In the summer and fall of 1965, newlyweds Mick and Patricia Sullivan quit their teaching jobs and sold all their belongings to embark on a minimally planned honeymoon trip to Europe. Mick had a bit more vision than Patricia and planned to obtain teaching jobs to fund their travel across the continent for at least a year. What emerges for the couple is true enthusiasm for the open road, enjoying the family of man while wending their way across southern Europe, followed by West and Southeast Asia in an epic two-year journey along what would be known shortly as The Hippie Trail. Sans guidebook, mobile phone, or a firm itinerary, the couple relied upon locals and shared stories from other WT (world travelers) to choose their destinations and locate food, lodging, and transportation.

What the narrative lacks in deep description of locales and scenery, it easily makes up for in the author’s youthful enthusiasm and gratitude for the many kind and interesting people the couple met along the way. The timing allowed the Sullivans to visit locations now closed to travel today, revealing a simpler world that no longer exists in this technologically driven era of cyber connection, cultural homogenization, and global awareness. Many serendipitous, chance meetings with “good Samaritans” carry the couple like a human current across Europe and Asia, a tribute to the essential goodness of the human heart. Sullivan’s warm and observant writing, based on the couple’s journal entries and letters home to their parents, yields a narrative ripe with possibility and a sense of adventure. The life-changing journey sets the stage for a rewarding career in education and a life of further travel for the Sullivans. This is a historic tale that travel enthusiasts and romantics won’t want to miss.

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