An intriguing travel adventure coupled with a compelling narrative of the past. This story is created by the existence of handwritten journal extracts and Dictaphone cassette recordings. A time of travelling around the world way before social media, mobile phones and accessible internet was even out there. In Outliers, The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell tells us that the people who have been given opportunities and those who have the strength and presence of mind to seize them are more likely to succeed. In Bounce, Matthew Syed tells us to think of life as having two paths: one leading to mediocrity, the other to excellence. We all know that the path to mediocrity is flat and straight. We know that it is quite possible to cruise along in life on autopilot with a nice smooth steady, almost effortless progression. But the path to excellence could be much more different. It is steep, gruelling, and arduous. It forces voyagers to stumble and fall on every stretch of the journey. This is a story of adventure, a story of courage and a story of luck. And most importantly, a story of experiencing life and all it has to offer. Experience a gap year. You will never regret it. Born in 1969, Michael Kirkland is a teacher, sports coach, photographer and traveller. Born in Rhodesia, but forced to move to Scotland owing to political and imminent cultural change. Graduating in England as a teacher, he successfully completed a Master's Degree at the University of Stirling in Sports Coaching. As a football coach and physical education teacher, he has been located in America, Spain, Australia, The United Kingdom and The Netherlands. Michael rediscovered his passion for writing and after releasing his first book Peripheral Neuropathy. The Story of a Sufferer: Let's Create a Community of Hope, he has been inspired to continue to write.
