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Baggage: Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac
An award-winning journalist’s eco-adventures across the globe with his three traveling his fiancée, his OCD, and his chronic anxiety—a hilarious, wild jaunt that will inspire travelers, environmentalists, and anyone with mental illness.
Silver Award, 2020 Nautilus Book Awards, Memoir & Personal Journey Category
Gold Award, 2020 Benjamin Franklin Awards, Travel Category
Most travel narratives are written by superb people who crave adventure, laugh in the face of danger, and rapidly integrate into foreign cultures. But what about someone who is paranoid about traveler’s diarrhea, incapable of speaking a foreign tongue, and hates not only flying but driving, cycling, motor-biking, and sometimes walking in the full sun?
In Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac, award-winning writer Jeremy Hance chronicles his hilarious and inspiring adventures as he reconciles his traveling career as an environmental journalist with his severe OCD and anxiety.
At the age of twenty-six—after months of visiting doctors, convinced he was dying from whatever disease his brain dreamed up the night before—Hance was diagnosed with OCD. The good news was that he wasn’t dying; the bad news was that OCD made him a really bad traveler—sometimes just making it to baggage claim was a win.
Yet Hance hauls his baggage from the airport and beyond. He takes readers on an armchair trek to some of the most remote corners of the world, from Kenya, where hippos clip the grass and baboons steal film, to Borneo, where macaques raid balconies and the last male Bornean rhino sings, to Guyana, where bats dive-bomb his head as he eats dinner with his partner and flesh-eating ants hide in their pants and their drunk guide leaves them stranded in the rainforest canopy.
As he and his partner soldier through the highs and the lows—of altitudes and their relationship—Hance discovers the importance of resilience, the many ways to manage (or not!) mental illness when in stressful situations, how nature can improve your mental health, and why it is so important to push yourself to live a life packed with experiences, even if you struggle daily with a mental health issue.
With mental illness impacting the lives of millions of people, this timely book will inspire people to step out of their comfort zones and take the road meant to be traveled. Hance proves that we all have baggage--the question is, do we leave it dusty in a closet or do we take it out in full view for others to see?
Silver Award, 2020 Nautilus Book Awards, Memoir & Personal Journey Category
Gold Award, 2020 Benjamin Franklin Awards, Travel Category
Most travel narratives are written by superb people who crave adventure, laugh in the face of danger, and rapidly integrate into foreign cultures. But what about someone who is paranoid about traveler’s diarrhea, incapable of speaking a foreign tongue, and hates not only flying but driving, cycling, motor-biking, and sometimes walking in the full sun?
In Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac, award-winning writer Jeremy Hance chronicles his hilarious and inspiring adventures as he reconciles his traveling career as an environmental journalist with his severe OCD and anxiety.
At the age of twenty-six—after months of visiting doctors, convinced he was dying from whatever disease his brain dreamed up the night before—Hance was diagnosed with OCD. The good news was that he wasn’t dying; the bad news was that OCD made him a really bad traveler—sometimes just making it to baggage claim was a win.
Yet Hance hauls his baggage from the airport and beyond. He takes readers on an armchair trek to some of the most remote corners of the world, from Kenya, where hippos clip the grass and baboons steal film, to Borneo, where macaques raid balconies and the last male Bornean rhino sings, to Guyana, where bats dive-bomb his head as he eats dinner with his partner and flesh-eating ants hide in their pants and their drunk guide leaves them stranded in the rainforest canopy.
As he and his partner soldier through the highs and the lows—of altitudes and their relationship—Hance discovers the importance of resilience, the many ways to manage (or not!) mental illness when in stressful situations, how nature can improve your mental health, and why it is so important to push yourself to live a life packed with experiences, even if you struggle daily with a mental health issue.
With mental illness impacting the lives of millions of people, this timely book will inspire people to step out of their comfort zones and take the road meant to be traveled. Hance proves that we all have baggage--the question is, do we leave it dusty in a closet or do we take it out in full view for others to see?
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2020
About the author
Jeremy Hance
2 books15 followersJeremy is a writer and freelance environmental journalist, who also happens to cohabitate with mental illnesses. He has named his OCD Steve and his depression goes by the name of Malachi. He is the author of the memoir Baggage: Confessions of a Globetrotting Hypochondriac. As a journalist, Hance cut his teeth at Mongabay, beginning in 2009 and working as a lead writer and editor for six years. For over three years he wrote the blog Radical Conservation on the Guardian. Today, he is a columnist for Mongabay, writing monthly articles under the banner Saving Life on Earth: Words on the Wild.
As a journalist he is passionate about wildlife conservation, climate change, forests, animal behavior, and indigenous people and many other topics. His works has appeared in Mongabay, the Guardian, HuffPost, Ensia, YaleE360, Sydney Morning Herald among others. A story on the Sumatran rhino was chosen for the 2019 edition of the Best American Science and Nature Writing.
In pursuit of stories, Hance has traveled to over 30 countries on five continents. He considers himself ridiculously lucky to have spent time with singing rhinos, dinosaur mammals, and angry clown fish.
Hance is a 2002 graduate of Macalester College with a major in English and minor in History as well as a 2009 graduate of St. John’s College’s Great Books Master’s Degree program. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife, daughter, and pooch. When not writing, he enjoys time with friends, cups of tea, long hikes, longer naps, even longer novels, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
As a journalist he is passionate about wildlife conservation, climate change, forests, animal behavior, and indigenous people and many other topics. His works has appeared in Mongabay, the Guardian, HuffPost, Ensia, YaleE360, Sydney Morning Herald among others. A story on the Sumatran rhino was chosen for the 2019 edition of the Best American Science and Nature Writing.
In pursuit of stories, Hance has traveled to over 30 countries on five continents. He considers himself ridiculously lucky to have spent time with singing rhinos, dinosaur mammals, and angry clown fish.
Hance is a 2002 graduate of Macalester College with a major in English and minor in History as well as a 2009 graduate of St. John’s College’s Great Books Master’s Degree program. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife, daughter, and pooch. When not writing, he enjoys time with friends, cups of tea, long hikes, longer naps, even longer novels, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 24, 2020
Baggage by Jeremy Hance was a memoir about his travels while also trying to deal with his sufferings of severe anxiety, OCD, and depression. I loved learning about his adventures through Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and more. I felt like I was there with him and his excitement for travel, animals, and nature was very clear. I loved his enthusiasm and passion he had. Hance also had some humor sprinkled throughout the book and he was actually pretty funny and sarcastic. Learning how he coped with his mental illness was interesting because I do suffer from depression and anxiety - though not as severe as the author. I really enjoyed this book, it's definitely something right up my alley and I can see this becoming a hit. Thank you so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advanced copy!
February 3, 2020
I loved this book.
The blunt grittiness of the author's mental illness is balanced with humor and an incredible sense of wonder. It's obvious Hance is absolutely infatuated with the natural world, and he pulls you into that brilliant awe with stories of his travels from countries in South America, Africa, Asia, and beyond. Baggage is a great mix of personal memoir and travel writing.
As a person with mental illness myself, I was deeply fortified by his example of facing the monsters within to explore the world without. In a world starting to really bring mental illness into every day conversation, I can't think of a more timely read. It would be a wonderful choice for a book club.
I would highly recommend.
The blunt grittiness of the author's mental illness is balanced with humor and an incredible sense of wonder. It's obvious Hance is absolutely infatuated with the natural world, and he pulls you into that brilliant awe with stories of his travels from countries in South America, Africa, Asia, and beyond. Baggage is a great mix of personal memoir and travel writing.
As a person with mental illness myself, I was deeply fortified by his example of facing the monsters within to explore the world without. In a world starting to really bring mental illness into every day conversation, I can't think of a more timely read. It would be a wonderful choice for a book club.
I would highly recommend.
March 9, 2021
If you love hearing about real life adventures, especially ones about animals, then you'll love this book. The author visits numerous national parks and wildlife preserves on many different continents. He comes face to face with monkeys, rhinos, countless birds and some mighty strange creatures with unique names...things with long snouts that are venomous and a cheetah trying to feed her cubs. He walks through the savannah hoping he won't meet a lion and rides a bus that travels along a dangerous road at the edge of a cliff. And he just loves that ancient looking bird that might really be a living dinosaur! It's called the hoatzin.
But the author has some serious problems. He suffers severe anxiety. And OCD. And he's a hypochondriac. You might wonder how can he travel with these conditions, as they certainly rule his life and affect how he thinks. Somehow he gets through, mostly because he has a lot of strength inside and he's determined to see tons of natural places around the world. He has resilience. And he tries to not let the negative voice in his head rule his life...and sometimes he keeps himself busy with other stuff to drown out that voice.
I really didn't understand what OCD was but reading this has certainly explained it. The one paragraph on it really stood out. It's sort of like a superstitious belief that if you do X thing than some other bad thing won't happen. You know it probably won't but it could! A snake could bite you in the jungle! The plane could fall out of the sky! You could get sick from the water in that foreign country! And the list of what could happen is incredibly long and you have to deal with it all the time.
I can relate to the author's anxiety. And to his love of natural places and wildlife. The stories he shares in here are just fascinating! Not only of the animals but also of the different villages he has visited, the natives he has met. How many people can say they have seen giant sea turtles laying eggs on a beach or see those babies hatching? Those must be truly magical moments. But I can also understand how the author's large imagination can play tricks on him, especially when you're supposed to be sleeping in a tent in the middle of lion country in Kenya and some large but unseen animal is lying against the side of your tent. And it's the middle of the night. How can your brain not worry it could be a lion? I mean it's just you and the dark...
A lot of the book is about ecology, of how these wild places are vanishing and countless species are going extinct. Rhinos seem to be extra special to him. He talks a lot about how these different species are all connected - you can't remove one thing without affecting another. And there are sections on how we humans need connections to nature for our mental health. Being locked away from nature we don't do so well at all.
I also found a few paragraphs in the book humorous, probably because I could relate to what he was talking about. So I did chuckle at a few things. But all in all it's a very serious adventure story. Except it's all real...
But the author has some serious problems. He suffers severe anxiety. And OCD. And he's a hypochondriac. You might wonder how can he travel with these conditions, as they certainly rule his life and affect how he thinks. Somehow he gets through, mostly because he has a lot of strength inside and he's determined to see tons of natural places around the world. He has resilience. And he tries to not let the negative voice in his head rule his life...and sometimes he keeps himself busy with other stuff to drown out that voice.
I really didn't understand what OCD was but reading this has certainly explained it. The one paragraph on it really stood out. It's sort of like a superstitious belief that if you do X thing than some other bad thing won't happen. You know it probably won't but it could! A snake could bite you in the jungle! The plane could fall out of the sky! You could get sick from the water in that foreign country! And the list of what could happen is incredibly long and you have to deal with it all the time.
I can relate to the author's anxiety. And to his love of natural places and wildlife. The stories he shares in here are just fascinating! Not only of the animals but also of the different villages he has visited, the natives he has met. How many people can say they have seen giant sea turtles laying eggs on a beach or see those babies hatching? Those must be truly magical moments. But I can also understand how the author's large imagination can play tricks on him, especially when you're supposed to be sleeping in a tent in the middle of lion country in Kenya and some large but unseen animal is lying against the side of your tent. And it's the middle of the night. How can your brain not worry it could be a lion? I mean it's just you and the dark...
A lot of the book is about ecology, of how these wild places are vanishing and countless species are going extinct. Rhinos seem to be extra special to him. He talks a lot about how these different species are all connected - you can't remove one thing without affecting another. And there are sections on how we humans need connections to nature for our mental health. Being locked away from nature we don't do so well at all.
I also found a few paragraphs in the book humorous, probably because I could relate to what he was talking about. So I did chuckle at a few things. But all in all it's a very serious adventure story. Except it's all real...
October 5, 2020
An honest memoir, I loved this book as it touches on so many subjects close to my heart.
As well as feeling excited, most of us experience mild anxiety before we travel. We want to explore and see new places but there’s so much that could go wrong.
The author shares a very honest, often light humoured account of living with mental illness. Sharing the challenges of coping with OCD whilst travelling to remote locations around the world. With scientific evidence proving that the natural world is vital to those suffering with mental illness he pushes through his fears.
The travel writing is vivid with fascinating observations of the people, places and cultures he meets whilst travelling to some of the most remote, beautiful locations on earth.
The author is clearly passionate about conservation and protecting nature and wildlife. The book presents insightful, thought provoking arguments as to the challenges faced by our planet. Why the rainforests are disappearing, the real impacts of climate change and global warming to our vital eco systems.
My copy of this book has so many highlighted sections that I keep going back to read them. I love a book that draws an emotional reaction and stays with you for a long time.
An example quote I found very hard hitting:
“I hope that our descendants will be wiser than us and that they can heal and repair at least some of what we’ve discarded and desecrated”
Well worth a read.
As well as feeling excited, most of us experience mild anxiety before we travel. We want to explore and see new places but there’s so much that could go wrong.
The author shares a very honest, often light humoured account of living with mental illness. Sharing the challenges of coping with OCD whilst travelling to remote locations around the world. With scientific evidence proving that the natural world is vital to those suffering with mental illness he pushes through his fears.
The travel writing is vivid with fascinating observations of the people, places and cultures he meets whilst travelling to some of the most remote, beautiful locations on earth.
The author is clearly passionate about conservation and protecting nature and wildlife. The book presents insightful, thought provoking arguments as to the challenges faced by our planet. Why the rainforests are disappearing, the real impacts of climate change and global warming to our vital eco systems.
My copy of this book has so many highlighted sections that I keep going back to read them. I love a book that draws an emotional reaction and stays with you for a long time.
An example quote I found very hard hitting:
“I hope that our descendants will be wiser than us and that they can heal and repair at least some of what we’ve discarded and desecrated”
Well worth a read.
November 1, 2020
"Baggage" is the perfect book for those who want the colourful strangeness of a travel memoir, with a healthy dose of realism thrown in the mix. Most travel/conservation memoirs leave me feeling empty, guilty and inadequate. "Baggage" is no such book.
Jeremy's story helped me discover rare, bizarre species I'd never heard of. It introduced me, if briefly, to cultures I knew very little about beyond tourist brochures and simplistic media portrayals. And it reinforced the faith I'm building, in fits and starts, that living a full and exciting life doesn't only belong to the healthy and confident. Wonder, adventure, balance -- these are accessible to everyone who hungers for them, as long as they learn how to accept and embrace their limits.
Jeremy isn't fearless. He doesn't always feel sure of himself. He's only human, so he misses out, cuts trips short, or dreads new opportunities because his mental health isn't always in perfect shape. But in building resilience skills, and plenty of self-compassion, he gives us all a roadmap to following the possibilities life holds for us, without erasing our fears and worries.
If you're looking for a voice that's as reassuring as it is challenging, look no further.
Jeremy's story helped me discover rare, bizarre species I'd never heard of. It introduced me, if briefly, to cultures I knew very little about beyond tourist brochures and simplistic media portrayals. And it reinforced the faith I'm building, in fits and starts, that living a full and exciting life doesn't only belong to the healthy and confident. Wonder, adventure, balance -- these are accessible to everyone who hungers for them, as long as they learn how to accept and embrace their limits.
Jeremy isn't fearless. He doesn't always feel sure of himself. He's only human, so he misses out, cuts trips short, or dreads new opportunities because his mental health isn't always in perfect shape. But in building resilience skills, and plenty of self-compassion, he gives us all a roadmap to following the possibilities life holds for us, without erasing our fears and worries.
If you're looking for a voice that's as reassuring as it is challenging, look no further.
July 24, 2020
Baggage by Jeremy Hance details the author's experiences of travelling as an environmental journalist while suffering the debilitating effects of OCD and anxiety. That he perseveres and excels in his chosen profession given his severe anxiety is astounding, but perhaps can be attributed to his reliance on humour as a coping mechanism. Although I would not wish to physically travel with the author, joining him to relive his experiences as he tackles some of the most challenging environments on earth is an absolute delight, as they are chock full of self-reflection and laugh out loud anecdotes. I would highly recommend this to any traveller who has experienced the pulse-racing anxiety of finding oneself in circumstances unknown.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HCI Books for this ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HCI Books for this ARC.
October 23, 2020
Baggage is a deeply personal--and very funny--travelogue; an eloquent account of the conflicts that arise when one’s two strongest desires are to go absolutely nowhere but also go absolutely everywhere. Thank goodness the latter wins out more often than not.
September 30, 2020
Baggage by Jeremy Hance.
Description: A Hilarious and Heartfelt Adventure of Traveling Around the Globe with OCD and Anxiety as Your Trusted Companions...(What Could Go Wrong?)
Seriously who could resist reading something with a description like that?? Not me!!
This was the first travel memoir that I have read and I was not disappointed. It was really fun getting to know Jeremy and his wife Tiffany. I can’t even imagine traveling to all these places and seeing all these things in one lifetime. The work that Jeremy does to get the word out for animals and conservation deserves a round of applause. He gives a very vivid picture into the mind of someone with a mental illness and it was a real eye opener for me. This book has it all, animals, conservation, travel, mental illness, history, science, culture differences, and many other things. The stories he told when his OCD would come out while traveling or at home were absolutely hilarious, I kept saying to myself “can you imagine”. I looked up some of the animals he was looking for or that he saw along the way. Just so I could picture the adventure better. It was amazing to see an animal that you have never heard of before, even though it was just an online picture.
This book has set the bar high for travel memoirs.
**Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and HCI Books for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.
Description: A Hilarious and Heartfelt Adventure of Traveling Around the Globe with OCD and Anxiety as Your Trusted Companions...(What Could Go Wrong?)
Seriously who could resist reading something with a description like that?? Not me!!
This was the first travel memoir that I have read and I was not disappointed. It was really fun getting to know Jeremy and his wife Tiffany. I can’t even imagine traveling to all these places and seeing all these things in one lifetime. The work that Jeremy does to get the word out for animals and conservation deserves a round of applause. He gives a very vivid picture into the mind of someone with a mental illness and it was a real eye opener for me. This book has it all, animals, conservation, travel, mental illness, history, science, culture differences, and many other things. The stories he told when his OCD would come out while traveling or at home were absolutely hilarious, I kept saying to myself “can you imagine”. I looked up some of the animals he was looking for or that he saw along the way. Just so I could picture the adventure better. It was amazing to see an animal that you have never heard of before, even though it was just an online picture.
This book has set the bar high for travel memoirs.
**Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and HCI Books for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.
September 12, 2020
I love travel books and books about psychology, so this book seemed a good choice, as it covers both.
The main focus is on travel - journalist Jeremy writes about travel, conservation and ecology for websites like Mongabay. In this book we get to see the work behind some of the articles - his explorations around the world and trips into the Amazonian jungle and many other places in an attempt to see rare animals and meet with conservationists who are doing their best to track, monitor and save the animals.
Jeremy writes well and this is quite an amusing and easy read. He is very aware of his mental health issues, often from hindsight; after he has insisted to his local guides that he is seriously ill and needs to see a doctor NOW, often the middle of nowhere (he wasn't, it was just another panic attack).
It was enlightening (and extremely worrying if you care about the planet and the future of species, including ourselves) to learn about the probable extinction of animals that I'd never even heard of (the solenodons of this world) as we journey with Jeremy into jungles, upstream villages, and mountainous territories to catch a glimpse. My respect for conservationists, doing such good work for very little reward, has increased immensely.
If you're interested in conservation and also finding out how Jeremy deals with his mental health issues whilst travelling, you'll enjoy this book.
You can read Jeremy's articles on Mongabay.com
The main focus is on travel - journalist Jeremy writes about travel, conservation and ecology for websites like Mongabay. In this book we get to see the work behind some of the articles - his explorations around the world and trips into the Amazonian jungle and many other places in an attempt to see rare animals and meet with conservationists who are doing their best to track, monitor and save the animals.
Jeremy writes well and this is quite an amusing and easy read. He is very aware of his mental health issues, often from hindsight; after he has insisted to his local guides that he is seriously ill and needs to see a doctor NOW, often the middle of nowhere (he wasn't, it was just another panic attack).
It was enlightening (and extremely worrying if you care about the planet and the future of species, including ourselves) to learn about the probable extinction of animals that I'd never even heard of (the solenodons of this world) as we journey with Jeremy into jungles, upstream villages, and mountainous territories to catch a glimpse. My respect for conservationists, doing such good work for very little reward, has increased immensely.
If you're interested in conservation and also finding out how Jeremy deals with his mental health issues whilst travelling, you'll enjoy this book.
You can read Jeremy's articles on Mongabay.com
July 28, 2020
Very engaging blend of travelogue, memoir and notes on conservation. Author with astonishing openness and sincerity writes about his lifelong struggle with multiple, sometimes debilitating, mental illnesses - depression, anxiety, OCD, you name it. Despite his prolific self-criticism, I think that he is a very brave man. He doesn't let his problems get in the way of his mission: to write about endangered species and help to save them and their world.
Reader shouldn’t be discouraged by the tough topic - it's really a page-turner, for the most part an adventure book, reminding me travelogs by Bill Bryson. I just wish that he would write more in-depth about the nature itself and animals he visits, but I understand that it is not a main subject here.
Thanks to the publisher, HCI Books, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.
Reader shouldn’t be discouraged by the tough topic - it's really a page-turner, for the most part an adventure book, reminding me travelogs by Bill Bryson. I just wish that he would write more in-depth about the nature itself and animals he visits, but I understand that it is not a main subject here.
Thanks to the publisher, HCI Books, and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.
August 17, 2020
Baggage is the travel memoir of a man whose travel companions include OCD and anxiety and the prologue involves taking anti-anxiety meds with wine while trying to hold it together on a long distance flight. Since that is the opening scene of the book, I'm sure we can all guess that it is going to be quite good. The sarcasm in this book was delightful and made the read highly enjoyable. I also like that is was very different from other travel memoirs in that it was incredibly honest in describing how traveling with mental illness can be a struggle.
November 28, 2020
I’m a sucker for reading books with a lot of heart and soul, and Hance’s autobiography has a lot of it!
They say you should branch out of your own comfort zone and select books that are not in your usual choice genre every now and then. (You can see from my read books that I normally gravitate toward contemporary fiction and romance.) With that being said, I’m pleased with myself for choosing a book that opened my eyes further to mental illness, conservation, and worldly experiences.
I started to read Baggage as an audio book, which was narrated very well by Jonathan Todd Ross, but then found myself wanting to order it in print to reference the remarkable animals and destinations that Hance so descriptively writes about. I’m glad I now own both copies. I also want to give a nod to the scrapbook of photographs in the back of the book, which made the reading experience all the more delightful. My eight-year-old son, an animal enthusiast, also loved the unique pictures of wildlife.
As someone who often reads Emily Giffin and Colleen Hoover, I most appreciated the sections of the book where Hance writes about his personal relationships with the people in his life, especially his wife Tiffany - a real love story.
Thank you for writing such a wonderful book to read during a time when we can’t travel very far ourselves in 2020. Well done!
They say you should branch out of your own comfort zone and select books that are not in your usual choice genre every now and then. (You can see from my read books that I normally gravitate toward contemporary fiction and romance.) With that being said, I’m pleased with myself for choosing a book that opened my eyes further to mental illness, conservation, and worldly experiences.
I started to read Baggage as an audio book, which was narrated very well by Jonathan Todd Ross, but then found myself wanting to order it in print to reference the remarkable animals and destinations that Hance so descriptively writes about. I’m glad I now own both copies. I also want to give a nod to the scrapbook of photographs in the back of the book, which made the reading experience all the more delightful. My eight-year-old son, an animal enthusiast, also loved the unique pictures of wildlife.
As someone who often reads Emily Giffin and Colleen Hoover, I most appreciated the sections of the book where Hance writes about his personal relationships with the people in his life, especially his wife Tiffany - a real love story.
Thank you for writing such a wonderful book to read during a time when we can’t travel very far ourselves in 2020. Well done!
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March 16, 2023The memoir "Baggage" by Jeremy Hance is a captivating and profound exploration of issues that are frequently neglected - mental illness and climate change. It is a powerful reminder of the importance of acknowledging and addressing mental health issues and the urgent need to take action on climate change.
Reading this book deepened my love for animals and broadened my admiration for a broader range of animal species.
This book is a bit more about the planet and its endangered species. But his writing and passion for these species will also make you fall in love with animals you have never heard of, such as the solenodon.
"Baggage" is a memoir that follows author Jeremy Hance's journey as he shares his love for our planet and its species with us through his work as a freelance environmental journalist. The problem is he never travels alone. His OCD and depression are always there, keeping him company.
This book is really funny at times! I know I shouldn't find any mental illness humor funny, but the way he writes about it is so vivid, dry, and effortlessly hilarious.
But what kept me engaged was not just his writing but the stories he had to share. He talks about our planet and its species with such respect, love and care it makes you want to pull your hair out of frustration (why are we destroying our planet!!).
One thing that sets "Baggage" apart is its well-balanced mix of different topics, blending anecdotes, mental health, environmental issues, and travel stories. Hance's writing style is captivating, and he presents the problems faced by the planet and its inhabitants with urgency and without preaching. The book is relatable, and you can empathize with Hance's experiences, even if you do not suffer from mental health issues. I mean, who would enjoy walking barefoot through ''toilet water'' ? Or maybe you recognize yourself in his anxiety on the plane? He can contagiously describe panic.
I also appreciated that he can write humorously about others and other cultures without being disrespectful.
Jeremy also shines a light on anxiety and depression and how society just tells them (especially in the 80') to toughen up.
I hope Jeremy will write more about one of the most critical challenges we currently face: the planet's degradation.
Tip: when Jeremy mentions a name of an animal you never heard of: look it up! There are so many beautiful species/plants on our planet I have never heard of, such as the gorgeous Sumatran striped rabbit, the rafflesia flower, and the hoatzin bird.
“I lie to my editor because, even with some advances in recognizing mental illness in some societies, most people still don’t equate mental illness with physical illness. Many still see one as real and the other as not real or simply an excuse (or even worse, a weakness or failing in your character). Physical illness is real, respected. Mental illness is fake, unserious. Anyone who has lived with mental illness knows all too intimately the stigma, the inability to know whom to trust.”
''Going through history, you’ll find that pretty much every great artist suffered from some mental affliction or another........creative genius (less so other types of genius) and mental illness and addiction often go hand in hand. Think painters, musicians, poets, novelists, philosophers, mathematicians—you get the idea.''
“I have a deeply sensitive and empathetic character. I take in and feel others’ emotions potently. What I feel, I feel deeply. It is not something I fashioned to annoy the adults in my world, but something I believe is deeply ingrained in my double helix, much like my OCD, depression, and anxiety, and probably all muddled together like soup.
When people in my circle told me to toughen up, what they really meant was that I should be something I am not. I should become more insensible. I should feel my feelings less”
“We aren’t the only “conscious” species on the planet (far from it). We aren’t the only species that experience suffering or joy. We now know that fish feel pain, elephants mourn, octopi and puffins use tools, dogs learn hundreds of human words (how many of theirs do we know?), bees can count, goldfish can tell the difference between the music of different composers, and animals have personalities.”
“I have always viewed the loss of nature as a wound, something that feels physically painful to my being. As a child, the destruction of nature just hurt; as a teenager, I funneled that pain into rage; and as an adult, it’s like a well of sadness.”
“Every year our inaction mounts up. The world is on fire, underwater, and feverish, yet we continue with business as usual in a world where such business is the definition of madness.”
“We’re lighting a match to our children’s future.”
“Meanwhile, as the Earth speedily warms, we’re still intent on destroying the forests and peatlands that maintain vast carbon stores and splendid wild things. For what? For paper packaging to feed endless consumerism? For oil palm for snack and processed food? For cheap beef? For fossil fuels when our children can’t take anymore?
Are we really killing the future for this? ”
“I hope that our descendants will be wiser than us and that they can heal and repair at least some of what we’ve discarded and desecrated.”
Reading this book deepened my love for animals and broadened my admiration for a broader range of animal species.
This book is a bit more about the planet and its endangered species. But his writing and passion for these species will also make you fall in love with animals you have never heard of, such as the solenodon.
"Baggage" is a memoir that follows author Jeremy Hance's journey as he shares his love for our planet and its species with us through his work as a freelance environmental journalist. The problem is he never travels alone. His OCD and depression are always there, keeping him company.
This book is really funny at times! I know I shouldn't find any mental illness humor funny, but the way he writes about it is so vivid, dry, and effortlessly hilarious.
But what kept me engaged was not just his writing but the stories he had to share. He talks about our planet and its species with such respect, love and care it makes you want to pull your hair out of frustration (why are we destroying our planet!!).
One thing that sets "Baggage" apart is its well-balanced mix of different topics, blending anecdotes, mental health, environmental issues, and travel stories. Hance's writing style is captivating, and he presents the problems faced by the planet and its inhabitants with urgency and without preaching. The book is relatable, and you can empathize with Hance's experiences, even if you do not suffer from mental health issues. I mean, who would enjoy walking barefoot through ''toilet water'' ? Or maybe you recognize yourself in his anxiety on the plane? He can contagiously describe panic.
I also appreciated that he can write humorously about others and other cultures without being disrespectful.
Jeremy also shines a light on anxiety and depression and how society just tells them (especially in the 80') to toughen up.
I hope Jeremy will write more about one of the most critical challenges we currently face: the planet's degradation.
Tip: when Jeremy mentions a name of an animal you never heard of: look it up! There are so many beautiful species/plants on our planet I have never heard of, such as the gorgeous Sumatran striped rabbit, the rafflesia flower, and the hoatzin bird.
“I lie to my editor because, even with some advances in recognizing mental illness in some societies, most people still don’t equate mental illness with physical illness. Many still see one as real and the other as not real or simply an excuse (or even worse, a weakness or failing in your character). Physical illness is real, respected. Mental illness is fake, unserious. Anyone who has lived with mental illness knows all too intimately the stigma, the inability to know whom to trust.”
''Going through history, you’ll find that pretty much every great artist suffered from some mental affliction or another........creative genius (less so other types of genius) and mental illness and addiction often go hand in hand. Think painters, musicians, poets, novelists, philosophers, mathematicians—you get the idea.''
“I have a deeply sensitive and empathetic character. I take in and feel others’ emotions potently. What I feel, I feel deeply. It is not something I fashioned to annoy the adults in my world, but something I believe is deeply ingrained in my double helix, much like my OCD, depression, and anxiety, and probably all muddled together like soup.
When people in my circle told me to toughen up, what they really meant was that I should be something I am not. I should become more insensible. I should feel my feelings less”
“We aren’t the only “conscious” species on the planet (far from it). We aren’t the only species that experience suffering or joy. We now know that fish feel pain, elephants mourn, octopi and puffins use tools, dogs learn hundreds of human words (how many of theirs do we know?), bees can count, goldfish can tell the difference between the music of different composers, and animals have personalities.”
“I have always viewed the loss of nature as a wound, something that feels physically painful to my being. As a child, the destruction of nature just hurt; as a teenager, I funneled that pain into rage; and as an adult, it’s like a well of sadness.”
“Every year our inaction mounts up. The world is on fire, underwater, and feverish, yet we continue with business as usual in a world where such business is the definition of madness.”
“We’re lighting a match to our children’s future.”
“Meanwhile, as the Earth speedily warms, we’re still intent on destroying the forests and peatlands that maintain vast carbon stores and splendid wild things. For what? For paper packaging to feed endless consumerism? For oil palm for snack and processed food? For cheap beef? For fossil fuels when our children can’t take anymore?
Are we really killing the future for this? ”
“I hope that our descendants will be wiser than us and that they can heal and repair at least some of what we’ve discarded and desecrated.”
October 13, 2020
This book is a true gem. All the things you want in 2020 – funny, educational, meaningful and exciting. Unlike other travelogues, you’ll be happy you aren’t the author, but you will be grateful for his painfully honest discussion of the realities of mental illness, his knowledge and respect for science, art and culture, and his invitation to laugh with him at his many follies. I was enchanted by his love of this planet and the living things on it.
Visit a host of exotic countries including Suriname and Indonesia, Kenya and Ecuador with Baggage and learn about ecology, zoology, history, climate change, mental illness, love, romance & the human condition from a respected journalist and engaged traveler.
It is a great read and would honestly make a great pick for people who care about travel, environmentalism, or mental health. You must be okay with a few well-placed curse words and the premise that climate change & mental illness are real, but if you can chill with that, pick up your Baggage and read on.
Visit a host of exotic countries including Suriname and Indonesia, Kenya and Ecuador with Baggage and learn about ecology, zoology, history, climate change, mental illness, love, romance & the human condition from a respected journalist and engaged traveler.
It is a great read and would honestly make a great pick for people who care about travel, environmentalism, or mental health. You must be okay with a few well-placed curse words and the premise that climate change & mental illness are real, but if you can chill with that, pick up your Baggage and read on.
October 11, 2020
"Baggage" by Jeremy Hance, is as equally laugh-out-loud funny as it is insightful and thought-provoking about our world and the atrocities our planet faces. I learned so much about climate change, global warming, the amazon rainforests, and more. Each chapter tugged at my heartstrings due to Hance's mental struggles with his chosen profession, but lifted me up when I realized these hardships did not define him, nor did they totally limit him. Kudos to Hance for living his best life and writing about it in this wonderful memoir. I loved it!
August 7, 2020
If you like a writer like Bill Bryson, you will love Jeremy Hance. Entertaining and educational at the same time.
The author writes about his experiences with anxiety, OCD and depression, coming from a family where family members from both paternal and maternal sides used to have mental health issues. As a personal detail, I am so happy that he seems better right now, that he has managed to get a grip of his mental health issues. I am also happy that he has managed to make his relationship to Tiff (Tiffany) work.
This is a rollercoaster of a book. Jeremy Hance has taken me up and down, visiting glorious places, like Borneo and the Amazon jungle, and the worst places, like when he tells of his obsession with checking his own shit to see traces of blood. It's heart-breaking how he reflects on the wreck that companies create on the landscape, the traditional way of life of certain tribes, and global warming. And for some things, it is sadly already too late..
Really interesting and culturally relevant. I would recommend it. The most clear referent, as I said at the beginning, is Bill Bryson, of whom I am a big fan.
The only not-that-positive (it's not really a negative because I agree with the message nevertheless) that I can think of is like towards halfway he becomes too preachy. All type of humour disappears, and even the traveller's anecdotes fade away to give way to theoretical explanations of how the palm oil industry has killed the last Borneo rhynos. I would have liked a better balance. I know that what he is saying is all true, but I would have appreciated to have this explanations mixed with his personal travel stuff.
The author writes about his experiences with anxiety, OCD and depression, coming from a family where family members from both paternal and maternal sides used to have mental health issues. As a personal detail, I am so happy that he seems better right now, that he has managed to get a grip of his mental health issues. I am also happy that he has managed to make his relationship to Tiff (Tiffany) work.
This is a rollercoaster of a book. Jeremy Hance has taken me up and down, visiting glorious places, like Borneo and the Amazon jungle, and the worst places, like when he tells of his obsession with checking his own shit to see traces of blood. It's heart-breaking how he reflects on the wreck that companies create on the landscape, the traditional way of life of certain tribes, and global warming. And for some things, it is sadly already too late..
Really interesting and culturally relevant. I would recommend it. The most clear referent, as I said at the beginning, is Bill Bryson, of whom I am a big fan.
The only not-that-positive (it's not really a negative because I agree with the message nevertheless) that I can think of is like towards halfway he becomes too preachy. All type of humour disappears, and even the traveller's anecdotes fade away to give way to theoretical explanations of how the palm oil industry has killed the last Borneo rhynos. I would have liked a better balance. I know that what he is saying is all true, but I would have appreciated to have this explanations mixed with his personal travel stuff.
June 14, 2021
> Okay, you’re right to ask why I didn’t mention my paralyzing, crippling fear of snakes when I was bumming around Peru. The answer is simple. I wasn’t terrified of snakes then. I probably would’ve hugged and played footsie with a snake just for fun (though the latter would have been challenging). But I am terrified of snakes now. Steve’s decided. The thing about living every day with OCD is that you quickly discover your obsessions aren’t fixed. In fact, the more you beat back one, the more likely, at least in my noggin, a new one will rise like a demented Highlander
> Obsessive-compulsive disorder latches on to the simplest anecdote (or even just a single word), which can turn on the obsession switch. It’s like I have marbles rolling forever in circles in my brain, and one word—snakes, cancer, rabies, elephants, airplanes, motorcycles, snow, dessert, cookies—provides the initial velocity to send it rolling down a seemingly never-ending spiral of fear and despair and pointless bargaining. There is no rationality in OCD, so stop looking for any.
> The internet is pretty much the worst thing that ever happened to OCD sufferers. Having instantaneous access to the most horrible, god-awful, soul-crushing things that can happen to a human being is like OCD catnip
> Few know the tension of an ecotone better than those with mental illness, where you exist somewhere between “normal” and “fucked in the head” all the time. This is the curse of chronic mental illness. You get so good at hiding parts of your life, you often can pass off as hunky-dory as anyone else. But then you have a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, a bad year, and all of a sudden, you’re here again, lost in your personal jungle, unable to see your way out
> Obsessive-compulsive disorder latches on to the simplest anecdote (or even just a single word), which can turn on the obsession switch. It’s like I have marbles rolling forever in circles in my brain, and one word—snakes, cancer, rabies, elephants, airplanes, motorcycles, snow, dessert, cookies—provides the initial velocity to send it rolling down a seemingly never-ending spiral of fear and despair and pointless bargaining. There is no rationality in OCD, so stop looking for any.
> The internet is pretty much the worst thing that ever happened to OCD sufferers. Having instantaneous access to the most horrible, god-awful, soul-crushing things that can happen to a human being is like OCD catnip
> Few know the tension of an ecotone better than those with mental illness, where you exist somewhere between “normal” and “fucked in the head” all the time. This is the curse of chronic mental illness. You get so good at hiding parts of your life, you often can pass off as hunky-dory as anyone else. But then you have a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, a bad year, and all of a sudden, you’re here again, lost in your personal jungle, unable to see your way out
November 29, 2021
Hypochondriac is an outdated term, kind of like apoplexy (fits of which killed several villains in the eight-track recordings of fairy tales I listened to as a child). But I guess "Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Dude with OCD, Anxiety, and Depression" wouldn't have quite the same ring.
Mr. Hance, an English lit major turned environmental science journalist, lives with all three of the aforementioned conditions, two of whom he has named Steve and Malachi. In this memoir/travelogue/manifesto, he intertwines stories of his lifelong mental health struggles, his global travels, and his concerns for the future of the planet, all with a touch of levity. Sometimes the jumps between genres and chronologies can be jarring, but overall it's a fascinating read by a good writer who's willing to be very open about his life.
So much of writing about nature in the twenty-first century is writing about loss. I've made a career writing about the most depressing subjects imaginable: extinction, climate change, ocean acidification, deforestation, the plight of indigenous people.
I believe, though, growing up with mental illness in some ways helped prepare me to write on such subjects. I already intimately knew loss and despair. And conversely knew healing and hope.
I experienced firsthand that with time, support, and love, I could heal and have good days again. And I knew that nature, with its inborn resilience, a kind of love, could also heal one day. Maybe I won't be here to see it, but the possibility is always there, like a seed germinating.
Mr. Hance, an English lit major turned environmental science journalist, lives with all three of the aforementioned conditions, two of whom he has named Steve and Malachi. In this memoir/travelogue/manifesto, he intertwines stories of his lifelong mental health struggles, his global travels, and his concerns for the future of the planet, all with a touch of levity. Sometimes the jumps between genres and chronologies can be jarring, but overall it's a fascinating read by a good writer who's willing to be very open about his life.
So much of writing about nature in the twenty-first century is writing about loss. I've made a career writing about the most depressing subjects imaginable: extinction, climate change, ocean acidification, deforestation, the plight of indigenous people.
I believe, though, growing up with mental illness in some ways helped prepare me to write on such subjects. I already intimately knew loss and despair. And conversely knew healing and hope.
I experienced firsthand that with time, support, and love, I could heal and have good days again. And I knew that nature, with its inborn resilience, a kind of love, could also heal one day. Maybe I won't be here to see it, but the possibility is always there, like a seed germinating.
November 17, 2020
Brilliant book - funny, insightful, touching and highly entertaining. Jeremy is able to both illuminate international travel with its inherent awkwardness & sense of insecurity while painting beautiful portraits of the species that inhabit this earth with us. He tells their stories with a deep sense of empathy -through the lens of his own struggles. He trumpets their need for our appreciation, their need for us to understand them, their need for us to simply say "We see you" while embracing the sheer wonder of them, with us in the end (hopefully) offering our protection. Highly recommend this book.
October 27, 2020
Deeply personal and laugh out funny, environmental journalist Jeremy Leon Hance struggles with debilitating depression and OCD (obsessive thoughts about contracting diseases). But this doesn’t stop him from living his childhood dreams of trekking through the Amazon Jungle, Guyana, Kenya and Indonesia. His stories are tragic, funny, uplifting and he shows the reader how to live through obstacles. Great book.
November 16, 2020
I could sooo relate to this book! I love the idea of traveling more than the actual traveling, if that makes sense. I never regret the trips, but remember the anxiety well enough not to want to do it too often. I loved this book! It makes me want to travel again. I makes me remember all the places, people, and events I enjoyed! It also kind of makes me laugh at my fears of the unknown, that really are never all that awful. Great read! Entertaining.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
November 2, 2020
I had high expectations about Jeremy’s new book, “Baggage: Confessions of a Globe-Trotting Hypochondriac,” and it didn’t disappoint. It is one of the most unique, edifying, entertaining, and inspiring works of non-fiction I’ve ever read. Jeremy, who has been diagnosed with multiple mental health challenges including OCD, describes traveling the globe as an environmental journalist reporting on our vanishing species and the threats to their habitats. His book is loaded with facts and data about species I didn’t even know existed; vivid descriptions of wildly beautiful, exotic locales; and anecdotes that had me laughing out loud. He even described the strategies he uses to manage his mental illness. Ideas that can help us all in uncomfortable, anxiety-ridden situations. If everybody read this book, the world would be a better place. I truly hope they do.
December 29, 2020
Well done, Jeremy. I loved it.
I would like Tiff to write a companion piece.
I would like Tiff to write a companion piece.
November 24, 2021
Scored 3 for 'interest' - not as captivating (for me) as the posts I read. Scored 4 for 'environment' - because of the efforts being made by Jeremy to protect the environment (animals, climate, nature) are phenomenal. Scored 4 for 'travel' - many destinations that are on my 'go-to' list; they were made to sound interesting and, perhaps, inviting.
October 30, 2020
I couldn't put it down!
I loved this book! I was moved, inspired and all around engaged from the first page to the last! Hance's writing style is humorous and deeply honest. You will learn, you will laugh, you will rejoice in the wonder of life on earth! Just read it!
I loved this book! I was moved, inspired and all around engaged from the first page to the last! Hance's writing style is humorous and deeply honest. You will learn, you will laugh, you will rejoice in the wonder of life on earth! Just read it!
August 10, 2021
When I read a review of “Baggage” my interest was piqued because it’s based on exotic travel and dealing with mental illness, two topics close to my heart. However, I quickly discovered that the book also includes a less desirable third element – i.e. lots of preachy lectures on climate change and the evils of modern technology (like toilet paper!) that contribute to it. Not to mention gratuitously graphic descriptions of the author's bouts of diarrhea, vomiting and the like.
I’m an analyst by trade, so highly subjective material presented as objective truth based on spurious statistics drives me bananas, and there was plenty of that to go around in Mr. Hance’s overwrought treatise. Look for ridiculous remarks like “I hate cows” (purportedly based on cow farts and greenhouse gas, not to mention Mr. Hance’s personal dislike of the gentle bovines). Nor do I admire hypocritical first world journalists who make value judgments on behalf of other cultures, in this case romanticizing abject poverty while living in a modern house in the US himself. Just one example of the latter is Mr. Hance’s glorification of a poor Dominican family crowded into a one room shanty with no electricity, while extolling the virtues of their “screen free life” and "close relationship with the natural world." One has to wonder, did the author ask that family if they’d like to trade their very basic existence for a well outfitted home with toys and games (like the ones Mr. Hance said his own daughter enjoys)? Ditto for the usage of toilet paper for personal cleaning judged as “murdering trees” – better to use one’s hand for that purpose as they do in Southeast Asia!
While I enjoyed Mr. Hance’s descriptions of rare endangered wildlife and his courage and honesty in overcoming mental illness, “Baggage” was just not my cup of herbal tea.
I’m an analyst by trade, so highly subjective material presented as objective truth based on spurious statistics drives me bananas, and there was plenty of that to go around in Mr. Hance’s overwrought treatise. Look for ridiculous remarks like “I hate cows” (purportedly based on cow farts and greenhouse gas, not to mention Mr. Hance’s personal dislike of the gentle bovines). Nor do I admire hypocritical first world journalists who make value judgments on behalf of other cultures, in this case romanticizing abject poverty while living in a modern house in the US himself. Just one example of the latter is Mr. Hance’s glorification of a poor Dominican family crowded into a one room shanty with no electricity, while extolling the virtues of their “screen free life” and "close relationship with the natural world." One has to wonder, did the author ask that family if they’d like to trade their very basic existence for a well outfitted home with toys and games (like the ones Mr. Hance said his own daughter enjoys)? Ditto for the usage of toilet paper for personal cleaning judged as “murdering trees” – better to use one’s hand for that purpose as they do in Southeast Asia!
While I enjoyed Mr. Hance’s descriptions of rare endangered wildlife and his courage and honesty in overcoming mental illness, “Baggage” was just not my cup of herbal tea.
September 3, 2020
I read the advanced reader's copy of this book. I found it to be inspiring and downright hilarious at times. If you are in any way a germophobe or if you struggle with any type of anxiety, you will relate to the author's very moving, revealing, and self-deprecating desciptions of how he wrestles with his mental illness every day in his relationship and at his job as an environmental reporter. He seemlesslessly weaves his past with the present, so you get a sense of his family's history, and his passion for the planet is evident in his many insights on sustainability and conservation. I would love to read more from this very talented author.
August 20, 2020
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book follows Hance as he alternates travel anecdotes with memories of growing up and stories of how his mental illness has manifested.
Hance does a great job articulating the difficulties of traveling with OCD and how his mental illness has impacted his life. The travel stories themselves are also entertaining and humorous. There seems to be more focus near the end of the book, but there are some interesting stories throughout the book.
It's an interesting read about mental health and seeing the world.
This book follows Hance as he alternates travel anecdotes with memories of growing up and stories of how his mental illness has manifested.
Hance does a great job articulating the difficulties of traveling with OCD and how his mental illness has impacted his life. The travel stories themselves are also entertaining and humorous. There seems to be more focus near the end of the book, but there are some interesting stories throughout the book.
It's an interesting read about mental health and seeing the world.
September 18, 2021
As a person who has OCD and who likes to travel, I felt like this book was written especially for me. I could so relate to so many things in the book. I loved how the author blended OCD and travel along with commentary about ecology and what the future holds for the planet.
May 10, 2021
This is more than a tale of a hypochondriac and his travels. The tagline makes it seem slightly more lighthearted than the content, which is not essentially wrong, but I thought that the book had a lot more depth than I had anticipated. It took me a while to understand what the author was doing with juggling timelines, but once I did, it made the reading a lot smoother and had more weight as well.
We have multiple travels of Jeremy described to us, along with fascinating information about the local natural beauty and fleeting mentions of the socio-political situations in said places (the light mentions also help for a pretty solid picture for anyone wanting to dig further). Jeremy has travelled a lot since his college years, and each time, he has mental health issues that prohibit everything from being smooth sailing. He is very clear about how his mind works, and it is probably the first time I have seen how complicated those thoughts could be in someone suffering from both OCD and chronic anxiety. I think many of us might have a mild spattering of these emotions during certain events in life, but this is at another level altogether.
Per chapter, we are shown one trip and what they are doing there and interspersing it with his past and childhood. This latter bit gives us a better understanding of how the journey to the current time has been. The locations visited were remote, the animals mentioned nearing extinction and cultures mentioned, which I had not come across earlier. Overall, the further I got into the book, the more I was enjoying it. There is a profound love for nature that the author puts down in words and shows us with his observations that make this entire read a very heartfelt one. The strangest part is that a year or so after the trips, an actual incident takes place at the very locations that he had supposedly irrational fears at!
I highly recommend this to anyone who is a nervous traveller or just liked to visit remote corners to learn something new through the pages of books like this.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers; the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
We have multiple travels of Jeremy described to us, along with fascinating information about the local natural beauty and fleeting mentions of the socio-political situations in said places (the light mentions also help for a pretty solid picture for anyone wanting to dig further). Jeremy has travelled a lot since his college years, and each time, he has mental health issues that prohibit everything from being smooth sailing. He is very clear about how his mind works, and it is probably the first time I have seen how complicated those thoughts could be in someone suffering from both OCD and chronic anxiety. I think many of us might have a mild spattering of these emotions during certain events in life, but this is at another level altogether.
Per chapter, we are shown one trip and what they are doing there and interspersing it with his past and childhood. This latter bit gives us a better understanding of how the journey to the current time has been. The locations visited were remote, the animals mentioned nearing extinction and cultures mentioned, which I had not come across earlier. Overall, the further I got into the book, the more I was enjoying it. There is a profound love for nature that the author puts down in words and shows us with his observations that make this entire read a very heartfelt one. The strangest part is that a year or so after the trips, an actual incident takes place at the very locations that he had supposedly irrational fears at!
I highly recommend this to anyone who is a nervous traveller or just liked to visit remote corners to learn something new through the pages of books like this.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers; the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
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