I was introduced to Levison Wood by Jocko, when he had him on the Jocko Podcast to talk about his life and his experiences. I was impressed, of course. I love to travel and I can’t tell you why.
Reading his book, Walking the Nile, was a little close to home. Though I have never been in East Africa or North Africa, I have been on the African continent for over two decades working mainly in Southern and West Africa. I have, of course, met people from the various countries that he walked through and the culture and could identify with what he was talking about.
Soon afterwards I had itchy feet and travelled to a few countries to satisfy my wanderlust.
As everyone knows, COVID put a damper on world travel, especially in the conventional way. I was pregnant with my third son, who was born July, 2020.
Even so, I hesitated to read Levison Wood’s book, Walking the Americas, in which he walked through eight countries from Mexico down to Columbia. It took me until now (2025) to crack it open. And now that I have, I have itchy feet again, like I knew I would.
I thoroughly enjoy his writing style. It’s both raw and refined. As a homeschooling mom, as well as a missionary who has worked with Mexicans, Colombians, Ecuadorians and Peruvians, I can tell when the wording and translations have been Anglicized. I don’t think it takes away from the overall book, it was just distracting for me.
I do not have the urge to follow in his footsteps. I do enjoy walking, but going through the jungle and desert… It’s not my idea of a good time.
My eight-year-old son has just finished reading the original ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ and my eleven-year-old has read Michael Palin’s recreated journey of the same name. So I guess they are catching the travel bug, like I have.
They’re young yet, and time will tell.