Fabulous book that is formatted with emails between Amanda Gilstrap and her dad, Greg Gilstrap. Amanda heads to Europe for a study abroad program. It'Fabulous book that is formatted with emails between Amanda Gilstrap and her dad, Greg Gilstrap. Amanda heads to Europe for a study abroad program. It's clear they have a terrific father-daughter relationship.
Amanda's travels through Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria are captured beautifully. She has a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of travel. Her references to Radler beer (half lemonade), churches, daily Mass, gelato, and pilgrims brought back warm memories of my recent five week hike on the Camino de Santiago. It's a unique, heartwarming way of life that focuses on family, friends, and enjoying every day.
Amanda's emails about hitchhiking, sleeping outdoors, and considering canyon jumping stir primal parental reactions from her dad which made me laugh because it was exactly what I was thinking as a parent.
Bill Bryson narrates his audiobook with his signature humor, sarcasm, and fascinating insights. In a Sunburned Country shares Bryson's travels and infBill Bryson narrates his audiobook with his signature humor, sarcasm, and fascinating insights. In a Sunburned Country shares Bryson's travels and information about Australia. The key takeaway is that Australia is home to many things that can kill you: 10 types of venomous snakes, crocodiles, many poisonous spiders, rip tides, seashells with venomous critters waiting inside to attack you, etc.
Kurson immediately immerses readers into national and world events in the sixties, particularly the tumultuous, divisive year of 1968. I felt like I had a front row seat to historic events in 1968: Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination in Memphis, Robert Kennedy's assassination after he had a successful campaign stop in California, the riots at the Democratic National Convention, Walter Cronkite breaking from fact reporting on Vietnam and expressing his opinion after the Tet Offensive that it appeared America wasn't winning the war, President LBJ deciding he wouldn't run for President after Cronkite's pronouncement, and the extremely close Presidential race between Richard Nixon (43.4%) and Hubert Humphrey (42.7%).
Sputnik was launched by the Soviet Union in 1957. This triggered the Space Race. In 1961, a young President John Kennedy dramatically expanded the U.S. space program and committed to landing a man on the moon, and returning him home safely. President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, a few weeks after the President of South Vietnam was murdered.
During incredibly challenging times in 1968, NASA was preparing to launch Apollo 8 in December. Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth and orbit the Moon ten times. The astronauts were Frank Boorman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders.
I felt like I was riding in the rocket alongside the three astronauts. Stories about bowel movements during and after the flight are interesting and something that wouldn't be discovered without extensive interviews decades after the flight. Kurson does a brilliant job describing the astronauts, their wives and families during the sixties as well as what they have done over the past four decades.
I will be walking and hiking the 500 mile Camino de Santiago this year and I have been devouring as many Camino memoirs as I can find. Bill Bennett's I will be walking and hiking the 500 mile Camino de Santiago this year and I have been devouring as many Camino memoirs as I can find. Bill Bennett's Camino memoir, The Way, My Way, is one of the best ones I have read.
Bennett's writing style is filled with wit and self-deprecating humor. His knee gives out and he describes the Camino as a "pain management pilgrimage."
I recently learned that his film about his Camino experience is now available in Australia and New Zealand. I will continue to look for its arrival in the US. ...more
Excellent, practical book for planning to hike the Camino de Santiago. This book has answers to many questions that aren't covered in other Camino booExcellent, practical book for planning to hike the Camino de Santiago. This book has answers to many questions that aren't covered in other Camino books.
Some of the helpful tips include: * What type of charger to pack for your phone? * What to do if you lose your charger? (All hostels and hotels have boxes with many left behind chargers.) * What to do if nature calls and there aren't any restrooms available for miles? * What do you really need to pack and what should you leave out of your backpack? * What days and times are grocery stores open in Spain? * What times are meals in Spain? (Dinner typically starts at 9 pm.) * How to restore electrolytes while walking/hiking? * What is the emergency number in Spain? (It's 112. If you need an English language police hotline, it's 902, 102, and 112.) * How to prepare your stomach ahead of time for Spanish and Galician meals that are rich in olive oil and pork fat? * Are travel visas needed?
Pearson saw a movie in 1981 when he was 20 years old about an Englishman hiking in Spain. That movie stayed with him throughout his life and he decided to walk the Camino at age 54 in 2015.
Pearson's family was in a serious auto accident in 1996 and his wife, Felicia, died at age 34. The seatbelt holding their six-month old daughter was torn from the carrier and the baby was ejected from their car but survived. Their three-year old son was unharmed. Pearson was seriously injured and had to learn to walk again.
Pearson's Camino journey is similar to reading a diary because each chapter is dedicated to one day on the Camino. His story provides terrific insight into relationships he developed on the path, gear, food, lodging, and weather.
I am planning on hiking the Camino in 2024 and I thoroughly enjoy reading books, blogs, and Facebook posts by those who have already journeyed on the Camino. Pearson's book is terrific!...more
The African proberb on the first page captured my heart: When you plan a journey, It belongs to you. When you begin a journey, You belong to it.
Eanes created seven Camino principles prior to hiking/walking the 500 mile trip from the French Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. He adhered to these key principles and after his journey, he adopted a Camino for Life attitude.
Eanes strongly believes that once you have walked the Camino, you will walk it everyday for the rest of your life. He is a strong advocate for pursuing your dreams. At the end of the book, Eanes states that it is better to die with your memories than with your dreams.
I will be walking/hiking the Camino de Santiago in 2024 and I'm voraciously reading every memoir by those who have traveled this same path. His memoir spoke directly to my heart and my dreams....more
" We improve ourselves by victories over ourself. There must be contests, and you must win." This quote by Edward Gibbon opens Joshua Davis' memoir, T" We improve ourselves by victories over ourself. There must be contests, and you must win." This quote by Edward Gibbon opens Joshua Davis' memoir, The Underdog: How I Survived the World's Most Outlandish Competitions.
Davis' mother won Miss Nevada and entered the Miss USA contest in 1962 at age nineteen. She was a semi-finalist and then finished as the fourth runner up. This defeat stayed with her for the rest of her life. She raised Davis as a single mom for several years and pinned her hopes that he would discover his strength and passion through winning competitions. He didn't win any contests.
As an adult, Davis continued his quest to discover his strengths. He competed in an arm wrestling championship in Poland, became a bullfighter in Mexico, as a 138 pound Sumo wrestler he fought a 460 pound competitor, and he learned the sport of walking backwards.
Along the way, he was a journalist and contributing editor for WIRED magazine. Now I understand why the robotic championship fascinated him and led to writing Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream. In 2012, he was kidnapped while covering events in Libya. Later that same year, he lived with John McAfee and documented McAfee's life. Davis has also written articles about Elon Musk. Davis cofounded EPIC magazine that shares true, unique stories.
I make it a point to visit independent bookstores while I travel. While visiting Richmond, VA, I visited Fountain Bookstore and also Book Bar. Both arI make it a point to visit independent bookstores while I travel. While visiting Richmond, VA, I visited Fountain Bookstore and also Book Bar. Both are located in downtown Richmond.
Goodbye Hoop Skirts - Hello World was featured prominently when I first entered the store and I was captivated by the description of Mary Moore Mason's life as a travel writer. She is the descendant of a survivor of Native American captivity and she was raised in the racially segregated South. She traveled extensively for work and for pleasure and wrote about her experiences in Kenya, Thailand, Oman, and many other places. She launched the first UK travel magazines. She is currently the editor of Essentially America.
Her memoir contains many historical photographs. I admire Mary Moore Mason and the trailblazing path she created. The book was okay for me....more
I was fortunate to hear Kristen and Ville Jokinen speak about their adventures and their book, Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey from Alaska to Argentina, receI was fortunate to hear Kristen and Ville Jokinen speak about their adventures and their book, Joy Ride: A Bike Odyssey from Alaska to Argentina, recently at Changing Hands bookstore in Phoenix. The Jokinens rode their bikes from Alaska to southern Argentina. 18,000 miles in two years.
I have had a love affair with bicycles since I got my first bike for Christmas when I was eight years old. A bicycle represents freedom to me. The call of the open road with the wind in my hair is the start of a grand adventure.
The book is fabulous! It's straightforward and shares the crazy encounters they had with weather, road conditions, wildlife, food, and strangers. Most importantly, it highlights the incredible kindness of strangers who let them camp in their yards and shared their meals with Kristen and Ville....more
Angela had only one brief camping experience prior to their arduous journey. Their adventure is told from both points of view which adds humor to the book. Their memoir is informational and inspirational....more
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