Serendipity and Other Travel Adventures

by Shelley Odendahl

When they married, author Shelley and her husband Cliff made a commitment to travel together.
Vivid landscapes, iconic locations, and adventurous escapades are all in this book, describing their
• USA on motorcycle
• European countries of France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy
• Australia and New Zealand, Bali and Patagonia
Serendipity was experiencing prehistoric art caves in France, being at an alphorn concert in the Swiss Alps, flying in a small plane over the rugged peaks of Milford Sound in New Zealand, and accidently crashing a wedding party in Bali, among other highlights of traveling together.
Not everything went as planned – a motorcycle glitch, a bug in the eye, a missed tour bus, traveling hundreds of miles in the wrong direction, and more, caused tense times along the way. But, as Cliff says, “With some creative thinking and flexibility, travel can be fun even when things go wrong.”
This warm, engaging travel memoir invites readers along for the ride.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Travel

162 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2025

About the author

Serendipity and Other Travel Adventures follows author Shelley and her husband Cliff as they travel together in the USA by motorcycle, and in Europe, Australia, Bali, New Zealand and Patagonia. This travel memoir brings readers with them through the highs and lows of their journeys.

When she was in her fifties, Shelley made some changes in her life, which inspired her to write Realize Your Dreams: Create an Action Plan for Life Transformation.
Her novel, Memory of Rivers – A Past Life Love Story, is the result of her action plan to be a writer.

Shelley lives with her husband Cliff in the beautiful state of Minnesota, USA, home of scenic rivers and 10,000+ lakes. She enjoys traveling, watercolor painting, hiking in National Parks, going to musical performances, and being in a boat on the water. She is never happier than when she’s in the company of her husband, family and friends, with perhaps some food and wine involved.

Reviews

[Yvonne (It's All About Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished reading: October 20th 2025

"It made me more aware of how each traveler has their personal point of view, a lens created by their history and beliefs, and what they observed and interpreted from the experience. We each create our own narrative."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

REVIEW

I always love a bout of bookish travel and I have been trying to read more travel memoirs this year. I was instantly drawn to the cover of Serendipity And Other Travel Adventures, mainly because I suspected the cover photo was taken in the Patagonia region... One of the areas in Argentina I hope to explore in the future. Then I read the blurb and saw the other destinations this book would take me to, and I was even more excited to pick up this travelogue. It turned out to be a very enjoyable reading experience for me!

Serendipity And Other Travel Adventures focuses on the different destinations the author Shelley Odendahl has been able to travel to with her husband over the years, starting on a motorcycle in the US in the 1980s all the way to a vacation in the Patagonia region in 2023. This memoir is written as a true travelogue, with each chapter stating clearly when and where it takes place. They are presented in chronological order, and it was interesting to see how their way of traveling changed and evolved over time.

The memoir starts out in the 1980s as we follow Shelley and her husband on multiple trips with their motorcycle, traveling through multiple northern US states along the way. I enjoyed the descriptions of the different settings, and I also liked the tone of the narration itself. I could appreciate how the author doesn't take herself too seriously nor glosses over the less pleasant aspects of their travels... Which only made the story feel more authentic, because every traveler knows that no matter how much you plan, something always ends up going wrong anyway.

There is a large part set in Europe, taking us to France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy along the way. I could especially appreciate the chapters set in Switzerland and Italy, because they talked about cities I've visited myself and they brought back great memories. Again, the author shows us both the highs and lows, and it really gives you a realistic picture what traveling without a tour can be like. It's a way of travel I still prefer myself, and while sometimes things can go wrong, it also leads to the moments of serendipity mentioned in the title.

Australia marks a change in the style of travel, with a more tour-based approach... Which I would probably end up chosing myself as well to be able to properly explore such a large country in limited time. The descriptions of the different locations only made me want to visit the country even more, and the same goes for the chapters set in New Zealand afterwards... Two of my top bucket list countries. Not that I didn't enjoy spending time with the Bali chapters, which were enjoyable to read as well.

The part that I was most curious about came last: the chapters set in the Patagonia region. As an immigrant living in Argentina, I'm always curious to see how others portray the country, and I enjoyed reading the descriptions of Buenos Aires as well as their journey south. I still have to visit the southern part of the Patagonia region myself, and this travelogue definitely made me want to book that trip as soon as possible.

All in all I ended up having a great time reading Serendipity And Other Travel Adventures, the writing style and tone making it very easy to fly through the pages. If you enjoy reading engaging and candid travelogues, I can definitely recommend this book.

[Sue Ready · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shelly Odendahl's newest memoir-travelogue is an open invitation for readers to be armchair travelers while enjoying her travel adventures with her husband, Cliff. They began their travel commitment starting in 1982 with a motorcycle trip across parts of the northern United States for their honeymoon.

Each chapter in the book is written in chronological order of their travels from 1982 to 2023. From the US, they have traveled internationally to European countries, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, then to Australia, New Zealand, Bali, and Patagonia. Vivid descriptions of the places they visited, using sensory details, brought the scenes to life.

A favorite quote from the author that captures the essence of traveling. “Each traveler has their personal point of view, a lens created by their history and beliefs, and what they observed and interpreted from the experience. We each create our own narrative."

Despite their trust in one another and meticulous pre-planning, they encountered unforeseen mishaps that often tested the strength of their personal relationship during their travel adventures. They found being flexible and open-minded a critical reminder when planning itineraries to different places. Once, the Odendahls missed a tour bus trip for unexpected reasons; another time, they ended up traveling hundreds of miles in Italy the wrong way; and an unexpected eye injury while traveling on a motorcycle forced them to cut short their trip and rent a van. But along the way, several serendipitous moments encountered added unexpected joy and fun to their travel adventures. Shelley and her husband relished the opportunity to explore prehistoric art caves in France, attend an Alphorn concert in the Swiss Alps, fly in a small plane over rugged mountain peaks in New Zealand, and unintentionally crash a wedding party in Bali.

There were definite highs and lows for the Odendahls, who planned their own itinerary for trips. Australia marked a shift in their travel style, adopting a more tour-based approach.

Odendahl's conversational narration is heartfelt and candid, making it easy for readers to relate to their travel experiences. The travelogue was well-paced and effectively balanced moments of high intensity with slower-paced sections. Many of the places covered piqued my interest to start planning my own trip.

[C. Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serendipity and Other Travel Adventures is a memoir that will really appeal to avid travelers and even those who like to experience via someone else's experience.

Odendahl doesn’t merely list sites visited; she brings landscapes and cultures to life with vivid descriptions and sensory detail. This allows readers to clearly picture the places she visits and feel as though they are there themselves.

Each chapter is a different place or moment in time and the book really feels whole due to the authors ability to connect it all. She shows how travel and those experiences can affect and change your lives and outlooks in the best way.

[Gina Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful adventure with an author who writes like she would to a friend.

I appreciated the openness the author brought to her writing. She shares her experiences, lessons learned, and the beauty in travel itself and appreciation for other cultures and places.

This is a unique read as not everyone has had the same experiences or been to the same places so it's not like any other travel memoir. It's unique to the author which is wonderful. It's lived experiences shared with strangers, not a how-to or self-help but a true tale of someone's adventures. I loved it.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be in the same tour group as the author and her husband while in Patagonia, and we had such a great time with them. So when I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to read it. As I read, it was so fun to imagine Shelley and Cliff touring the US on motorcycle, and then jetting off to Europe, Australia, and Indonesia. Her book brought back memories of places I have visited and added several new places to my list!

[Samantha Turley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelley Odendah recounts her stories in a smooth, candid style that can make readers feel they were there with her! She has wisdom and trust in the serendipity of the Universe, along the way while she learns from new friends in vastly different, fascinating cultures.

Easy reading and so inspirational, it will motivate you to get out there and travel while you can.

Whether you've traveled to faraway lands, or not, this is a worthwhile, enjoyable read! Don't miss it!

[J G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring! Never having been on a motorcycle, this book made it sound like such a scenic, wonderful adventure, especially when done with your life partner. Descriptions of the places, bits of history sprinkled in, and the dynamics of how the author and her husband navigated issues that arose made it an enjoyable read.

[Tina McKeever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read of journeys across the US and overseas. You get to see the world thru the authors eyes.

Riding a motorcycle across ND and SD and Montana and even to Colorado in the heat, rain and bugs. But they hang that up once they go thru Paris and Germany and France. Loved the stories. Pick up a copy if you are looking for an easy read.
Tina

[R.K. Emery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Shelley Odendahl for giving us her first hand perspective of travels.

She did a great job of making her story compelling and entertaining. Making the descriptions vibrant and allowing the reader to feel present in the journey.

Well-written and with clear language, this memoir paints a realistic picture of her experiences and relationship with her husband alike.

[Janell Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun reading this book. I love how the personal side of the travel adventures filters in (an argument here or there, getting drenched in the rain), and reading about great places to visit. Loved this book!

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable if you want to travel through the eyes of someone else and don't want to makecthe trips yourself