Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World isn't what you think, from its title: just one more reason why you should never judge a book from its cover alone.
Yes, it's about travel; but it's also about packing (and unpacking) emotional baggage en route, and it follows the emotional ups and downs of a relationship as much as the physical journey of discovery.
Another surprise: when the authors embarked on their trip, they were about ready to give up on their marriage, too: not your usual time to plan a year-long sojourn. They were uncertain not only about each other, but about whether they could fix all the things that were wrong between them.
So, anticipate not your usual "went there/did this" type of travelogue, but a richer examination of a relationship gone awry and repaired by the process of travel and new discoveries experienced in the first year of a long journey.
Married with Luggage is divided into three sections: an introduction to the authors and their marriage struggles, a second section focusing on travel experiences, and a closing section on the 'life lessons' of love and relationships that were the side benefit of travel. As such, it's as much a love story as a travelogue, and charts turbulent journeys on all levels.
There're a lot of intimate revelations involved in such an endeavor, so anticipate a story replete with candid personal insights and emotionally-charged scenes. To make the whole process easier, it comes from the observations of Betsy Talbot alone.
One outstanding virtue of Married with Luggage is its ability to segue neatly between travel adventure and relationship insights so that readers of either self-help or travelogues will find it equally satisfying: no mean fête, given these audiences are usually quite different!
The atmosphere incorporating discovery on many levels is always involving: "We woke up in the middle of the night covered in a layer of grit. I blinked my eyes a few times, trying to orient myself. Then I remembered: we were camping on the southern coast of Turkey. My next thought: "Is the air this salty near the Mediterranean Sea?" It took only a second more to realize the grit wasn’t salt but sand."
And that's the greatest strength of Married with Luggage: Talbot's ability to involve readers in a multi-leveled journey that integrates life-changing exploration on more than one level: "As the sun set, we talked about our hike, our life, and the grand adventures we’d have before it was over. Little did we know the adventure would escalate that night. At 1:30 in the morning, we began discussing our situation, neither one wanting to express just how scared we were. It was like two strangers making small talk about the weather in an elevator. Can you believe this storm? Yeah, crazy isn’t it."
It's almost as if the reader is packed into the luggage along with the writers, following their progress and coming full-circle to a place where individuals and their dreams are valued as much as the relationship between them.
Anticipate a vigorous examination of journeys, ideals, and lifestyles in a world exploration that helped the authors re-assess themselves, their relationship, and their ultimate goals in life: an inspirational and exciting read indeed!
~ Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
Take an inside peek at an unconventional lifestyle and its impact on a conventional marriage.
Warren and Betsy Talbot were heading for divorce when they had an idea that changed everything: Put the relationship first. That small but revolutionary act paved the way for an even bigger idea: Sell everything and travel the world.
"When we left on this journey, we thought our biggest discoveries would be in the world around us. But it turns out we had a lot to explore in our own relationship," said co-author Betsy Talbot.
Find out what dodging an erupting volcano, riding out a Force-12 storm in the icy Drake Passage, and herding goats in the Gobi Desert have taught them about love and communication in this adventurous and revealing memoir.
Married with Luggage is for people who want to enjoy their hectic lives without sacrificing their relationships, those who want an inside peek at how another couple makes love work, and anyone who enjoys a good love story.
Buy your copy in ebook or paperback at your favorite online bookseller. You can find links here.
Authors Warren and Betsy Talbot spent the first four weeks of their book's debut traveling around the internet instead of the world. And boy did they go places!
Click here to find the articles, interviews, and videos of their stories, insights, and takeaways about love and travel in some of your favorite sites and podcasts.
SEATTLE, WA, April 23, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Warren and Betsy Talbot offer a straightforward yet intimate take on how they turned their own failing marriage around in their fourth book, Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World.
At the lowest point in their marriage in 2006 they decided to consciously put their relationship first, and the result paved the way for a years-long adventure together around the world. Today the Talbots celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary in Spain.
"When we focused on how to get the relationship we wanted instead of complaining about the one we had, everything changed," says coauthor Betsy Talbot. She credits a focus on designing the lifestyle they wanted, right down to their work commutes and where they lived, for starting the turnaround in their marriage.
As they continued "consciously coupling," even going so far as to institute a one-year renewable marriage contract, they were surprised at how quickly they achieved the bond that had previously eluded them.
"The 'us' of 2006 would never have been able to hike 300 miles in Turkey or write even one page of a book together," says coauthor Warren Talbot. Since selling everything they owned to travel the world in 2010, the Talbots have faced an erupting volcano, an 18-hour storm in the icy Drake Passage, and a political coup attempt. Their book details these adventures and more, highlighting how they became a stronger team as they continued refining their relationship and life goals together.
To celebrate love, one lucky reader of the book will win two First-Class Global Passes from Eurail.com to plan their own international love affair. The drawing will be May 15, 2014, and contest rules can be found athttp://www.MarriedwithLuggage.com/contest
Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World can be purchased at the major online book sellers like Amazon in ebook or paperback format or through links at MarriedwithLuggage.com
About Married with Luggage
Married with Luggage is a small indie publishing company that produces a podcast, website, books, and courses revealing the unconventional wisdom Warren and Betsy Talbot have learned about living, working, and traveling together 24/7 since 2010. Find out more about modern love and partnership atwww.MarriedwithLuggage.com.
About Warren and Betsy Talbot
The Talbots have been traveling the world since 2010, sharing what they've learned about themselves and love in their books, weekly podcast, website, and weekly newsletter. Their four books garner overall reviews of 4+ stars from readers around the globe. They are contributors to sites like LearnVest.com, TheShriverReport.com, and TheChangeBlog.com, as well as featured on print publications as diverse asKiplinger's Personal Finance and Wanderlust Magazine.
When they aren't traveling or hiking, they make their home in the Andalusia region of Spain. Today's book release also marks their tenth wedding anniversary.
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/new-book-reveals-how-conscious-coupling-is-better-for-marriage-than-it-is-for-divorce-383924.phpRead the full release here.
Join authors Warren and Betsy Talbot as they travel by train to 10 of the most romantic cities in Europe to promote their latest book, Married with Luggage: What We Learned About Love by Traveling the World.
Find out more about this exciting tour, including daily pictures and videos on Facebook, by clicking here.
