Confessions of a Middle-Aged Backpacker: A Solo Travel Memoir

Chris Gattanella spent two decades in a stable career and comfortable life in Los Angeles. Now in his forties and newly single, he feels unfulfilled and bored, wondering if his lack of world travel is to blame. He takes a six-week test trip through Europe as a backpacker on a shoestring budget. Enjoying the experience, he makes a dramatic life change: he sells his condo and quits his job to travel long-term. Over the next two and a half years, Gattanella backpacks through 40+ countries across seven continents, living frugally and often staying in hostels alongside younger travelers. Along the way, he encounters multiple monkey attacks, a sinking boat, altitude sickness, a deranged sea captain, and numerous other unusual situations with people, animals, and transportation. This memoir documents his adventures and the anecdotes collected during his journey, as he moves closer to understanding the meaning of life.