While at my local library, I stumbled upon Life Travel and the People in Between: A Memoir by Mike Nixon. After reading it, I enjoyed it so much I bought it to keep forever. Wanting to learn more, I contacted Nixon for an interview.

© Mike Nixon

Nixon states the book was years in the making, but its roots really go back to his post-high school job at a hotel in Norfolk. The world coming to him through thousands of travelers spurred him to abandon his comfort zone and study in the Dominican Republic. Over the many years since, Nixon went from dreaming of the world to being a veteran traveler.

Life Travel and the People in Between: A Memoir is part travel guide, part intimate journal. Nixon introduces the reader to locations, people and cultures. Along the way, Nixon isn’t shy about revealing good and bad life lessons learned.

While the book is also about Nixon’s growth as a traveler and a person, it serves as a constant reminder for the reader to lead a meaningful life. At the heart of his book, the reason he wrote it, is Nixon’s desire for meaning in his life. He found that meaning through travel.One of the book’s strengths is Nixon’s realistic travel plan. It’s not about the most glamorous destinations, it’s about his journey. Nixon could get as much from any tiny town as from a thriving metropolis.

Nixon discussed all of this in our interview. He also named a few bucket list destinations and gave his best travel tips. He even talked about adjusting to life at home, although he is far from finished traveling.

Below is a clip from our interview. Watch the entire interview video here.

— John Wroblewski, online writer