One for the Road

Title:  One for the Road Author:  Tony Horwitz Genre:  Nonfiction,Travel Length: 210 pages (paperback) Sensitive Content:  None Rating:  4 out of 5

Tony recently settled in Sydney with his new Australian bride.  He easily settles into life as a reporter at a local newspaper.  As his friends travel to Bali and other places, he has a desire to travel into the outback which he must share with his wife as he wants to hitchhike to experience his newly adopted country...without her.

With just his backpack, he heads out.  He shares that when he was younger he hitchhiked in the United States.  However, this experience differs significantly, which I believe surprises him more than he realizes.

We join him as he ventures through the outback and interacts with the local population.  He shares the history that he knows of the locations he's visiting which help us understand some of the situations he finds himself in.  He is open to new experiences and new people, which make his journey possible.

One of my favorite parts was the story of finding a Jewish family in Broome to celebrate Passover with.  It shows that those in Broome were welcoming to this stranger and went out of their way to help him find a place to belong.

Tony's writing style makes me feel like I am on the journey with him.  I can feel the 100 degree heat on my neck.  I can taste and smell the beer, meals and just the overall environment.  I felt seasick when he was on the fishing boat.

As I have a desire to visit a friend who moved to Australia a few years ago, I feel like I have a better understanding of the environment they have relocated to.

Clocking Out Early

Title:  Clocking Out Early Author:  Cody Boorman &  Georgi Boorman Genre:  Nonfiction, Finances Length: 214 pages (electronic) Sensitive Content:  None Rating:  3 out of 5

If you haven't read a personal finance book to help you get started on your debt free journey, the Boormans do a good job of outlining some day to day categories that can help jump start your budgeting process and your journey.  However, if you've read books by Dave Ramsey or Suze Orman, the concepts within the book itself do not differ that much.

I appreciate the draw down examples they provided.  I felt this gave a real life situation where the market itself is not consistent from year to year but smoothed out as we look at long term investments.  They also showed an example of where you'd run out of money and one where your money will last, based on your willingness to adjust your budget.

The travel hacking section was a fun addition as I don't typically see these in financial books.  However, the scenarios they outlined are ones that I already follow, but would be good for those who have not yet tried this way to save money while expanding your travel budget/experience.

Why did I give this book a three star rating instead of something higher?  Part of the title to this book is "The Ultimate Guide to Early Retirement".  While they authors do a very good job of outlining the topics within the book such as budgeting, debt payoff, travel hacking, investments and more, I never picked up on the portion of the book that related to "FIRE" or early retirement, which was the main driver for me to read this book.