Riding High

Rating:
Summary: Jupiter Rides Again!
Review: Riding High is a wonderful companion to JupiterÕs Travels. In it Ted Simon elaborates upon his four-year trip around the world and he also tells us about how hard it was for him to come to terms with journeyÕs end! Settling into married life in Mill Valley is a far cry from living a constantly changing, exciting life in the glorious here and now for four years! Ted makes us feel his struggle to adapt. He does this very tellingly by interspersing some domestic scenes with on-the road scenes. For myself, I felt claustrophobic when I read about his domestic life and longed for him to be on the road again. However, I think these scenes help us understand his dilemma: how can he reconcile a longing to be on the move with a yearning for the simple life in one place? It becomes apparent that Ted, although a compassionate and friendly person, is at heart a bit of a lone wolf! All the travel scenes are great, particularly those in India and South America and the book is full of fascinating information and insights, all of which Ted shares with us in his usual honest, articulate and engaging way.

Rating:
Summary: puts world travel on a human level
Review: When I was younger I didn't want to come home from vacations. My parents had to fool me into thinking we were going to stay in another motel until we pulled up in front of our house! In "Riding High", Ted Simon shows the very real dilemma about coming home after four glorious years on the road. The big suprise is that home wasn't the place he had left from! The book shows us how one person can start a journey that comes a way of life for four years and survive a bumpy ending in an entirely new land. The great thing about "Riding High" is not that it takes us around the world again with Ted, but that it brings us home with him as he tries to settle down as the "internal gypsy" is still running on.