Free Book Friday: What Boundaries?
11. Dec, 2009 
33 Comments
Lisa Chavez and Cheryl MacDonald are two women searching for something. Mid-career, successful but wanting more, they ditch the day jobs (Lisa worked in pharmacy and Cheryl as a Director in a Fortune 500 company), sell everything, buy a backpack and head to Europe.
Sound familiar?
When I’m looking for a good travel book, there are essentially two kinds. The literary adventures that describe travel in such a way that even if I took the author’s exact route, I would never have the same experience. The details are more crisp, the author’s knowledge of history and relevance are more detailed and while it brings you to another world, that place doesn’t exist for the rest of us. It’s like travel in HD. Our mere mortal eyes can’t see that clearly. Then there are the books you buy because you are planning a trip. You’re daydreaming about quitting your job or traveling Europe or Morocco or wherever but you want to know what it would be like. You need someone to help you understand what it would mean for you– the unpracticed traveler, sans history degree and refined palate, to travel to these places with your bad knee or delicate stomach. What Boundaries? is one of these books.
Lisa is our narrator, and she often reminds me of a toned down Bill Bryson. She struggles with travel in the beginning, a comedy of errors and attitude, she bemoans the weight of her pack, she longs for comfort food (indulging in American staples like the Hard Rock Cafe Paris), she gets tired of camping, and she talks endlessly about the joy of bacon. If you’ve traveled long term, you might recognize any of the things she’s going through. It’s amazing, but you have get homesick. It’s the best trip ever, but you still have to adjust. However, like any adventure, over time you learn. The fantastic itinerary and bulleted lists get thrown out the window. You starting traveling without reservations. You are more open to trying new things. You learn little tricks like finding a private residence to rent is cheaper than staying in a hostel. Instead of rushing between cities, you linger in the countyside. Slowly, the tourist becomes a traveler.
This is Lisa’s first travel book, but in her life in pharmacy she was also a published author. It shows. It’s a rare combination of clear writing and fresh eyes– it’s the story of someone discovering travel, not mastering it.
Available: January 3, 2010
Want a Free Copy?
Leave a comment below and tell me what you’d do if there were… no boundaries. I’ll choose the winner on next week’s Free Book Friday.
Announcing Last Week’s Winner of The Tipping Point
Rachel Cotterill who wrote, “I’d love to read this book for two reasons.
First, I tend to think I’m fairly immune to ‘trends’, and I’m sure it would be interesting to see all the little ways in which that’s not true.
But second and probably more important, as someone who’s just about to start pitching my novel to publishers, I’d like to have as good a grasp of marketing as I can possibly achieve. I’ve done some successful but highly localised marketing for theatre productions in the past, but I need to start understanding the global scale.” Good luck Rachel, let us know how it goes!
Oh wow, I won! Thank you!
Rachel Cotterill´s last blog ..Language In Fantasy
No boundaries. It is amazing how conditioned society makes us to thinking of “No Boundaries” as a fairy tale. I’m reading The Four-Hour Work Week now and was floored by a simple question of, “What excites you?” What a blow, I can’t answer this question without having to think about it. I’ve always had the idea of traveling and exploring new cultures, but I’ve let my surroundings bring me down. With No Boundaries, I’m going to travel for months at a time learning and exploring the culture and not just the sites. Then as I build my family, expose them to this same, free lifestyle.
Thanks for your post, your info mixed with various other lifestyle entrepreneurs have got me moving in the direction I know I was meant to live.
The thought of having no boundaries is both exhilarating and scary. It means no more excuses, reasons, etc., and puts you firmly in control. I’m not sure what I’d do differently, but it would probably involve taking a few more risks.
Mary Jo´s last blog ..MJ’s Travel Favorites 12-6-09
Hmm . . . I would wake up every morning to a cup of hot tea and a couple of hours just for me, without technology or demands. Then I’d eat breakfast, write for a few house, have a leisurely lunch with my husband or friends. Afterward, I’d work out, shower, and write some more. It sounds so simple, but it would make me happy.
No boundaries … then I would travel almost constantly, listening to peoples stories as I photographed them.
Di´s last blog ..Impossible to Resist …
The closest I’ve come to “no boundaries” was the summer I spent travelling through Europe and Asia alone. It was scary, thrilling and life-changing in so many ways. I didn’t do much planning and made every decision on my own.
Although my budget was limited, I had a Eurail pass and could hop on a train to almost any country in the region without any forethought. If I met someone in a youth hostel who told me Istanbul was interesting, I went to the train station and took the next train to Istanbul. If I read about an interesting museum in southern Italy, I made a point to swing by. If I needed a place to sleep for the night and all the youth hostels were full, I went to the train station and picked a destination that was 8 hours away so I could sleep on the train.
It was literally an existence with no boundaries. I dream of the day when I can travel again like I did that summer in my 20s. For now, as I am raising young children and running a small business, I’ll have to be content to read the exhilarating tales of others who are travelling with no boundaries, like Lisa Chavez and Cheryl MacDonald.
No boundaries…
I can retire in 9 and a half years (but I’m not counting) and often dream of that trip around the world. Do I start in Australia or end there? or will the RTW tickets be different by then? Where do I spend the holidays – I’ve spent the last 10 years trying to get off for the holidays so I can spend them with my family and now I can be in a whole different country and city. I dream of Paris at Christmas. New Years? Maybe Edinburgh or maybe throw the RTW ticket aside and go to Sydney, I’ve spent 8 of the last 11 New Years freezing my butt off in Times Square it might be time to be someplace warm. Are there any major sporting events coming up then? Olympics, World Cup I LOVED Berlin for World Cup. Without boundaries I can do it all…
Crissy´s last blog ..Egypt: Flying Home and the Epilogue
If there were no boundaries, I would move to Rome with my husband and daughter and be a full time writer.
Heather´s last blog ..Post and Read via Twitter API
Without boundaries, I wouldn’t be afraid to speak languages I don’t know very well. Without boundaries, I wouldn’t be afraid to participate in adventure sports that scare the heck out of me (bungee jumping, sky diving). Without boundaries, I wouldn’t have second guessed my opportunity to eat grasshoppers today. Guess what? I ate the grasshoppers anyway!
JoAnna´s last blog ..24 Creative Uses for a Sarong
If you actually knew what you are seeking… it would be: eudaimonia! (check out Aristotle’s definition… you’ll really be inspired!!!
It’s a potentially scary proposition… to liquidate the remaining “stuff”… for which I had slaved 49 years under the socially conditioned illusion that somewhere in the consumerist world… one can find happiness. When the reality hit me 5 years ago… I realized that the person with the most freedom is the person who is the perpetual traveler… who is NOT a resident… who (like a turtle) has all the resources they need… on their back (and of course… possess the wits, character & tenacity) to set out upon this earth… in search of truth and adventure. There are many things I’ve encountered along this path that have triggered a bit of uncertainty… but in open communication with others, I’ve found a way to overcome the obstacles. Looking forward to launching the journey by mid 2010. There are no boundaries… when the illusion of “walls” start to form… it’s just time to flex the tenacity muscle… and level the imagined walls yet again. I’d love to read this book and learn more from the experience of others… so as we share our experiences… we all benefit.
Namaste’
Nikko
Nikko´s last blog ..Don’t be naive to how the government is stripping you of your rights…
To tell you the truth, most of the boundaries are in our minds and that there is nearly always a solution. So, I’d just continue as I am now, looking at breaking through my self-made boundaries and stop holding myself back.
Gordie´s last blog ..Why Deadlines Are For Deadbeats.
My boundaries everytime I think of ditching everything and go travelling : I always feel that my family needs me and somehow I’ve got responsibilities towards them. And my job.
So I am still searching for that ‘one lightning jolt of super-inspiration’ to cement my intention that one day, I will do what I want for myself. Carpe diem!
AudreyAdella´s last blog ..In the Maze : Jalan Sosrowijayan, Jogjakarta
With no boundaries I would be free to be the steward of my own life. Self-imposed and situational boundaries are what keeps me dissatisfied with the present. Without boundaries I would have the courage to jump into the unknown and not fear giving up the life we are supposed to work for. The end of boundaries would mean the end of the personal struggle between the pull in the direction of happiness and the pull in the direction of sensibility. With no boundaries the opportunities are limitless.
Laura´s last blog ..Brazilian Food
I was thinking about what to respond to this and reading over people’s responses…when it came to me…No boundaries means letting go. It means throwing control out the window and living your life at life’s pleasure – taking sail with heavy winds, tornados, and following your path – against or with the wind.
Carolina´s last blog ..7 Ways to De-Stress
If there were no boundaries. I’d hanglide. The sheer thrill of flying (as in like a bird, not as in an aeroplane) excites me, and as I’m not a mutant, I can’t do the whole Magneto/Storm from X-Men free flying.
So hangliding would be a close second
Rhys´s last blog ..New WordPress Plugin – InComment Comment Source Referrer
I think “no boundaries” would flummox me, being a novice traveler. I can see myself going thru the same process as the narrator, Lisa, of the book. I’ve got three little babies, and if we were to start traveling now, I think I would need itineraries and plans, just to feel comfortable. Then, perhaps when I got more comfortable, we could let go, and just “be” on vacation as opposed to just “do”.
-Charley
Charley Forness´s last blog ..Simply, Signing On – Inaugural Post
NO Boundaries…….I have often “fantisized” about packing it in and just disapearing. I have even gone through my worldly posessions and “decided” just what I could live without. When it comes right down to it all that matters is what I am comfortable with. Being a gypsy and moving all the time has prepared me for a lifetime of travel. I have already been doing it, just with all my posessions. As my son grows older(soon to be on his own)I have moved on to the reality that this is becoming possible for me and this is the fuel for my jumping off point. All my things are just that “things”. My whole life can be felt and remembered right here in my own mind. I don’t need the posessions to fulfill that. Here is to many a years of “learning the ropes” and just “going for it” .
No boundaries.. Waking up each day not remembering where you are.
No boundaries. No timetables. No responsibilities. Imagine the freedom to roam, to be, to write, to dream, to explore, to learn, to think, to give, to do, and to love. Sounds amazing. Sounds dangerous. Sounds fun. Sign me up!
Liz ´s last blog ..Weekly Top 5 Blog Posts for Writers….
“No Boundaries” is what we truly have as the Crew of this Lovely Living “Spaceship Earth.” See the Earth from space as it really is and know there are no yellow, pink or purple nations. Boundaries are human-made figments of our imagination. All the rest of the Crew of SS Earth are in harmony with nature and understand this. All Life from Butterflies and Fish to Geese and Whales roam the Globe at will – often at incredible distances – and without a passport too! We promote the “Astronauts View” of Home at http://www.Earthseeds.org – as educators, parents, former park rangers, etc we encourage a shift in global consciousness by getting the Earth Image ( NASA photos ) up in every Classroom to shift our Global Vision by the year 2020. When we all travel we give postcards of the Astronaut’s view which inspires others to keep on playing if forward. Like the Berlin wall – if we all keep pecking at it – things WILL change. Which do we want to promote? Tourism or Terrorism? Love or Fear? Travel is humbling, enlightening and empowering – all with no boundaries…
With no boundaries, I would get rid of my “stuff”, grab my back pack, drop the cats with good ol’ mom, and travel. With no boundaries, I would spend the first couple of months relaxing and learning something fun. Then I would spend 3-9 months exploring a culture and learning a skill. After that, I would really get involved and lend a hand….perhaps 6 months with Hands On Disaster Relief. Hopefully, after that, I would have “the hang of it” and develop a nice, mobile life.
Guess what? There ARE no boundaries! Within the next year, I WILL be doing roughly what I just wrote!!! I hope to “practice” for about a year and a half. Give or take.
This really resonated with me……..”You need someone to help you understand what it would mean for you– the unpracticed traveler, sans history degree and refined palate, to travel to these places with your bad knee or delicate stomach.”
The book “What Boundaries?” sounds like just what I need to open myself to the potential of “itinerary out the window travel”.
Thanks for the review!
always good to read of other women doing simliar things to me ……….. i ran away from home as a gift to myself for my 50th birthday gift . traveled for a year, no plans, no bookings . from alaska to zimbabwe .just me, mybackpack , a youth hostel card and enough for 12mths frugal travel. it was so good i did it again , and then again… i too wriote about it … Naked in Budapest: travels with a passionate nomad
keep up the good work
Living in Cambodia I run into boundaries of multiple kinds, language, culture and physical boundaries like country borders. I think how awesome it would be to be able to function without those boundaries affecting my daily interactions, allowing me to meld into the distinct places I travel and come to be a part of them. I think the reason we like travel is to enjoy diversity but the boundaries are often restrictive, instead of inclusive that is what is desired in boundary-lessness.
No boundaries for me means the ability to create the memories that my wife and I want. If that is world travel, a happy family, or both. It is never about acquiring more “stuff” or a more stressful job. So that is how I live my life with no boundaries.
10 weeks into my year long RTW trip with my wife I realize that traveling constantly for a year will be an amazing experience with many great memories. But the trade off is not being able to create or have a sense of belonging. That is what I miss from home. The friends, family and not having to always introduce yourself. But maybe that is because Christmas is less than 2 weeks away and we are on the the other side of the planet.
Keith´s last blog ..A Detour Through New Jersey? Nope, it’s Just Dubai
There are no boundaries.
Boundaries are a survival mechanism, constructions of the mind to help us make sense of the world and to endure. We all find them useful at times, but some find them as constricting as chains. When you realize that you can see through them, that you can push and pull and manipulate them, you see your actual state of freedom. No boundaries for me means casting off these invisible fetters and traveling, snipping off toxic baggage, and finding pieces of my future self in every culture and vista.
the only thing that would change is that I wouldn´t need visas!
Adriana´s last blog ..The most starlit night
I am at that exact point in my life that Lisa and Cheryl went thru – searching for something. I often day dream about quitting, selling, and running the world.
That is exactly what i would do if there were no boundries. Out and about meeting new people in different cultures. Probably exploring the meaning of life.
Money Funk´s last blog ..Menu Plan Monday
If there were no boundaries, I would travel the world teaching others and instiling the idea of “no boundaries” in their minds. From the poorest communites to the corporate execs, people need to realize there are no boundaries.
Cheers,
Hansen
Hansen´s last blog ..Tourist Safety in a Violent Tijuana
I recently got back from my very first long-term overseas experience: I studied abroad in Costa Rica. I’m on a travel high – I want this to be my life! I’m searching for ways to make that a reality right now, and am starting by working at my school for a study abroad program.
If there were no boundaries, my life would be a constant string of travel. All of the experiential knowledge just waiting to be gained excites me. At twenty years old, I feel as though I have so much to learn… I just need to know how to go about experiencing.
To read this story would be an inspiration, possibly, to get my life started on the right path before I would head down a second-choice one (at a 9-5 job… though the salary would be tempting).
I would go from park to park. Any you could camp at. At each one I would run. I’d find the most interesting trails and run it. I’d run into town if I needed a people fix. I’d run up to the highest peaks.
Then off to the next park.
Pat
pat monahan´s last blog ..2009 Tucson Marathon and an almost DNF.
I’m 65 and if there were no boundaries I’d sell everything I own; buy myself a camperized van; a new laptop to stay in touch with the grandkids and head out! Where? Don’t know and don’t care? Why? Because I’ve seen too little of the world I’ve read about since I started reading at age 3!
I am a college student who feels consistently trapped by boundaries. Although I constantly yearn to immerse myself in new experiences and situations, there is always something inside me that inhibits me from doing so. Traveling with no boundaries has always been a dream of mine; however, lack of funds, courage, and time continually seem to deter my aspirations. If I had no boundaries, I would take the plunge in to long-term travel and journey all over the world meeting new people and learning new languages, philosophies, and more. I wouldn’t stop until I was satisfied that I had enough of what this great big world has to offer me!
No boundaries! Wait, who might ever needs them doesn’t watch Discovery Channel’s Travel and Living. ehehehe
Xandra Hasegawa´s last blog ..How to Screw Up Your Relationship with a Japanese Woman