Blog Archives
A Life Lived on Three Continents
A Life Lived on Three Continents is a heartfelt journey through Hanay Kang Angell’s experiences growing up in Korea, adapting to life in the United States, and exploring a new world in the United Arab Emirates. The book captures the universal struggles of identity, resilience, and belonging, weaving them with Angell’s unique perspective as a woman navigating life across vastly different cultures. Her story is deeply personal yet universally relatable, a testament to the human spirit’s capacity to endure and grow.
What struck me most was Angell’s poignant storytelling, particularly in recounting her early life in Korea. Her vivid descriptions of family dynamics, such as the pressure on her mother to produce a male heir or the challenges posed by her father’s absence, offer an intimate glimpse into traditional Korean culture. I felt a pang of empathy as she narrated her struggles as the overlooked child in a large family. One of my favorite moments was her depiction of her grandfather, whose saintly presence and love of calligraphy became an anchor of warmth in her otherwise tumultuous childhood. Moments like these showcase Angell’s ability to blend personal and cultural history seamlessly.
The second section of the book, detailing her immigration to the United States, felt both inspiring and raw. Angell doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties of adapting to a new country while wrestling with feelings of alienation. I admired her candor in discussing the double-edged sword of being an immigrant. Her narrative about meeting her husband on a flight and later navigating an interracial marriage in a predominantly Caucasian community was heartfelt and eye-opening. I found her reflections on balancing her Korean heritage with American expectations to be some of the most moving passages in the book.
Her life in the United Arab Emirates, the third continent in her journey, brought a burst of color and adventure to the narrative. I was enchanted by her descriptions of desert landscapes and the fascinating cultural crossroads she experienced there. However, the shadows of personal struggles, such as her husband’s career challenges and her own feelings of inadequacy, kept the story grounded. Angell’s reflections on motherhood during this period were particularly touching, capturing the joy and sacrifices that come with raising children while chasing personal aspirations.
Angell’s writing is honest and introspective, often leaving me feeling as though I were sitting with her, sharing a cup of tea as she unfolded her life’s tapestry. Her decision to embrace her imperfections and find peace with her past felt like a gentle nudge to do the same in my own life. While Angell’s detailed descriptions add richness to her narrative, there are sections, particularly those that delve deeply into historical or familial context, that I feel are prolonged and detract from the emotional momentum of her personal journey.
I’d recommend A Life Lived on Three Continents to anyone who enjoys memoirs steeped in cultural exploration and personal growth. It’s perfect for readers who value stories of resilience, identity, and the ever-evolving search for belonging. Angell’s journey left me feeling reflective, inspired, and grateful for the resilience within us all.
Pages: 268 | ASIN : B0DK8966YD
Gun Fights, Ghosts and Goannas
Gun Fights, Ghosts and Goannas by Gary Wood chronicles an extraordinary journey through Queensland, blending adventure, culture, and history. Frustrated by the endless grind of working to make a living, Gary set off on a bold bike expedition. His courage was rewarded with unforgettable experiences and profound insights. From uncovering the history of Dead Man’s Island—the final resting place of the first European to die in the region—to reveling in Central Queensland’s vibrant wildlife, Gary’s odyssey captures the heart of exploration. As he roams the landscapes, he reflects on life’s connections and the ties between his past and present.
This book is perfect for history enthusiasts. Gary’s story brims with captivating details, like the story of the Roma Court House and the notorious cattle thief, Captain Starlight. Rich cultural themes further enhance the book’s appeal, offering pearls of wisdom and memorable advice. For instance, I learned a quirky survival tip: follow kangaroos if lost in Australia, as they often lead to roads. Gary’s knack for weaving historical facts with cultural insights creates an engaging tapestry that immerses the reader. The meticulous attention to detail allows readers to connect deeply with the journey.
Vivid descriptions bring the road paths to life, while Gary’s reflections reveal his evolving mental state—exhaustion, relief, excitement, and more. These moments anchor the narrative, making it as much about self-discovery as physical exploration. Gary’s personality shines through every page. His stories, brimming with wit and candor, delve into his personal history, musings on the modern work culture, and observations from the road. His struggle to break free from the monotony of working life resonates deeply. Adventurers and dreamers alike will find inspiration in his triumph of riding over 20,000 kilometers.
Gun Fights, Ghosts and Goannas invites readers to embrace adventure and see the world with fresh eyes. Gary writes with generosity and charm, ensuring no detail is overlooked. This book will spark your wanderlust, teach you about Queensland’s rich history, and challenge you to rethink the possibilities of your own journey.
Pages: 266 | ASIN: B0DDHSSVGZ
How to Be a Digital Nomad: 50 Practical Tips, Interviews, and Personal Insights
In How to Be a Digital Nomad, author Erin Michelson takes readers on a thrilling and wisdom-packed journey into the world of location-independent living. Drawing from her own 15 years of global nomadic experience, Michelson compiles 50 practical tips, insightful interviews with fellow wanderers, and stories that oscillate between hilarious and inspiring. This book is as much a guide to the logistics of a nomadic lifestyle as it is a celebration of embracing the world’s wide horizons.
One thing that struck me immediately was how Michelson blends realism with a genuine passion for travel. She doesn’t sugarcoat the difficulties of staying financially afloat on the road, which is a refreshing honesty right from the first chapter. The author’s breakdown of budgeting, like her anecdote about choosing a $550 shared NYC room to afford two months on a Dominican Republic beach, demonstrates a thoughtful approach to balancing luxury and thriftiness. Her analysis of the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement gave me a lot to consider in terms of financial planning, and I appreciated her resourceful, street-smart strategies. Michelson also sheds light on the entrepreneurial spirit that often fuels the digital nomad community. I enjoyed her discussion on “fractional work,” which suggests breaking away from full-time roles and finding freedom in high-paying, part-time executive positions. It’s practical and innovative advice wrapped in Michelson’s signature candor.
Her narration feels as if a knowledgeable friend is giving you a pep talk over coffee. The section on finding community was equally eye-opening. I loved reading about her experiences forming tight-knit relationships while in transit, such as meeting Rudy, who lives on a fully decked-out bus in Colombia. Michelson’s reflections on “intentional community” and nomad events like co-working festivals emphasize that, even while traveling solo, humans crave connection. Her tips for getting involved, like volunteering or attending local Zumba classes, are actionable and warm, and they make the idea of starting over in a new city feel less intimidating.
How to Be a Digital Nomad is an engaging, fun, and practical book for anyone considering a life untethered from a fixed address. Michelson’s advice spans from simple travel hacks to deep insights about self-discovery. I highly recommend it to aspiring nomads, adventure-seekers, and even seasoned travelers looking for a fresh perspective.
Pages: 151 | ASIN : B0D2PQ5YN8
Hans Bodmer Author Interview
The Elderly Gentleman’s Ulyssee is a unique, reflective journey taking readers along as you spend twelve days hiking from Zurich to Geneva. Why was this an important book for you to write?
To get people world wide an idea of the other side of Switzerland.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
To publish some of my ideas about the problems of this world
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
To reflect on the injustice in this world.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Looking for Legends: Let Us Take You Somewhere You’ve Never Been Before, and Introduce You to Our Friends
Would you rather have dreams or memories? This poignant question forms the crux of Looking for Legends, a captivating memoir/travelogue by Scott and Tarantino. The book recounts the extraordinary adventures of a married couple who have lived a legendary life, blending personal anecdotes with tales of their globe-trotting exploits. Determined to lead a life of exceptional experiences, they embarked on a series of adventures that mirrored some of the most celebrated journeys in history.
Looking for Legends is more than just a travel narrative; it is a love story between two individuals who share an insatiable passion for exploring the world and an equally strong affection for each other. This unintentional sentimentality adds a delightful layer to the book, making it a truly heartwarming read. The couple’s adventures span the globe, from China to Ecuador, Switzerland to Greenland, and Jordan to many other destinations. However, their travel choices were far from random. As avid history enthusiasts, they often selected their destinations based on the writings and significant works of historical figures like Pablo Neruda, Knud Rasmussen, and Zorba the Greek. This historical context enriches their narratives, offering readers a deeper understanding of the places they visited. The sheer audacity and enthusiasm of Scott and Tarantino make this book a sublime experience. Their infectious wanderlust and joy for exploration are so vividly conveyed that even the most devoted homebodies might find themselves inspired to embark on their own journeys by the book’s end.
Complementing the engaging prose are images and hand-drawn maps that beautifully illustrate their travels. These visual aids not only enhance the storytelling but also showcase the couple’s profound appreciation for the planet and its myriad wonders.
Looking for Legends invites readers to reflect on their own lives and decide whether they are content with merely reading about such adventures or whether they will choose to create their own memories. This book is a testament to the extraordinary life that awaits those who dare to dream and take the leap into the unknown.
Pages: 427 | ASIN : B0CW1FRRWH
Reaching For Joy and Happiness
Following Sunshine shares your story of personal growth and dealing with life’s challenges through the lens of your travels and how they helped you on your journey. Why was this an important book for you to write?
While the individual chapters of my life are unique to me — leaving home at age seventeen to study French language and literature in Paris, France, volunteering on remote islands in Belize, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Palau, and reinventing myself professionally across five different industries: TV, scuba diving, hospitality, finance & insurance, and ultimately as an author, my journey is universal.
Many of us suffer loss, heartache, and to varying degrees trauma. We reach for joy and happiness, mental and physical well-being. But the one desire we share absolutely is to love and be loved. That we are enough. My purpose in laying bare my soul in this memoir is to light a path for anyone fighting the dark, to show that anything is possible, that you just need to keep breathing and take the next step. My travels across the world, often as a volunteer, serve as a backdrop to the butterfly effect: we are one human race and how we behave in one area of the world can affect another many oceans away. Our lives become the sum of our thoughts and our experiences the result of our choices.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Quite a few:
Anything is possible, never give up.
Setbacks don’t need to define us; they provide opportunities for growth.
Material possessions are not an indication of success.
Embracing minimalism enables you to travel lightly in the world and life.
Listen to your instincts, trust your intuition.
We are all here to serve each other.
Staying open-minded helps reveal our commonalities rather than what separates us.
Living in the “now” repels anxiety and fear of the unknown.
Practicing gratitude is the only way to soar.
In addition, I wanted to share a subject very dear to me: our oceans.
I’m passionate about marine conservation, protecting our coral reefs and in particular, dolphins. In Chapter 13 you’ll read: “The single most determined activist, who has made it his life’s mission to free dolphins in captivity, has got to be the man who believes he created the problem in the first place: Ric O’Barry. As the trainer on the TV show, he was not only responsible for capturing the five dolphins that played Flipper, but for teaching them to jump, twirl and tail-walk on cue. In the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, Ric explains how he spent ten years contributing to the building of this industry and the rest of his life trying to tear it down. Most of the dolphins you see in what O Barry calls the “Abusement Parks” are “are captured during an annual hunt in Taiji, Japan. Those not chosen to be shipped to seaquariums are slaughtered, out of sight. Once you watch the movie, the blood red water of the scenic cove is a sight you can never un-see.”
My dad had a favorite life quote that resonated with me: When you know something, you can’t not know it anymore. As much as I love dolphins, I have never been near a dolphinarium since. Instead, I chose to volunteer with the Watamu Marine Association in Kenya, working with them on their project to educate boat captains and the community in the safe practices of bringing tourists out to observe dolphins in the wild.
You traveled to so many beautiful places along the way. What location did you find the most healing and why?
Water soothes my soul. If it’s warm and azure, set against green mountains and a deep blue sky the combination makes my spirit soar. So, naturally, finding a way to do Bora Bora on a budget as a single woman, and overcoming the loneliness of dining alone in the honeymoon capital of the world, brought me incredible joy. While it would have been wonderful to share this exotic and romantic destination with a lover I was at peace knowing I am my own best friend, and I am enough.
But the greatest healing was yet to come. Fulfilling a dream to work at sea I volunteered to crew for a solo sailor. From Florida to the Bahamas. It was only supposed to last a month. But when you live 24/7 in a 40ft space, with no wi-fi or cell service, and have to rely on your fellow mariner for your safety you get to know each other from the inside out. Gary and I talked; nothing was off limits. Drawing from his master’s degree in spiritual psychology he coached me in processing some issues from my past and showed me the art of self-forgiveness and self-love. While neither of us set out on the voyage looking for love, love found us. A month turned into four, a year into six, sailing the turquoise waters of the Bahamas and Caribbean islands. With toes in the sand in Antigua captain and crew became husband and wife. We are forever grateful for the universe conspiring in our favor and for the profound love we have for each other. Together, we have become greater than the sum of our two selves.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
Living a fulfilled, meaningful life is a choice. It starts with seeking clarity, not continuing in the role your parents, siblings or colleagues think is best for you. Past traumas do not define you. Believe anything is possible. Once you discard the noise, the life you really want to live becomes clear and it is never too late to take steps to create that existence. Be the driver, not the passenger. Visualize that life, take the necessary action to achieve it, be open to the all the possibilities it offers, and then live in quiet expectation and gratitude. It will come.
And remember you only have today, and it could be your last. Whatever you have been dreaming of, or putting off, do it now.
Enjoy this gift called life!
Author links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Website
In her honest and heart-warming memoir, writer and adventurer Niamh McAnally shares the story of her liberating journey from being unemployed, homeless, and divorced in her fifties, to embarking on a global quest to find purpose through volunteering and ultimately finding a profound love that changed her life.
From volunteering for marine conservation projects on remote islands in Belize, Vanuatu, and Tonga, to exploring exotic destinations like Bora Bora, Palau, Fiji, and St Barths, Niamh takes readers on a captivating journey where each destination unveils a layer of her self-discovery. An encouraging read for the dreamer in each of us, you’ll learn about unique cultures, dolphin research, turtle conservation, and coral reef protection. And be prepared for the most unexpected love story when she is selected as crew for a solo sailor in the Bahamas—a project that was only supposed to last a month but will now last a lifetime.
While telling the story of one woman’s quest for meaning, Following Sunshine also serves as a roadmap for the rest of us, inspiring us to awaken to the potential that lies within and choose a path truest to our being. Perfect for fans of adventure travel, romance, and anyone seeking meaning and fulfillment through giving back.
Following Sunshine: A Voyage Around the Mind, Around the World, Around the Heart
In Following Sunshine, Niamh McAnally takes readers on an enthralling journey across diverse landscapes, from the lush jungles of Fiji to the serene beaches of Vanuatu. Through her travels—which span Nairobi, Vietnam, Saint Barthélemy, Fiji, Palau, and beyond—McAnally weaves a narrative rich in cultural insights and natural beauty. She vividly describes moments of connection with the world around her, such as participating in turtle conservation in Vanuatu or reflecting on local customs.
The memoir is more than a mere travelogue; it’s an introspective look at McAnally’s personal growth amid life’s challenges, including dealing with loss, divorce, and financial struggles. Her expressive language enhances the narrative, painting scenes with phrases that capture the transition of seasons and emotions, like “As spring gave way to summer, daffodils and white-blossomed garlic were replaced by the bluebells of May.” McAnally also delves into profound personal topics, such as child abuse and the uncertainty of the future, integrating these themes into her travel experiences. This blend of personal history with adventure provides a compelling backdrop for reflections on broader themes such as love, loss, and the human impact on ecosystems.
Following Sunshine resonates with those who have a zest for adventure and nature and readers interested in the introspective aspects of travel. McAnally’s narrative invites us to explore a world of vibrant landscapes and rich textures, all while engaging with her contemplations on life and culture. This book is an invitation to experience the world through the eyes of a thoughtful and resilient explorer.
Pages: 368 | ASIN : B0D2Z5LFVZ
LITERARY TITAN 