Alexa & Judith's Epic Summer Read-Along || An Interview with Morgan Matson

Today, Judith and I are both welcoming an extra special guest on our blogs - the amazing Morgan Matson! She kindly agreed to do an interview for the event, and Judith and I are both excited to share her answers with you today. Check out the Q&A here on my blog, and then hop on over to Paperiot to see the other half!

Hi Morgan! Welcome to Alexa & Judith's Epic Summer Read-Along! We're so happy to have you. To kick things off here on my blog, here are a few questions inspired by Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. First, share your favorite road trip memory with us! 

It's not actually a fun one - when I was in college, I was driving from Arizona back to Los Angeles after Thanksgiving. My car's check-engine light went on as I was going through the desert. I realized I had no cell service, and just when I started to panic, I saw a sign that read "Prison area. Do not pick up hitchhikers." It was crazy - like I was at the start of a horror movie! But when I got back to civilization and tried to deal with fixing my car, I realized that I had gotten through a really scary moment - and that I was fine. After that, nothing I really encountered on road trips really scared me. It was like I went through the worst early on.

Wow, that experience sounds intense. Glad you made it through unscathed! Next question, how did you come up with the playlists? What musical artists do you HAVE to have on your road trip playlists?

I did the trip Amy & Roger did - flew to California, rented a car, drove back to Connecticut. Most of the mixes were the same ones I made for myself while driving. The artists I HAVE to have change depending on what vibe I want for the mix! But Jackson Browne, Andrew McMahon, Taylor Swift, the Format... these are all constants.

Obviously, I (Alexa) am down for Taylor Swift! Now, on to food, what snacks would you stock up with for your road trip?

Diet Coke, Doritos, popcorn, lollipops!

Yum! Doritos + cheesy dip is amazing, FYI. So, getting sentimental, have you ever saved souvenirs (like pictures, receipts, ticket stubs) from your travels? Which ones are your most prized?

Most of the extra stuff that's in Amy & Roger came from my road trip. Probably most prized is my souvenir picture from Graceland!

I (Alexa) have never been to Graceland, but I do want to go someday! Speaking of, Amy loves Elvis. Which famous people would you like to road trip with?

JK Rowling FOR SURE.

Can we come along on that road trip? Because it would be amazing to hang out with YOU and JK ROWLING. ACK, SO MUCH WIN! Ahem, okay, moving on to questions inspired by Second Chance Summer. What was your favorite family vacation you've ever been on?

Safari in South Africa!

Ooh! Someday, I (Alexa) would love to go on a real safari. I want to see lions in the wild! Next, did any of your besties in real life inspire the relationship between Taylor & Lucy?

Not exactly - but I had a "summer house friend" who was my BFF every summer, just like Taylor and Lucy were.

So, what was your favorite summer job, if you ever had one?

So many summer jobs! The most memorable one might be the summer I worked the fuel dock of a yacht club.

Thank you so much, Morgan! It was such a treat to have you on the blog, and to have you be a part of our Epic Summer Read-Along. Your books seriously mean so much to us both, and we're thrilled to have been able to host this little celebration on their behalf! {Don't forget, you guys, the other half of this interview is over on Paperiot. Check it out!}