Author and adventurer Lowe has assembled an enthralling collection of recollections from twenty years of travels with his companion and wife, Trish. Their enthralling saga began in 2002 as the two trekked along the canyon walls of California's Anza-Borrego Desert. There, Trish fell several times, afterwards revealing to Lowe that she had for years been battling multiple sclerosis (MS). The two then daringly and lovingly resolved to face the future together. Since Trish's disability particularly affected her legs, Lowe studied with her the potential obstacles that their traveling might entail. Thus, while investigating history's mysteries in Czechoslovakia, where Lowe's family had roots, Trish would use a cane while holding tight to his steady arm as together they observed grim reminders of the Nazi regime.

In one lively foray on the island of Grand Cayman, Lowe helped arrange for Trish to go scuba diving. By doing so, she enjoyed a rare sense of physical freedom. A three-wheeled scooter offered greater independence, which was especially appreciated as Trish ploughed through Alaskan snows. With shared zeal and Lowe's caring oversight, the couple flew to varied destinations, packing the three-wheeler onto airplanes, buses, trains, and rental cars. They roamed Paris, Provence, the Caribbean islands, and, when time was limited, enjoyed friend-filled destinations near their home in San Diego. Despite its practical aspects, the scooter highlighted some problems that people with disabilities must endure, such as difficulties in packing it onto airplanes and a frequent lack of ramps. The couple encountered inaccessible restrooms, cramped quarters, and other general barriers faced by handicapped persons. Once, despite careful preparations, a crucial train ride through central Europe seemed impossible due to confusion and misunderstandings regarding reservations, locations, and scheduling. However, Lowe's persistence led to a stream of sympathetic encounters and ultimately to the fulfillment of their plans. Such incidents strengthened the couple's conviction that their touring would continue to bring them natural, historical, cultural, and romantic opportunities.

Lowe, a noted journalist and award-winning memoirist of his childhood in post-war Europe (Becoming American), combines in these enthralling tales a love of nature, an appreciation of often hidden histories, and the many satisfactions of close companionship. His love and admiration for Trish, enhanced with occasional photographs, are ever evident, even as, back home, he acts as chef, creating exotic cuisines the couple savored during their wide-ranging excursions. Though studiously modest, his lively, descriptive prose clearly indicates a deep-seated willingness to push beyond the ordinary while facing and overcoming all obstacles to the pair's idealistic longing for exploratory, multicultural stimulations. Journeying in twenty countries and fifteen states, the two never allowed restraints of MS to prevent them from going where they wished, often rewarded by heart-rending proofs of "astonishing kindness" afforded them by people who, observing the couple's difficulties, offered assistance in a variety of welcome ways. Focusing on Trish's constraints and the vistas they determinedly encountered together, Lowe's words can provide encouragement to travelers across a wide spectrum, perhaps especially to those coping with handicaps, who will strive to absorb and utilize the confidence that this daring duo found and fostered.

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