Amy Friedl
Runaway-Teacher-Turned-Author
Thanks for clicking over to read my story!
I declare myself a “Runaway Teacher” because I didn’t have enough vested into a retirement fund to retire quite yet. You know….just a story of teaching off & on over 22 years at private schools, tech colleges, and public schools, relocating to find they like to hire their own so you full-time sub for five years, finally land a job but only teach eight full-time years before you burn out…phew…Yeah, it’s a typical story. ; )
And though I tried to pursue this dream of Author Life While Teaching, it wasn’t feasible. So now I’m chasing a life that feels fulfilling, brings me calm & joy, and focuses on finding what I’m capable of and then encouraging women to get out of their own way and find the same for themselves.
Enter…The Strong Girls Travel series!
Fiction stories set in real places.
Lessons important for ALL family members to learn (compromise, trusting yourself, learning from mistakes, being flexible, etc…).
The only national park-centered kids’ series with a GIRL MAIN CHARACTER.
Beautiful park-focused illustrations (brought to you by the talented Drew Clark) based on my own adventure pictures.
And my favorite part? The Adventure Checklist at the back to help your family plan and live out their next national park adventure. (Think *Family Park Scavenger Hunt!*)
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There’s always been something pushing me toward being a children’s book author. From my childhood obsession with Richard Scarry’s books to calling publishing houses with my best friend as a teen to taking online writing courses while I was home raising babies, I’ve had a “back-of-the-mind” urge to follow this dream.
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The name came from an all-girls road trip taken in 2021. Two moms and a carload of teenage girls, determined to prove ourselves capable of traveling without husbands. While overlooking the mountains from a roadside wall in Glacier National Park, I remember telling my daughter, “I want every girl to realize she can see this. Every girl should be reminded they are capable of doing tough things so their eyeballs can be this lucky.”
When I came home from that trip, I started writing and taking steps to start the series.
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Though I taught off & on for 22 years, everything about teaching has changed. And though I love hanging with middle school students, I could not compete with The Test anymore. The expectations put on teachers from administration sitting 30,000-feet above the desks created days that left me devoid of any creative energy.
My own mental health took a toll while teaching, and the best thing I could do for myself, my future, and my sense of calm & purpose was to step away.
Crafting a life where I use my time in pursuing this dream, supporting local non-profits, and slowing down to support my own growth and healing has been the brave, intimidating step that enables me to move forward.
I LOVE connecting with readers, local-to-the-park bookstores, and organizations that align with supporting family travel, national park conservation, or empowering women!
Interested in booking an event at your bookstore or organization? Fill out the form below!
My Story:
Self-Proclaimed Adventure Girl
Though my parents raised us on Sunday afternoon drives and the occasional (but affordable) road trip, I didn’t really develop a sense of wanderlust until 2019. That was the year my mental health took a dive and I was diagnosed with situational depression and suicidal tendencies.
I remember this being a time where I severely struggled with my own sense of purpose and belonging. I didn’t feel like I had any impact in a software-driven classroom. My work life left me lacking and aimless. I did not feel included or valued in my family situation. Ultimately, I was faced with defining my own identity - not knowing what was important to me, what I believed, or who I was important to.
That winter was the final time I attempted to take my own life. But at the last minute, the thought of the women in my life having to clean up my mess was enough to make me swerve the car, drive straight home, and call my doctor.
I was set up with anti-depression meds, a counseling connection, and a referral for a weight loss clinic, believing my current slump could be proactively supported.
When covid kicked us all out of the classroom in 2020, I found that I was able to focus my health efforts on myself and my family. School was a nominal factor then. I was already in the pre-approval stages for gastric bypass surgery and had a teenage daughter at home who loved the outdoors and saw the value nature would have in my own healing.
I remember lying in bed one day, struggling to even conceptualize getting up. She came into my room and said, “C’mon. We’re going to the river.” I did not want to sit in a car for three hours driving to the Mississippi, even though I loved the Driftless Area. She finally compromised and said, “Okay, then, we’re going to the Lake. Let’s go. You need to be by something bigger than you. “ She literally pulled me out of bed, helped me get shoes on, and drove us to Lake Michigan.
There at Lion’s Den Gorge, something clicked in my brain. Standing on a bluff, overlooking the massive ocean-like lake made me feel small. But it also gave me room to breathe.
Climbing down the stairs through what I donned as a “cedar rainforest” breathed life into me. I felt surrounded by life, beauty, and a quiet that seemed to reset my brain.
At the base of the trail, feet in the water, I felt a natural connection like I never had before. This was the first time I felt that I had a place in this world.
My purpose was to drive others to discover themselves and their connection to the world while out in nature.
Since then, I have had to joy to learn, grow, and experience life through:
losing 135 pounds after gastric bypass in 2020
taking to hiking and kayaking in 2020
learning to solo travel in 2021
starting solo camping in 2022
challenging myself to adventure at all 72 WI state parks, forests, & rec areas 2022-23
starting my children’s book series in 2023
traveling to promote book series in 2024
I’m so excited that you’re here, ready to define your next adventure! I want to be in your corner, help direct you to resources, be a sounding board for your ideas, and support you living YOUR best life for YOU!
Strong girls travel out of their own ways, out of their own heads, and outside of the box they may have been put into.
Join the Community!
Want to be part of our Self-Proclaimed Adventure Girl Community?
Each month, I send out a newsletter with adventure tips through my own journeys, an interview with a real girl living her own brave, intimidating adventure, and behind-the-scenes sneak peeks of my current book project! Be inspired, motivated, and joined in your journey.