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Not That Anyone Asked: A Travel Memoir about Sex, Drugs, Love, and Finding Purpose
Travis’ path was similar to most other suburban-raised, middle-class white kids from Milwaukee—that is, until he found himself in Colombia, making his own cocaine with one of Pablo Escobar's former top scientists. After finishing a Master’s Degree at the age of 28, Travis couldn’t bring himself to follow the blueprint laid out for success in the U.S., so he took off to South America. That first flight was the start of an adventure around the world—an adventure that his friends didn’t understand and of which his father openly disapproved. Over four years and four continents, Travis chased a different version of success and sought a greater purpose; the world felt as though it had cracked open to new opportunities, new characters, and new adventures. He found himself training for his Divemaster on Utila, commercial fishing on a boat in Alaska, tending fields as a dragon fruit farmer on Maui, chasing dolphins as a kayak guide in Australia, and eventually handcuffed in prison—one domino slowly tapping the next.
Reviews for (All Verified Purchases on Amazon) Learn more about Travis, his writing, and his adventures at www.traviswking.com
Reviews for (All Verified Purchases on Amazon) Learn more about Travis, his writing, and his adventures at www.traviswking.com
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2020
49 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Travis W. King
1 book6 followersTravis is a travel blogger, a community architect and builder, a remote work specialist, a singer-songwriter, a dolphin whisperer, and, after spending time in over 50 countries—he has released his travel memoir, “Not That Anyone Asked: A Travel Memoir about Sex, Drugs, Love, and Finding Purpose.” You can reach him through his website www.traviswking.com or at traviswk@gmail.com for all writing and business inquiries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 19, 2021
"Not That Anyone Asked" is the perfect gift for everyone in your life who yearns to travel--including yourself! Especially as the pandemic keeps us homebound, Travis King's hilarious and poignant memoir of going from lost travel puppy to confident poopdeck-pooper will keep you on the edge of your seat and expand your horizons to the point that you too might set out to explore the world with only a one-way ticket. Highly recommend!
December 12, 2020
Impossible to not love
Except that I read this while quarantined and stuck without international travel during the Covid pandemic, I couldn’t have loved it more. Travis tells the stories anyone who loves travel knows well or wishes they will. Sexy, funny, sad, and joyous with exuberant exploration. If you like the world, even a little bit, you’ll like Travis’ stories.
Except that I read this while quarantined and stuck without international travel during the Covid pandemic, I couldn’t have loved it more. Travis tells the stories anyone who loves travel knows well or wishes they will. Sexy, funny, sad, and joyous with exuberant exploration. If you like the world, even a little bit, you’ll like Travis’ stories.
March 13, 2021
Must read.
January 10, 2021
A very fun read during COVID-19! Travis’ book reminded me why I love to travel and took me around the world in a time of no trips and adventures. I appreciated getting to know Travis and his approach to life and happiness through his stories.
April 6, 2021
This is a fun travel memoir that makes you feel like you're backpacking alongside Travis as he encounters hilarious people, sees amazing sights, and makes plenty of his own trouble. I'm itching to get back into traveling (once safe to do so again) and this book helped scratch that itch! Many ideas for future trips have been bookmarked. Overall, highly recommended for both the travel and the very relatable interactions and laughs.
April 7, 2024
Written by a 'free spirit' who experienced a lot of life via travel and lived to write about it.
February 24, 2021
Just finished this book. It is a great read cover to cover and I enjoyed every minute of it. It wasn’t good or bad, it was excellent! I know it struck a chord for anyone who has ever backpacked. I use Michener’s The Drifters as my traveling book measuring stick and often find myself in old book stores finding copies and giving them to friends and family that have never read it...your book is a fine accompaniment that belongs in the backpacks of current and future travelers and daydreamers.
February 3, 2021
This book will change your life
Not enough drugs. Not even close to enough sex. Not enough risks. Way too much planning. Too much crying over lost materials. But enough about me and the mistakes I, perhaps, have made while traveling. I live vicariously through people I admire (plenty of Influencers I don’t even know) who travel around the world making it look so easy - and ask myself. How do they do it. I want to do that. Travis, put together a compilation of stories, adventures, and tips that make you laugh till you cry, cringe until you cry with laughter, and think that perhaps it is possible to travel with a borderline type A personality - if only one would just trust the universe. Travis never really had a plan, and yet somehow jobs came, friends came, support came, love came. It will work out if you buy the one way ticket - and the experiences will top anything that you could have planned. Yes, shit happens, shit gets stolen, shit gets left in bars or taxis, shit breaks or leaves you sleeping in a closet, shit ends up in sunken ships. But these moments only deserve two sentences on the page, because the point is that there is a direction to go, if you trust it, the universe will guide you. Am I thinking about the one way ticket now because of Travis? Yes. Will I actually do it? Still not sure, but goddamn was it enjoyable to read what could happen if I did. To feel so connected to a fellow travel lover, who sees the world and culture as a learning experience and a way to grow. Who sees connections with humans and nature as religion. Who can have singular words from their family make them question everything, but still need to follow their gut. From the Australian accents to the addition of pooping the Halliburton to my catch phrases, I loved this book. I recommend it to everyone who has ever used travel to break out of their shell, or longingly looks at blank spaces on the map as opportunities. It will only increase that fire, it will only reinforce the values we travelers hold so dear. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
Not enough drugs. Not even close to enough sex. Not enough risks. Way too much planning. Too much crying over lost materials. But enough about me and the mistakes I, perhaps, have made while traveling. I live vicariously through people I admire (plenty of Influencers I don’t even know) who travel around the world making it look so easy - and ask myself. How do they do it. I want to do that. Travis, put together a compilation of stories, adventures, and tips that make you laugh till you cry, cringe until you cry with laughter, and think that perhaps it is possible to travel with a borderline type A personality - if only one would just trust the universe. Travis never really had a plan, and yet somehow jobs came, friends came, support came, love came. It will work out if you buy the one way ticket - and the experiences will top anything that you could have planned. Yes, shit happens, shit gets stolen, shit gets left in bars or taxis, shit breaks or leaves you sleeping in a closet, shit ends up in sunken ships. But these moments only deserve two sentences on the page, because the point is that there is a direction to go, if you trust it, the universe will guide you. Am I thinking about the one way ticket now because of Travis? Yes. Will I actually do it? Still not sure, but goddamn was it enjoyable to read what could happen if I did. To feel so connected to a fellow travel lover, who sees the world and culture as a learning experience and a way to grow. Who sees connections with humans and nature as religion. Who can have singular words from their family make them question everything, but still need to follow their gut. From the Australian accents to the addition of pooping the Halliburton to my catch phrases, I loved this book. I recommend it to everyone who has ever used travel to break out of their shell, or longingly looks at blank spaces on the map as opportunities. It will only increase that fire, it will only reinforce the values we travelers hold so dear. I can’t wait to read the sequel!
January 14, 2021
This book is a welcomed daily dose of sunshine during the dark winter months plagued by COVID-19. Out of all the books I've read this year, this is the only one I would wake up thinking about and grab every morning to read a chapter before getting out of bed. Travis' writing transports you to each location with him, invoking emotions and feelings of having also lived these experiences. Reading this book has been a great reminder of the beautiful world, full of adventure that awaits us all. Read this book, ask yourself what you want from life, and buy the one-way ticket you've always wanted to purchase.
January 15, 2021
This book was just an awesome and entertaining read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for some fun. Yes, it has all the sex, drugs, naughty words, and rock’s roll you could ask for but it contains so many great lessons to live your life to the fullest. Travis’s openness and honesty about his own life was refreshing and thought provoking. You could feel his growth as he moved from one designation to the next. I hope I can approach my own life with the same passion and attitude as Travis. Read the book!!!
January 16, 2021
If I didn't want to travel enough after 2020, Travis' book gave me the bug more than ever. His tales are exciting, funny, adventurous, heartfelt, and, above all, honest. He is the best type of traveler—open to everything and anyone but with a conscience for others and himself. I truly enjoyed being taken along on his backpacking adventures. The subtitle was apt and this book was equal parts travel meets sex, drugs, love, and purpose. Any post-college adult wondering exactly which direction to take in life will relate to the way he is torn between different life paths.
December 7, 2020
This was the perfect book to get out of the pandemic and lockdowns and reflect on my own travel stories. A definite must read for anyone that has traveled, wants to travel or just needs a good laugh
March 31, 2021
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Travis has an incredibly effortless way of writing that draws you into every word. I finished the book in two days because I could not put it down. Especially during these times where travel is limited, his book allows you to travel the world and back within the comfort of your own home. The way Travis speaks of his travels with true, honest passion will convince you to book the next flight out. To any travel lovers out there or anyone tempted to leave the 9-5, give this book a read!
April 4, 2025
Great read for travelers or beginner travelers! Very entertaining. Lots of wild stories and highs and lows. Defo got me inspired along my first big solo trip.
September 9, 2021
You won’t want to put it down I promise!!
I sit here with my cuppa and this novel, fully aware that I will not stop reading until I arrive back in Byron Bay with old, yet still familiar friends; bunkbed strangers whom you share more with than you do most family members in a lifetime. I will be forever grateful for the year and a half I spent as a vagabond overseas. No matter what happens in my life, I know I lived more during that time than most people do in forty years worth of two week vacations. And that is something I am grateful to die with one day.
Thanks Travis King for writing Not That Anyone Asked Travel Memoir!
I sit here with my cuppa and this novel, fully aware that I will not stop reading until I arrive back in Byron Bay with old, yet still familiar friends; bunkbed strangers whom you share more with than you do most family members in a lifetime. I will be forever grateful for the year and a half I spent as a vagabond overseas. No matter what happens in my life, I know I lived more during that time than most people do in forty years worth of two week vacations. And that is something I am grateful to die with one day.
Thanks Travis King for writing Not That Anyone Asked Travel Memoir!
April 20, 2021
For anyone who loves to or wants to travel, this is a must read! As soon as I started this book, I found parallels to my own life. It even convinced me to start planning a month long sabbatical from work once I graduate with my masters.
I laughed out loud on several occasions and often found myself rereading some of my favorite stories within the book. I can only hope for a sequel!
I laughed out loud on several occasions and often found myself rereading some of my favorite stories within the book. I can only hope for a sequel!
January 31, 2025
picked up in a hostel in bogota !
June 30, 2022
I first got introduced to Travis by Walt of Walt’s Kitchen Table Podcast. He recommended bringing him on my podcast Juxtaposed Journeys, and I’m so glad I did. I could tell right away Travis was full of interesting stories.
Our conversation led me to pick up his travel memoir, and I couldn’t put it down. Travis speaks from an honest and thoughtful perspective you can’t help but admire. The good, the bad, the stressful, the blissful and the absurd, Travis tells it all.
If you’re a fan of Jedidiah Jenkins, or travel writing in general, do yourself a favor and check out Not That Anyone Asked. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to explore the world around you, and maybe even book a one-way flight of your own.
Our conversation led me to pick up his travel memoir, and I couldn’t put it down. Travis speaks from an honest and thoughtful perspective you can’t help but admire. The good, the bad, the stressful, the blissful and the absurd, Travis tells it all.
If you’re a fan of Jedidiah Jenkins, or travel writing in general, do yourself a favor and check out Not That Anyone Asked. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to explore the world around you, and maybe even book a one-way flight of your own.
March 3, 2023
An absolute joy to read..didn't wan't it to end!
As a fellow traveller, it's sometimes hard to make your loved ones at home understand the level of joy and struggle, that you had (or have) when being out there in the world, travelling on your own.
I might not have travelled abroad for this many years or had the exact same crazy experiences (but then I got my own stories and people I met along the way) - so for me this book is the perfect tool, to make family and friends read and at least get a fraction of what an incredible world of adventures I've seen - and more important what helped shaping me to who I am today. Can't thank Travis enough for putting words on paper to help explain this!
As a fellow traveller, it's sometimes hard to make your loved ones at home understand the level of joy and struggle, that you had (or have) when being out there in the world, travelling on your own.
I might not have travelled abroad for this many years or had the exact same crazy experiences (but then I got my own stories and people I met along the way) - so for me this book is the perfect tool, to make family and friends read and at least get a fraction of what an incredible world of adventures I've seen - and more important what helped shaping me to who I am today. Can't thank Travis enough for putting words on paper to help explain this!
April 28, 2021
Travis has such an engaging writing style and a wealth of stories to tell. It was hard to put this book down and I'm normally a very slow reader. Reading this book filled me with a longing to get back on the road and explore more of the world. In the pandemic, it is easy to close yourself off from the world and other people but through reading this I realized new friends are only a smile away, and adventures can happen any day you open yourself up to them. Travis embraces the good, the bad, and the ugly in this honest exploration of his travel experiences and it was a truly fulfilling read! Looking forward to whatever he writes about next.
December 9, 2022
As a mother of two young kids and a preschool teacher, I don’t plan on traveling the world anytime soon. In fact, this isn’t even a book I’d normally pick up. But I’m so glad I did. I could not put this book down. When I did, I was thinking about it (yes, it’s one of “those” books). After a day of finger painting and teaching babies how to grasp a crayon, I looked forward to seeing what kind of sex, drugs, love, and other adventures Travis found himself in. I now have an entire Catholic early childhood staff passing this book around and discussing its pages. It’s a very good read. I’d suggest it to anyone. You do not have to be a traveler to appreciate his story telling. Enjoy!!
September 12, 2022
Hilarious and inspiring read
It’s not easy to be funny, authentic and sage (while not trying to give advice) and this book pulls it all off while inspiring you to sell everything you own, donate the proceeds to charity and book a one way ticket with a few hundred bucks left over to buy your first few beers and bunk in a dorm for a few weeks. A seemingly great way to adventure, get lost and live life from day-to-day. Thanks for putting this book out into the world Travis!
It’s not easy to be funny, authentic and sage (while not trying to give advice) and this book pulls it all off while inspiring you to sell everything you own, donate the proceeds to charity and book a one way ticket with a few hundred bucks left over to buy your first few beers and bunk in a dorm for a few weeks. A seemingly great way to adventure, get lost and live life from day-to-day. Thanks for putting this book out into the world Travis!
March 16, 2023
What a great read! We were travelling in Puerto Escondito, Mx and met Travis at one of his shows at a local bar. My wife purchased the book after a good conversation with him. I would say the book met and exceeded my expectations. Well written and entertaining. The book provided great insight to the backpacker world and one man's alternative path to the mainstream world through his travels. Highly recommend. Congrats on the great book Travis!
May 20, 2023
A book I didn’t know I needed! And one I was delighted to find on Kindle Unlimited. Travis King is a great writer and the ultimate friend you want to make your first night at a hostel. The subtitle really tells you what you’re in for, so this book is not for the squeamish, but it sure made me feel a lot better about my one way ticket. If there were a little less sex and drugs I would’ve recommended this book to my Mom to help her feel better about my trip as well. Read this book!
September 20, 2024
This is a fun read that is written in a way that makes you feel you are instantly Travis' friend, palling around with him on his various adventures. His advice at the end, in the form of the borrowed fig tree metaphor, stuck with me and is helping me get unstuck from a current slump. It's a great way to vicariously travel multiple continents from the comfort of your home, or it might even inspire you to actually get out and do it for yourself.
November 3, 2021
What a fun read. While I've never been brave enough to take on a fraction of what Travis details in this memoir, he paints a vivid enough picture that I was able to imagine being there. For anyone who has thought "maybe I'll try that some day" and never did it (which is most of us), this is a must-read.
December 21, 2022
Travis is an incredible writer and this book is such a good read for any fellow travelers. His stories will have you reflecting on your own travel memories in the best way. Both heart-warming and funny. I hope his stories will inspire more people to travel and experience the world in their own way. This book speaks so much to the authenticity of everyone's unique, raw travel experiences.
November 30, 2023
This is the most raw and fulfilling travel book I've ever read.. it's inspiring, hilarious, witty and life changing. It touches the hearts of all travellers / backpackers not conspiring to the norm of society and fulfilling they're dreams of seeing the world, or could open your eyes up to a new way of life. I can't recommend it enough.. you'll laugh and cry all at the same time!
March 23, 2024
I am pretty sure I highlighted 3/4s of this book. There truly is nothing like traveling. Meeting new people, embracing cultures unlike your own, and figuring out situations as you go is a gift unlike anything else. Going through Travis’ adventures alongside him was a journey I thoroughly enjoyed. Now I want to head off on another adventure of my own
April 7, 2021
Thanks for an awesome book bro - just finished reading it! One of the best memoirs I’ve read 👊🏼🙌🏼👌
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews