A Map For Saturday

A Map For Saturday, has easily become one of my favorite documentaries. It's inspirational to see someone in their mid-twenties leave a good job, and put it all on the line for a project that they believe in. It's certainly admirable and courageous, as it's not something the average person can do.

The film is incredibly touching and personal, as you witness a complete transformation of one's character through a year of travel. At the end of the film, we see an entirely different person than the one who started the journey back in New York City.

The essence of travel is wonderfully captured, as it offers insight into the mindset of fellow travelers and a window into the rest of the world. The film also offers a unique perspective of what it was like to be an American traveling during the George Bush era. Highly recommended.



What I realized—not just about myself but about the world—is that time and money are commodities with an inverse relationship; to get one you need to spend the other. And I realized, for me, time is a more valuable commodity than money... our society is built on the premise we should want more money so we can have more things, even if we don’t really have the free time to use those things.--Brook Silva-Braga

Don't Get Duffilled

"Travel is glamorous only in retrospect."--Paul Theroux

This quote rings true, as we often tend to forget about all the frustrations and loneliness of solo travel, after the fact.

More so in Paul Theroux's epic four month journey in 1975 by train through Europe, the Middle Easy, India, Asia and back through Russia. I can't even begin to fathom the amount of patience and strength it takes to embark on such a trip; especially during the mid-seventies. Theroux, extremely observant in his surroundings and those he encounters on a day to day basis, make this book. Some of the people he meets along the way you can't make up if you tried.

For me, this book has painted a picture of a world that I never knew existed.