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Ashley Ambirge

Ashley Ambirge is the tough love, dynamite with a lipstick whose blog, The Middle Finger Project, challenges readers to question societal assumptions and critically examine the lives we lead in order to promote excitement-filled, passionate, purposeful living. Heavy on philosophy, inspiration, travel, inappropriate amounts of humor and, of course, whiskey shots.

The Latest Driving Force of the Travel Industry: Is This It Syndrome

Okay, so I’m about to talk about little kids.  Let that serve as a warning, because I even try to avoid eye contact with little kids, let alone write about them.

Too harsh?

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In Defense of Having Stuff, Or, Why My Suitcase Is So Damn Big

I’m no minimalist.

The oversized suitcase that has accompanied me on our cross country trip surely attests to that fact, as can the two other people I’m traveling with, who have witnessed me dead lifting said suitcase into the trunk, lugging it through city streets and schlepping it up stairs–admittedly, in a very, very ungraceful fashion.

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Boozing On The Road: A Small Act of Diplomacy

I was so mad at mother nature when I realized that the stereotype was true; Brazilian women do have tight, taught perfectly rounded behinds–or at least the pair that were standing in front of me, anyway.  Jerks.  I’ve just arrived to a hostel in Santiago, Chile, it is night time, I am starved, and I no know one.  Thanks to mild paranoia, the result of the conversation with the taxi driver who warned me not to go walking by myself at night under any circumstances, I hesitate to leave to find food.  My stomach is not happy with my decision.

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South of the Border is North of Awesome

During my overseas travels, I’ve been greatly intrigued by the fanciful perceptions that many of our fellow world citizens tend to maintain regarding life in the United States.

As they would have it, we all live in mansions.

With butlers.

Who bread our butter and iron our pajamas.

And oh, the livin’ is easy.

Or… something to that extent.

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Portland is a Maine Event

When three grown adults decide to pile into a two-door hatchback and drive clear across the United States, there are only two things that are certain: First, that intense levels of bonding will inevitably take place, and second, that a reliable stick of deodorant is right up there with food, water & air on the road trip hierarchy of needs–as any person who’s been confined to approximately 5′ x 5′ x 5′ feet of cubic space for hundreds of hours with two other human beings will surely agree.

It was the day after the 4th of July when we optimistically loaded our bags and started off down the unusually calm Manhattan city street, with little more than good intentions and Dunkin’ Donuts fueling our excitement. We were en route to Portland, Maine–a cool six hour drive characterized by a sea of waspy-esque drivers set to the backdrop of pine trees, cool breezes and quaint, brick-lined rest stop areas.

None of us had ever visited Maine; as a east coaster & native Philadelphian, I had a fairly good idea of what to expect, whereas my west coast, California-born compadres were still in awe of “all the green.” If anything, Maine certainly did not disappoint on that front.

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