I bought my 1997 Subaru Outback years ago from a guy who was selling it because he had just gotten married and his wife didn’t know how to drive a manual transmission.

When I saw it for the first time, this green car sitting on the rocks in their driveway under the Seattle sun, I thought, OK, I’ll name it Mr. Lizard. The name fit. That car could skedaddle across dirt and sand and come out unscathed.

When I was about to turn 35, I noticed that Mr. Lizard was close to hitting 305,000 miles. This was in 2015. I thought: To celebrate, could we do a road trip that hit 35 states and Canadian provinces in 305 hours?

Our journey started in Wyoming, where I was living at the time, and continued through Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Ontario and Quebec, Canada, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado.

Amanda Isaacs, wearing a cowboy hat, stands in front of her Subaru Outback taking a selfie. Beyond the Outback is the sign welcoming visitors to West Virginia.
Isaacs entering West Virginia. Photos: Amanda Isaacs
Closeup of numerous state travel decals adorning the Subaru Outback windows.
Travel decals from states visited.
Amanda Isaacs in Wyoming with her 1997 Subaru Outback, Mr. Lizard, several months after her road trip. She is leaning back on the hood of the vehicle, wearing brown slacks and a blue, long-sleeved jacket. A brick building is behind the Outback.
Isaacs in Wyoming with her 1997 Subaru Outback, Mr. Lizard, several months after her road trip.

I saw parts of the country I had never seen before. West Virginia was gorgeous with rolling, green, thick hills. In Virginia, I took a jaunt through Shenandoah National Park. On the back roads of Texas, I saw snakes and armadillos.

One of the best moments happened when I got up to Canada. I was so focused on getting to Tim Hortons® for doughnuts that I didn’t think about the fact that my credit cards weren’t going to work in another country. When I stopped for gas, I couldn’t run the card – and then these nice Canadians offered to pay for my gas. That was totally unexpected.

And, of course, I had to get Mr. Lizard’s photo next to the sign at the Subaru of America headquarters in New Jersey. I also had to drive to the Subaru manufacturing plant in Indiana to get a photo there too. You’re driving all that way – you might as well!

Coming home after so much excitement, it was kind of a letdown to have to go back to work. But now, the trip is a great story to tell at parties. It’s definitely the longest road trip I have ever been on.

– Amanda Isaacs, 1997 Outback

What are the moments that drive you? Submit with the story title “My Drive.”