National Geographic

This is the well-known magazine that featured articles and photos from exotic places. Reading this magazine was the catalyst for Amanda's desire to travel. She collected the magazines as a child and later set out to see the places that she had read about.

The Home of Amanda's Father

The home that Amanda's father shared with his gay partner, Perry, became a symbol of stability and calm to Amanda, especially when her mother's relationships were chaotic and often violent. When Amanda was taken hostage and the kidnappers demanded that her parents raise a huge sum for her release, Amanda knew that her father's home was one of the few assets that the family had. Without mentioning the house specifically, she told her mother to stop whatever they were doing to raise the ransom money. Later, when Amanda had been brutalized repeatedly and was certain the kidnappers...