Somewhere and Nowhere: A Bicycle Journey Across America

by Emily Jane Buehler

It’s the adventure of Wild, the contemplation of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and the neuroses of Eat, Pray, Love, all on a shoestring budget… and bicycles.

LESSONS OF THE DOESN’T HELP. -JUST WAIT AND SEE.-LET GO OF THE TRIP YOU THOUGHT YOU’D BE ON.-BALANCE SELF-IMPROVEMENT WITH SELF-ACCEPTANCE.-BE PRESENT.

When Emily and Mary head west from Cape May, New Jersey, Emily imagines the peace she’ll find bicycling across the open spaces of America. With nothing to do all day but ride her bike, life will be simpler… or will it?

Emily battles 14-percent-grade hills, tornado-force winds, and 110 degree heat, waiting for the fun to start. As the women find shelter with everyone from nuns to cowboys, she clings to the best moments. And on the wide open plains, she comes face to face with the noise in her head.

But as she crosses the Mississippi and climbs the Rocky Mountains, she begins to discern Worries that hound her. Recurring thoughts that impede her happiness. Daydreams that remove her from reality. She discovers a path to transform herself, even as she begins to accept the present moment.

324 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 3, 2017

About the author

Subscribe to my romance mailing list at https://janebuehler.com

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Here's my short, third-person bio: "When asked what she'd be when she grew up, Emily always answered, an artist. An enthusiastic high school chemistry teacher, however, led Emily to study chemistry in college. After earning her PhD, Emily became a bread baker, which led to her first book, Bread Science. While writing Somewhere and Nowhere, the memoir of her cross-country bicycle trip, she realized that her childhood inklings were correct, and she was meant to be a writer. She currently writes cozy romantasy as Jane Buehler."

I only rate books if I can give 4 or 5 stars. If I feel compelled to review a book I didn't like, I leave off the star rating. I wish the rating meant "is a good fit for Emily" but because it seems to be taken as "is good or bad" I just don't feel comfortable giving another author 3 or less stars.

I'd love you to reach out to me on Goodreads, but I'm slightly technologically confused, so if I don't reply in the proper way, it's probably because I don't know what I'm doing.

Reviews

[Emily Buehler]

I'm the author! I first wrote this book because I wanted to write about my bike trip. The first draft was over 350,000 words and included everything I could remember—everywhere we stayed, every road we biked on, everything we ate and how we cooked it, as well as what I was thinking about it all.

Once I got it all down, I thought about turning the story into a memoir to share. I thought about what the theme would be and realized a bunch of the possibilities were related—they were all forms of "living in the present moment." So I began revising and cutting with that theme in mind. I also wanted to convey what it was like to bike across America, but that felt like the backdrop for the internal struggles.

I worry about reader expectations since the book is not "fun"—although we did have a lot of fun crossing America, at times. I hope the book will find the readers it speaks to, and I'm sorry if anyone stumbles into it expecting something different.

[Angie McMann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author allows us inside her mind as she rides across the entire width of the U.S. on a bicycle. The fete in itself is something few can claim to have accomplished, and Emily Buehler does it with an open heart through the whole ride. I was moved during many scenes, crying along with her and cheering for her and Mary to complete their trip. The sheer vulnerability she shares with the reader is outstanding and I applaud her for braving not only the trip itself, but braving her fears and sharing her raw account of every thought and feeling along the way. A fabulous read.

[Michael J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neither Fish Nor Fowl

Right up front, Emily rode across America. That’s a significant accomplishment. I’m not sure what her book is and that’s what makes this review difficult. Perhaps my expectations, based on other cycling books were not realistic. If you are looking for detail oriented information and the nitty gritty of cycling, this isn’t the book for you. If you are looking for a stylistic view of seeing the trip across America, this isn’t the book for you. If you are looking for technical information, it’s not here.
What is here, is Emily’s struggle with her own personal demons. It takes courage to write about that. But it isn’t exactly entertaining. I hope the process of thinking and writing has helped her. While it is a bicycle journey across America, that’s not what this book is really about. If you are looking for cycling, or a female perspective about traveling unsupported across America, seek another book.