In 2010, at the age of 35, I had the opportunity to leave my life in Toronto, Ontario, Canada behind for a few months to travel around Southeast Asia and China with my British boyfriend. Thanks to his work in the luxury travel industry, the trip was to be part budget/backpacker and part luxury with many free nights spent at posh hotels designed for the upper crust. As one who grew up with the Holiday Inn setting the bar on accommodations and then being a cheap and cheerful adult backpacker, luxury was far from my typical mode of travel. Truthfully, it was a foreign concept—but I was willing to give it a go. After a few weeks, my mind became restless and I turned my attention to writing long, novella-like emails to friends and family about everything I was experiencing. In the years since, I have revisited these emails numerous times. I finally decided to turn them into a book.

Testimonial

“I love sitting with Melissa during her epic interviews. We talk about travel and life and you can certainly feel her energy and passion exude during that hour. Her great heart and adventurous mind intrigues me and keeps the talks very interesting, which is why I keep going back. Thank you so much for your connection and your positive contribution to the airwaves.”

Tony Perdomo