The Tale of a Full-time Traveller

 Review by Ronica Wahi


One Way Ticket

By Mark Phipps

First published: November 29, 2022, Lost in Paradise Publishing.

Kindle Edition Published: December 4, 2022.

Kindle Edition Pages: 217.

ASIN: B0BNLK3BF2

 

Twelve years of travelling! This sure sounds exciting and may be on the agenda of many. To those who harbour such dreams, One Way Ticket, Mark Phipps’s debut book, provides a reality check. A life of travel is not a bed of roses, and it certainly is not everyone’s cup of tea.

The reader gets to know from Phipps how his mindset developed. He created opportunities or grabbed them along the way, with no other plan than satisfying his love for travel, adventure, and newer experiences. You Can’t Get Lost When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going ­– this subtitle aptly expresses his approach.

There are some interesting things to make note of for readers inclined to travel, some wonderful experiences to know about, and some heartwarming incidents of kindness shown by strangers. But Phipps travelled for twelve long years! Considering that, the number of memorable or remarkable incidents shared is low, and the amount of space given to such elements limited. The travel destinations and their uniqueness should have steered the story, but have only been given the backseat.

Many more of thrilling or funny experiences, more details and thoughts on sites explored – such as what was the most striking thing about an ancient archaeological site, insightful commentary on cultural differences would have boosted tremendously the richness and the meaningfulness of the narrative. In its present state, it lacks the kind and the level of excitement that a book of this genre has the potential to produce.

While Phipps explores different countries and lives with the freedom to go places, this freedom comes with a price. Through all these years, he has had to take up jobs he otherwise might have not, and has had to compromise on the sense of security and comfort that comes with having a stable career and home. The greatest loss for anyone choosing this life would be the distance from family.

The details Phipps shares about this non-exciting aspect clearly are helpful for one who is undecided yet about whether to choose a life of travel. This is where the worth of this book lies. Phipps also shares a lot of other intimate details about his family and his life that many people would have been hesitant to share. He is presenting this as a record of his years, with the good, the bad, and the ugly all packed in.

The decision and the determination of Phipps to create the life he wanted are appreciable. The bits in One Way Ticket where he contemplates over and reflects on his journey and lessons are largely well-written, with thoughts and feelings expressed fine. These bits could have been crisper though.

The choice of words and expressions could have also been better and more informed. He writes:

“Not many people appreciated the freedom of having everything you owned on your back, moving around the world as you pleased. Being unrestricted by time, living in the moment, deciding where to lay your head each night and picking countries as if choosing dinner was not something I had ever taken for granted.”

While he says he has never taken his blessings for granted, the word appreciated does not sit well. A small chunk of the global population has the liberty to choose the kind of life that it wants to lead, and an even smaller chunk has the opportunity or the privilege to opt for a life of travel.

A stronger verdict against himself for some of his actions was also called for; just because nobody else was directly harmed through a wrong action does not make that action right.

As mentioned earlier, this is a valuable resource for reality check. Importantly, in a couple of sections in the book, Phipps talks of sustainable travel. For example, he mentions the value of travelling by public transport for gaining local experience as well as for reducing carbon footprint. He also shares some small steps he takes – such as using refillable water bottles and picking up litter from the ocean floor during his scuba dives. This is a key takeaway too.

All in all, an average read.

 

Check out the Kindle edition of One Way Ticket on Amazon:

https://amzn.to/45lG13u

 

DISCLAIMER: Ronica Wahi is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. If you make a purchase through any of the Amazon links provided by Ronica here, she may receive a small commission, without any extra cost to you.

 

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