This is not a travel guide, nor is it a typical travel book. This is a story about a man who overcame personal tragedies to achieve his lifetime ambition to explore the world. You won't find stories of a man who climbed mountains or sailed the seas. Instead you'll hear about one man's journey who visited over 100 well-known foreign countries and cities, swam with the sharks in Bora-Bora, Tahiti and in Grand Cayman, explored the underwater world of the Australian Great Barrier Reef, walked the Great Wall of China; and went on photo safaris in the African wild game parks. When he began his traveling adventures, the last thing on his mind was writing a book. As he progressed through his trips, he would entertain his relatives, friends and clients with the stories and photos of his more important memories. Invariably, they would say "you ought to write a book!" And so he did, and here it is. The book should assist the beginning traveler in deciding where to go, how to go, and how long to stay, and last but not least, how to stay safe in a sometimes dangerous world. Traveling can be, and often is, very rewarding. But it can also be frustrating, expensive, and dangerous. When traveling to a foreign country it is best to expect the unexpected, as your experience will be unlike anything you've experienced before. The Travel Junkie also reveals the true character of Jack Harms and his personal life. Including his hitchhiking days, his attraction to famous entertainers' live performances, his traumatic experiences - being on his own at the age of fourteen in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and the deaths of his mother, and only two brothers at very young ages.

When he married for the second time, Jay Keyser thought he and his wife would settle down on a bucolic little farm where the cows meet the sea. That was before he found out the awful truth: he had married a travel junkie. While he was envisioning walks along quiet beaches, her sights were set on stakeouts beside Tanzani’s Grumeti River watching crocodiles take down baboons. He didn’t want to come within 6,000 miles of a crocodile, let alone 6 feet. But, somehow, he couldn’t let Nancy go it alone. And so, for the past 15 years, Jay Keyser has followed his wife around this treacherous world. This is his chronicle. Our reluctant traveler did his level best to understand the extraordinary people and places he visited as well as his internal conflict. He gradually began to accept profound differences between his wife and himself. Although terrified by them, he has learned from his experiences, most especially from an encounter with an angry female gorilla, who offered key insight into marriage and human nature. Jay Keyser learned to stop and smell the elephant dung.

From the Desk of the How-To Junkie for the "Traveling Junkie": Howdy friend, who wants "to travel for vacation on a budget," Let me guess, you are looking for a getaway. By getaway, I mean vacation. Ah yes, the vacation that you've been dreaming about all year. Well you certainly deserved to! After all, what's the point of living and not enjoying? Traveling offers that much needed relaxation to get away from everything with yourself or with friends and families. It allows you to clear your head and remember why life is so freaking awesome, and revitalize yourself to refocus your perspective on things. But what's the biggest setback stopping our fellow travelers from doing it more often? Work? Time? How about the biggest hurdle of them all - money? Let's face it, vacations don't come cheap. They cost money, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a ton of dough or lose a leg to afford it. You just may not know how to best go about it, know what to do, or are simply overwhelmed. Fret not! On the other hand, perhaps you're one of those lucky folks who get to go on permanent vacation whenever you want and money is not an issue, but still, wouldn't you rather enjoy more savings and travel the smart way? That's why we're focusing on the fastest way to get going on a vacation, regardless of whatever limited-vacation time you may have, and travel on a budget. By being a "Traveling Junkie," you will know: * How to plan a vacation fast even if you don't know where to go. * How to find the cheapest flight deals the smart way step-by-step. * How to book your accommodations to save tons of money. * How to calculate your budget and not go over expenses. * The secret insider tips only experienced savvy trailers know and do. ...and full-satisfied junkie more. So what are you waiting for? Instead of dreaming about sipping coconut under a palm tree, be actually doing it! And send me a postcard while you're at it (even if you don't like coconut staying at some big city instead). Plan your vacation now! Signing off. Your friend, - The How-To Junkie

Chronicles the author's international travels with his wife to Africa, China, Bali, and other places.