Walking Out: One Teacher's Reflections on Walking Out of the Classroom to Walk America

by Amie Adamson

In February of 2015, Amie Adamson, a two-decade English teacher, left her job, put all of her possessions in storage, and drove to the east coast to embark on a 2200-mile backpacking trip across the United States. Burned out and frustrated by the public education system, a system which finds increasing numbers of teachers profoundly unhappy, she basked in the restorative task of hiking all day, gradually wending her way west and penning her daily thoughts on seeing America at walking speed.She recorded her reflections of the how far she went each day, what she thought about, things that happened, and what it was like walking halfway across America as a woman alone. Interspersed among her backpacking journal are her long-form essays about teaching English in the modern public schools. Looking askance at the public education system, her thoughts lend insight into why so many teachers leave the profession, or want to.Combining humor and inner reflection about things for which we all search, contentment, joy, peace . . she writes about the kindness of people she met along the way and the serenity that's achievable one step at a time and in a relative state of privation, such as walking from the Delaware coast to central Kansas with all of one's possessions in a backpack. Walking Out is a meditation on why moving our bodies and taking on physical challenges feels so good. Her journey revives the notion that people are mostly good, and that America is safe. Walking Out is for hikers, endurance athletes, teachers needing catharsis or a deep belly laugh, and anyone who has longed to leave real life behind for a while and strike out on an adventure.

401 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2020

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book, really like her writing voice. The few things I don't care for in her book are more on the level of "would have written/left out certain things/done the organization differently. None of which are relevant, since I am not the author, right? I think it is worth saying to take your time with the book, feel free to skim parts of the book if you feel it necessary. What I absolutely love is her personality in the book, her attitude towards life, her ability to make friends and think well of people. Would have loved getting to know her. I was sorry to hear of her passing in mid-July due to a bear attack.

[Annamarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so touched by her words, I had to contact her mother who is still living. The issues from students that teachers deal with today are so awful. It has to change for any learning to happen. (I’m of a family of several educators but am not one, myself.) Amie died in 2023 in Yellowstone while hiking. 😢 RIP Amie

[Shala Self Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I haven’t read anything about the American discovery trail and wanted to learn more about it. About halfway through this book though, I was ready for it to end. I have read many books about hikers on other trails and they were really interesting. With this one, I just felt like she was walking from town to town. At one point in the book, she said she wanted to follow the roads instead of going through the forest because she was afraid of ticks. Traveling through the forest is the best part of backpacking. Also, she didn’t finish. That in itself is okay a lot of people don’t finish, but for her to just leave her bloggers out there without giving them a reason is not right.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started this book on day it was announced that author was the hiker/runner killed by a grizzly bear near Yellowstone park. Excellent book, however downgraded by one star because of her description of several of her students in a very disrespectful way.

[Wendy Hott · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a retired I could relate but I’m not a hiker.