Jane: I’m just a writer who loves to drive

February 26, 2010 at 1:53 pm

Editor’s Note: We at GM love Jane Devin for a lot of reasons, but mainly because she has the courage to do what many of us would love to do – leave the real world behind and hit the road for a year-long adventure across the U.S. Connie Burke, one of our employees, connected with Jane and helped provide her with GM vehicles for the trip. Jane, who has nicknamed all of the vehicles, has been blogging about her experiences. Many of us here are following her journey, and we want to share her story with you.

On the road with Jane Devin

A little over three months ago, I packed a 2010 Yukon Denali with enough supplies for a year on the road, and started the journey. The dream of traveling across the country to write stories was no longer distant. The road was in front of me, and my email was full of invitations and words of encouragement from California to Florida. I was so excited that I don’t think I stopped smiling for a week.

Since then, I’ve met dozens of readers and made friends of strangers in thirteen states. As part of my trip, I’ve test driven seven GM vehicles, including the GMC Yukon Denali (Ruby), two Chevy Camaros (Sunny and Lola), a Chevy Equinox (William), a Buick LaCrosse (Sean), a Chevy Silverado (Belle), and a Cadillac CTS.

I could not have envisioned a better or more life-affirming experience. I have been working full-time since I was a teenager, and as a single parent for over twenty years, I had never even taken a vacation before this journey. I’ve always written, but it never paid enough to support a family, so I had a varied work life, doing everything from radio sales to property management to farm work.

The opportunity to write full-time, to tell stories that are meaningful to me as well as to others, is a tremendous gift. I feel changed in ways I can’t yet measure. There’s a depth to this experience that I’m not done exploring, but I know that it has already ignited my spirit and buoyed my hopes for the future. With every mile, I feel less jaded and cynical. As I listen to the stories of people across the States, I find myself more empathetic and connected. There really are more good people than not in this country, and I think it’s easy to lose site of that in trying times, when so much of the news is despairing.

I’m looking very forward to the next few months, which I’ll be spending in the South and East. I find it amazing, still, how many places I’ve never seen, and how different they all are. America is rich in diversity and culture, and I want to soak as much in as I can before my trip is over.

Visit Jane’s blog at: http://www.findingmyamerica.com/

Christy Garwood

Feb 26th, 2010

Jane, I found your site a few months ago; I love reading about your journey. Thanks for the colorful way you describe the vehicles you drive.

Connie, great idea to get Jane in Cadillac-Buick-GMC and Chevrolet vehicles.

warm regards from Engineering at GM
Mel Fox

Feb 26th, 2010

What an excellent and inspiring story!!
Bruce Nunnally

Feb 26th, 2010

Jane has done a wonderfully rich job of crafting her stories so far. This is an excellent example of the right thing for the New GM to be sponsoring. Bravo.
Michele

Feb 27th, 2010

I had the pleasure of meeting Jane just before she left Minnesota – she is a genuinely spectacular human being. I’m so glad she found sponsorship for this journey from GM – her experiences will make the world a better place for all of us.
Kim Nelson

Feb 27th, 2010

Jane’s journey and her telling of it leave two profound impressions:

1- Jane is growing and changing and becoming increasingly contented.

2- GM leadership is growing and their products are changing and becoming increasingly desirable.

Well done!
Laura

Mar 2nd, 2010

I’ve been following Jane’s journey, and it’s provided a stream of rich stories and inspiration. Not to mention great exposure for GM products! Jane’s relationship each vehicle add a personal touch to our products as they accompany her on this most excellent adventure.
Jane

Mar 4th, 2010

It is an honor to have GM as one of my sponsors. I’ve always loved to drive, and now have the privilege of driving some of the finest automobiles made in the US.

GM’s reinvention has been an amazing thing to watch, and I’m so proud to have met many of those who are working hard to ensure the brightest possible future for the company. I am impressed with the ingenuity that’s bringing cutting edge design as well as new green technologies (the Volt! B20-capable trucks!) to the marketplace.

Thank you for the opportunity to drive GM products, and for the sharing my journey with your audience.

Thank you to my regular readers, too, for supporting my venture and coming to read and comment. You are also a huge part of making this trip possible.