Episode 1: The PremierIn this introduction to the "Pull Over and Let Me Out" podcast, Anna Marie Jehorek shares the story behind her travel blog, which was launched in 2012, and what you can expect from the show. Tune in for a brief look at the travel stories, tips, and inspiration that fuel every episode, plus a bit about Anna Marie’s journey as a traveler and storyteller. Whether you’re planning your next adventure or just love exploring from home, this is your invitation to pull over, listen, and get inspired.Show Note: Since this episode was recorded, our sweet senior pug, Lenny, passed away. Stay connected and support the podcast:☕ If this episode made you smile or sparked a travel idea, consider buying me a coffee to support the podcast and help keep the journeys coming! Buy Me a Coffee🌍 Travel blog & stories: PullOverandLetMeOut.com✉️ Newsletter sign-up: Subscribe here📚 My books: AnnaMarieJehorek🍀 Ireland trip planning: Plan your trip🤝 Traveling to Give Trip Planning Tool: Learn moreTranscript:Hi, I’m Anna Marie Jehorek. Welcome to the premier episode of the PullOverandLetMeOut Podcast, where I share travel experiences, tips, and inspiration; if you like them, you can take them for your next adventure.I’m a wife, mother, adult Irish dancer, former homeschool teacher, and pug mom living in North Carolina. I also love to travel. However, I don’t always get to visit faraway exotic places, but I’ve found some pretty amazing sites nonetheless. In my work as a travel writer, I’ve discovered, there’s always something to see just around the corner. That’s why I started the blog PullOverandLetMeOut.com in 2012.Well, at PullOverandLetMeOut.com, I explore destinations throughout the Southeastern U.S. and beyond, sharing my experience so others can take my information and tips to plan their own adventures to those destinations. Additionally, I greatly love places that are slightly out of the ordinary. I seek to explore and describe some of the lesser-known locations we often drive by.After twelve years of sharing my stories online in writing, I decided it was time to up my game and include audio, which was the genesis of the PullOver and LetMeOut podcast. I am excited to share my travel adventures with you and am thrilled you have found me here, and I hope you will hit that subscribe button. I also hope you will gain some helpful travel tips and insights, and maybe even laugh along the way.With this being the premier episode, I thought I’d share a few tidbits about me, about PullOverandLetMeOut, the types of travel stories I’ll be sharing with you, and what you can expect. Firstly, you may be wondering where the name PullOverandLetMeOut comes from. Well, there are a couple of reasons for the name – first, a little back-story.When I was in my 20’s I traveled. I vacationed in Ireland each summer. I went to places like London, New York, Las Vegas, Denver, Nashville, Phoenix, Boston, San Francisco, and Maui. I got to explore and enjoy seeing the world. Well, with the addition of my husband and kid, it seems I don’t make it to all the places I may want to visit. Nonetheless, I do get to travel.I was talking with a good friend one day who travels extensively for his job. He’s seen the world. As he was telling me some of the amazing places he’s been, all I could think was, “I’ve been to the world’s largest hand-dug well.”That’s when the light came on for me. I realized that even if I hadn’t seen all of the same exotic places he’d been to, travel is so much more. In essence, it dawned on me that Travel is wherever you are. It’s about perspective and how you experience new places.At the time, I’d been working as a local travel writer for an online publication, and the more I began exploring my surroundings, the more inspired I became to write about the lesser-known places I visit. That’s what Pull Over and Let Me Out is all about. There’s so much to see and do in places we might never consider. Places across town, across the state, or the country, or even the world.At PullOverAndLetMeOut.com, I’ll share those tourist spots, and if I can inject a little bit of humor, fantastic. What’s an adventure if you don’t get to laugh once in a while?Oh, and the name?That came from a road trip I took with my best friend from childhood. We were driving from Maryland to Williamsburg, Virginia. We were recreating a trip we took when we were in the Girl Scouts in elementary school! The one request I made when we set off on our journey was to be able to read every historical marker we came across.Whenever I spotted a marker, you guessed it, I called out, “Pull over and let me out.” The rest is history, as they say.Speaking of which, you may be wondering what type of attractions I’m drawn to and the kind of stories I’ll be sharing with you. You may have surmised already from the opening that PullOverandLetMeOut is dedicated to exploring the southeast and beyond. With that said, yes, you can expect some fantastic tales from around the southeastern United States. I love history, so I incorporate a lot of historical destinations in my itineraries, but I also love to add some fun off-the-beaten-path spots as well.In addition, I like to include stories about great places to stay, places to eat, wineries, tours, and the like. The more unique the experience, the happier I am and enthused to share my trip notes with you. I also love road trips, small towns, beautiful scenery, and great getaway weekends. I also have a pair of pugs, so I am always on the lookout for a pet-friendly destination where they can come along for the journey, too, when it’s appropriate.Another fun fact about me, I am an adult Irish dancer and have been for several years now. My dance competitions have taken me to some great locations throughout the southeast and beyond, and I always try to manage a little time for doing touristy things while I am traveling for a competition. One of the biggest thrills I had was in 2023 when my ladies' 8-hand Ceili dance team took first place at the North American Irish Dance Championships in Nashville, Tennessee. And yes, I did get to play tourist on the trip and even managed to pen a couple of stories about my experience in Music City.Likewise, I have a passion for Ireland and have traveled there many times. You can find on the website numerous Ireland-related stories, and I even help others create their own winning Ireland itineraries. So, if you’re ever ready to make the trip across the pond to the Emerald Isle, let me know, and I will be happy to help you get started putting your plans together. You can learn more about my Custom Ireland Trip Planning Services on the website or in the show notes below. I help you get started and give you the tools you need to create a magical and memorable journey to Ireland.Or, if you just love great stories that are set in Ireland, I’ve written two fictional novels that are set in the town of Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland. The first is called the Cottage on Lough Key, and the second is The House with the Georgian Door. I took my Irish travel experiences and used my imagination to pen these two books that were a joy to write and bring to life the part of Ireland I’ve spent the most time visiting. My grandparents came from this part of the country, and I spent summers there and always knew Boyle would make the perfect backdrop for a story. You can learn more about my books, which are available on Amazon in the show notes as well.Oh, and if you’re ready to plan a trip right now, be sure to check the show notes for the link to my TravelingToGive tool, where you can find outstanding travel deals to destinations all over the world and give to charity at the same time! So, let’s see, I’ve shared a little bit about me and my family, my pugs Lenny and Colonel Brandon, my Irish dancing, and my writing. And of course, Pull Over and Let Me Out. Now, are you ready to explore?Buckle up!Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing some fun travel destinations with you. Come along for the ride! If you see something you like, don’t be afraid to say, ‘Pull over and let me out.’I’m Anna Marie. Thanks for being here. I wish you… Happy Travels!

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