Nowhere for Very Long: The Unexpected Road to an Unconventional Life

Product Information

She’s so desperately running from the life she’s in - wherever she is at any point - that she shits on whoever is also in those same trenches. There is nothing here about having a picture perfect life, or always making the right decisions, or keeping everyone comfortable, or always being methodical and well prepared when trying new things. Only she is brave enough to face the world and plaster those mistakes in public spaces where people have been incredibly cruel to her for being honest in this way. Brianna Madia is an Instagram Influencer who I followed for a short period of time a few years back. The most interesting part is "how does one support the adventure life" and "does living off of social media change how she does things" .

A chaotic but beautifully written autobiography by a woman who has experienced love, hurt and growth. All you pathetic fangirls going through and screeching at people leaving bad reviews do realize that people are ALLOWED not to like Brianna Madia and therefore to leave bad reviews, right?Her beautiful words continue to stick with me as my own dogs lick the tears from my face, and remind me of the simplicity of life when I too, drove west in an unconventional vehicle. Despite loudly proclaiming herself as a 'strong, capable, and independent' woman, Brianna has not done anything remotely outdoorsy as a single woman (unless you count drinking wine by the river). Not only do I feel so fortunate to have watched the past few years of this story unfold on social media before it was published, but Bri has a way with words that makes me feel like I was right there with her. As I started reading I was immediately immersed in this grandeur, if not really reckless, journey with Brianna. The way she still mistreats her animals (and glorifies it), hides their deaths (her snake and mice), why would anyone give her a book deal?

I felt this memoir was less a telling of the author’s life and more a series of essays she wanted to use as fodder for how desperately she feels she is different. If you want someone to give you a little spur to carry on pursuing your dreams, no matter what age - get this book. Not agreeing with someone’s choices and beliefs does not mean your cruelty and hatred is okay or right.

Goodreads is not a forum for people to rate whether they “like Brianna Madia” … it’s a forum to discuss, review, recommend (or not) a book … which at this point none of the reviewers have read since it hasn’t been released yet (discounting any advance copies that may have been released). The fact that she chooses to share those vulnerabilities with thousands of people, despite knowing that the same type of people who have left these negative reviews are hanging on to every word, is admirable. Brianna captures the reader with her intricate workings of her words and is really written from the heart.

I will undoubtedly come back to the parts of this book that describe desert landscapes and solo adventures. This memoir is raw and emotional, perfect for fans of Sheryl Strayed’s “Wild,” Carrot Quinn’s “Sunset Route,” Carolyn Highland’s “Out Here,” or Cheryl Diamond’s “Nowhere Girl. But I guess with her being fully indoctrinated into what it takes for “Instagram success” that dog tracks.We are usually all able to look back on our life, our mistakes or shortcomings or terrifying moments and reflect, learn and move forward with the lessons we’ve learnt. The book hasn't be released yet, and the description is very deceitful for a social media influencer to be described as someone running away from capitalism. It takes all kinds, and I’m sure this is more for her fans and less for those who actually live a comparable life or like to read regularly.

Despite being someone who has dogs, and adventures myself, and is a woman who embarks it all alone, I don’t feel like I’m the target audience here - and that’s okay. Based on the book’s description, I thought it would be very boring, but it had high praise, so I gave it a shot. As I said, some of the story was interesting but I just couldn't personally get past all the writing crutches and overly flowery language. Brianna's honesty and vulnerability on Instagram, and her encouragement to do the hard, scary, unknown thing is what finally inspired me to leave my miserable graduate program in pursuit of a writing career. Since divorcing her husband, Brianna has done nothing but participate joyfully in the capitalist culture she claims to have fought against by purchasing land and a new car, expensive jewelry, going on a month-long vacation to another country during a pandemic, and shilling stickers/whiskey/dog beds to her oblivious followers.In the end it seems like she bought an expensive piece of land and built a house on it by writing about being non conforming. I feel like it’s time we find ALL of the Reddit trolls like this one and publicly shame them like they enjoy doing to people so they can’t even go on a vacation without hearing about it. Brianna is someone I’ve been so drawn to for years now, I’d say a good 5/6 I’ve been watching her on instagram. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. In fact, at times it was downright boring, exhausting, and even desperate—when Bertha overheated and Brianna was forced to pull over on a lonely stretch of South Dakota highway;when the weather was bitterly cold and her water jugs froze beneath her as she slept in the parking lot of her office;when she worried about money, her marriage, and the looming question mark of her future.