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sidetracked

@sidetracked_thebook

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PNW indie author, Amanda Mailey, debuts an intimate story of adventure and self-discovery in Tirana, Albania 🇦🇱
➡️ Available at bookstores worldwide.

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I love seeing new @sidetracked_thebook readers and how this story resonates with their own lives. Thank you Serene for your beautiful review and Montserrat and Crystal for your photos 💗

So happy we re-released this year! by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 months ago

Full circle moment 💫

I was reading page 11 out loud to the room.

“...I don’t have a plan. Part of that is on purpose and part of that is just not having a clue. What I am sure of is my wants. I want…friends made by me and not inherited by Sean. I want to be creative. I want to make a difference somehow. The details are to be determined. Amanda TBD.”

When I looked up from the pages, tears immediately fell. I was confronted with past and present Amanda all in one moment. I remembered writing these words and how I felt so lost. Then seeing all the faces in the room looking at me, engaged in my words, it hit me. They represent that commitment to the free fall. I explained why the tears,”You ARE my TBD.” It was an emotional moment. Especially with my daughter, son, husband, mother and mother-in-law in the seats to witness it. I will always remember it 💗

Giving personal testimony in a room full of love is exactly why I wanted to resurface my book. The preamble to it all. The moment of the ultimate life shift, even pre-covid, and I decided to document each day. I’m so glad I did.

After the reading, we discussed life after the book. Truths I’ve never shared publicly. The whole room wanted this to be book #2, but I’m not sure I have it in me to write another one any time soon. But it was fun to relive and say some of those things out loud. The laughter felt like such a release too.

Thank you to those who came and everyone who couldn’t make it. You’ve held me up over the years. I also appreciate the recent spike in book sales 👀 Please leave me a review and let me know what you think. I’d love to post on @sidetracked_thebook IG account.

🔗If you’d like to purchase a book, the link is in my bio or you can head to @woopdxgifts in North Portland to get one too. Thank you Lauren 🙏🏽

Special shout out to Jessica and Robb once again for hosting us at @che.pdx last weekend and Leizl @leizl.quin , Estella @estellatse and Rachel @rachelelizabethartistry for some of the captures in this post 💞

xxAmanda

#bookauthor #bookreading #aanhpiheritagemonth #femaleauthors by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 months ago

Collabs that feel like 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

Last Sunday’s @sidetracked_thebook Book Reading was so special I needed to break up these recaps. First, I want to thank Jessica and Robb for welcoming us into their special space @che.pdx and hosting us so beautifully🙏🏽

✨Assignment: An intimate gathering, with family and friends, to share personal testimony in a room full of love 💗

✨Vibe: Make it feel like we’re stepping into your home for garden-to-table vegetarian delights 🌱

Wow did they hit the 🎯

No notes.

This is also the spot that @laportenapdx Argentinian chimichurri is produced. Catering, Bar Tending, AV/Mic, Projector, Chairs, Tables, Flatware, Kitchen, and Event Venue. They do it all and make it look effortless🔥

Thank you @rachelelizabethartistry for attending and being the hand model in the video with this delicious drink Robb made for you 🥂

Thank you to all who also joined me for this special treat as I shared part of my story in celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month 💞

Tell your story 🎙️

#womensupportingwomen #alistwsw #communityovercompetition #eventplanning #supportsmallbusiness by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 months ago

6 years is a long time 🦋

Especially after a pandemic, it’s been a time warp, but I finally feel ready to talk about this moment in my life.

Packing up a family of 4 and leaving the country in 2018 wasn’t easy, but I do think it saved my life. Meet my kids Jackson and Izzy. This story is just as much theirs as it is mine. We’ve been through a lot together. I can’t wait to share what got us to today. The moments that go beyond the book.

Jessica @laportenapdx and I decided to release more tickets if you’re interested in joining us at @che.pdx on Sunday. My family will be there too 💗

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When risking it all, in a quest to find joy in the art of living, comes at just the right time.

In the wake of Trump’s presidency, the #metoo movement, emboldened racism, gun violence rising, three layoffs in five years, and the height of commercialism, this successful ad executive has had enough. Spirit dampened, with mostly anger where there once was laughter, she risks it all in search of a more meaningful connection with herself, her family, and the world.

Set in her hometown of the PNW and the unfamiliar lands of Albania, she recounts her personal experience in an honest portrayal of self-discovery reflecting on mainstream American cultural norms and expectations. Knowing nothing about Tirana, Albania when she arrives, her observations of these two societies surface a new awakening. Get lost reading her intimate thoughts as she struggles to heal by hitting the reset button.

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🔗Link in bio to grab tickets 🎟️ All proceeds go to women owned businesses.

🗓️When: Sunday, May 17, 2026 4:30-7pm
📍Where: At Che; La Porteña, 920 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97232

Join us!

✨Share ✨ Like ✨Comment ✨Join ✨

#femaleauthor #aanhpiheritagemonth #tellyourstory #womensupportingwomen by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 months ago

Tell your story ✨

I love helping others share their story. This year, I am committed to telling more of mine. My friends at @che.pdx are helping me turn back time and do my first public book reading and signing for @sidetracked_thebook that I published in 2020 during the pandemic. If you’re interested in joining, I’d love to see you there. All are welcome.

We’ll have yummy refreshments for you and I’ll be sharing excerpts from the book I started writing nearly 8 years ago and the impact it’s had on my life today. Getting the opportunity to share an honest and intimate life moment of rebuilding, in a room of folks it led me to, is pretty special.

@sidetracked_thebook is 100 days of journaling during a time of transition and healing. I had no idea it would later become my first book and set me on a path to really start ALIST. It will be a beautiful night at a sweet little spot in Portland.

Telling our stories is so important and I’m honoring that in celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month. It is never too late to start again 🦋

🔗Link in bio to grab tickets 🎟️ All proceeds go to women owned businesses.

After lots of feedback from the community, this one is on a Sunday. Testing out doing events on the weekend.

🗓️When: Sunday, May 17, 2026 4:30-7pm
📍Where: At Che; La Porteña, 920 NE Glisan St, Portland, OR 97232

Join us!

✨Share ✨ Like ✨Comment ✨Join ✨

#femaleauthor #aanhpiheritagemonth #storytelling #womensupportingwomen #booksigningevent by @sidetracked_thebook

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6 months ago

My 1st Book Reading & Signing 📖

In the middle of a pandemic, I sent my first manuscript to be published on May 8, 2020. After a year and a half of writing and editing @sidetracked_thebook , it was done. But then the world shut down. Regardless, orders started shipping internationally on August 8, 2020. My “book signing” was done from my house via Instagram due to Covid. (Photo 1)☺️

Many of you know me for my work here, but do you know what preceded the Women Supporting Women (WSW) mindset? And do you know where ALIST really launched? Join me on Sunday, 5/17 and listen in as I share the moment everything shifted 🦋

My friend and owner of @che.pdx and @laportenapdx , Jessica Causey Viciconte, is helping me host my first public book reading. Seating is limited in this intimate setting. Swipe left to see this beautiful space. All proceeds go to women founders💞

May 17, 2026
4:30pm - 7:00pm
📍 Che; La Portena
920 NE Glisan Street, Portland

🔗Link in bio to get 🎟️

Hopefully, I’ll see you there.

✨Share ✨ Like ✨Comment ✨Join ✨ by @sidetracked_thebook

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6 months ago

Hard to believe this was only 2 years ago. Just packed up more books today to send to a happy reader who enjoyed sidetracked and now wants to give copies as gifts to their friends 💛

It’s the gift that keeps on giving ✨ by @sidetracked_thebook

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4 years ago

Due to a series of events, which were out of our control, we were left with no choice but to end our international living a bit early. Exactly one year later, we are standing in front of our new home today in SE Portland. For the last 6 weeks, we were living out of suitcases not knowing where we'd call home. It's a long story, but relieved pieces are now falling into place. Although I am happy to see familiar faces again, it has been a hard transition. Moving in today helped ease the sadness and settle the anxiety. We took a leap of faith and with that comes risk. Just wish I had the chance to say goodbye to Tirana and the people we left behind.

Thank you to all who helped us as we found our way. You know who you are. I am incredibly grateful for what we learned and experienced while living in Albania and I'll never forget the people we met. I have no regrets. The Mailey Adventures will continue, but from Oregon once again as our homebase. Look us up if you're in the neighborhood 💛
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📸 taken on August 3, 2019 in our temporary home back in Portland, OR.
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Beyond the book images from the book 'sidetracked' 👉🏽 https://www.sidetrackedbook.com/
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#womanwriter #adventureseeker #wetried #firstbook #takeachance #dreamer #journaling #mentalhealth #selfpublished #authorsofinstagram #indieauthor #worldtraveler #maileyadventures #gapyear #writersofinstagram #expats #livingoverseas #albania #getsidetracked #bookstagram by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 years ago

June 19, 2019 I recorded myself dancing on my balcony. I just wrote the Epilogue of @sidetracked_thebook and it was all bitter sweet. This was me saying goodbye to living in Albania as well as saying thank you for giving Me back to Me. 40 years old, with a new outlook on life, I just danced in the 90 degree heat. Feeling a bit reborn. by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 years ago

The world feels uncertain. What better time than now to follow a dream. Today, I am uploading my manuscript to publish my first book in the middle of a pandemic. It's also the birthday of my first born. Feels fitting. I don't know what will come next and I am scared, but here we go.
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📸 taken on May 8, 2020 while living in Rockaway Beach during the pandemic.
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Beyond the book images from the book 'sidetracked'
👉🏽 https://www.sidetrackedbook.com/
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#womanwriter #adventureseeker #publishinginapandemic #firstbook #takeachance #dreamer #journaling #mentalhealth #selfpublished #authorsofinstagram #indieauthor #worldtraveler #maileyadventures #gapyear #writersofinstagram #expats #livingoverseas #albania #getsidetracked #bookstagram taken in Rockaway Beach, Oregon by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 years ago

Corfu was so laid back and relaxing. With a little sunburn, we pack into the rental, get on the ferry and head back north towards Tirana.
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We decide to weave through and hit a few sights on the way. The natural wonder of the blue eye, the ancient city of Butrint where Julius Caesar once walked, the beautiful beaches of Ksamil, and we finally reach the Unesco Heritage site, Gjirokastër, by sunset. What a roadtrip! We'll stop here for the night.
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Swipe left to see.
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📸 taken on April 30, 2019 while roadtripping through Southern Albania 🇦🇱
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Beyond the book images from the book 'sidetracked'
👉🏽 https://www.sidetrackedbook.com/
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#womanwriter #adventureseeker #roadtrip #blueeyealbania #butrint #Gjirokastër #ksamil #sightseeing #balkans #vacation #dreamer #journaling #mentalhealth #selfpublished #authorsofinstagram #indieauthor #worldtraveler #maileyadventures #gapyear #writersofinstagram #expats #livingoverseas #albania #getsidetracked #bookstagram by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 years ago

Ohrid was beautiful and lucky me gets another birthday getaway. This time, I get to have my mom and her sister join me in Albania. We give them a quick tour and then roadtrip down to Corfu, stopping in Vlorë on the way.

The special part of this timing is being in Greece during Greek Orthodox Easter. As we head into old town to sightsee, we're stopped while the priest is walking the local streets to give the village blessings. We hop out of the car to respectfully observe ✨
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Swipe left to see.
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📸 taken on April 29, 2019 while celebrating my 40th birthday in Corfu, Greece 🇬🇷
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Beyond the book images from the book 'sidetracked'
👉🏽 https://www.sidetrackedbook.com/
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#womanwriter #adventureseeker #thisis40 #birthdaygirl #greekislands #corfu #greekorthodoxeaster #greece #vacation #roadtrip #dreamer #journaling #mentalhealth #selfpublished #authorsofinstagram #indieauthor #worldtraveler #maileyadventures #gapyear #writersofinstagram #expats #livingoverseas #albania #getsidetracked #bookstagram taken in Corfu Island by @sidetracked_thebook

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5 years ago