy reading a good novel, then yes! This is the blog for you. My posts include inside looks at journeys abroad, travel how-to’s, book reviews, and more.

There are three things about which I am most passionate: reading, writing, and travel. After several years of puttering around online, I finally settled down with this blog so that I could write about the things I love and share them with people who have similar interests. When I moved back to California after studying Creative Writing and Publishing for a year in London, I realized two things: 1) I had accidentally left my heart behind in the UK, and 2) my love of travel is intricately intertwined with my literary self. Writing about my experiences and sharing the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way with other travelers is a wonderful outlet, and gives me a chance to revisit in my mind the places that are so vital to my writing.

Is blogging your job?

Not at the moment. I currently work as a Marketing Writer for my alma mater, but my first true love is fiction. I’m an aspiring novelist currently working on a few different manuscripts—one of which is historical fiction piece about Jimena Diaz, the wife of the medieval Spanish hero El Cid. After living and studying in my father’s homeland of Spain, I realized the importance of place and setting; I am determined to bring the Spanish countryside alive in my work, while also experiencing everything that globetrotting has to offer.

So come along for the journey as I share travel secrets, review novels and poetry, share tidbits of my personal writing, and continue to explore the world. Happy travels!