No phone. No internet. No plan B. Just a passport, a bike, and a dream.
In A Continental Affliction, debut author Brian Shannon takes readers on a wild, funny, and unexpectedly moving journey around the world-one that begins with him walking away from a life that felt too small.
The year is 1991. The internet hasn't arrived, Pan Am still flies, and 26-year-old Brian, disillusioned with a lukewarm career in finance and a forsaken relationship, decides to do what most people only daydream about: sell everything, quit his job, and hit the road. What follows is a five-continent, 20-country, year-long odyssey powered by curiosity, courage, and just enough naivete to keep going.
The book begins in South America, where he battles culture shock in Brazil, navigates Carnival in the Amazon, and stares down poverty and doubt in favelas and large cities. A Smithsonian expedition into the jungle and small town warmth rekindles his confidence-only for it to be tested again in the high-altitude chaos of the Andes and the long, dusty roads of Argentina and Chile.
The story takes a literal and figurative turn: back in North America, a pep talk from his parents and a brand-new Cannondale Mountain bike set him on a two-wheeled path through Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. There is exploration on the Great Barrier Reef, bicycle sores and woes, dilapidated bus rides, bungee jumps, mountain treks and wine tours and even a run-in with the law. Yet, what could have been the end of the journey turns out to be the most formative part.
Jetting across the Indian Ocean aboard a Pan Am 747, Brian lands in Africa where he boards rickety trains through Zimbabwe making fast friends with an array of colorful characters. He accidentally invents safari-by-bicycle cycling through Hwange Game Park. The savage side of the circle of life presents itself while on a camping safari on the Serengeti before dodging a Nairobi shake-down.
From Frankfurt, Germany up the Rhine River, he finally meets up with old friends for a cycle tour through the French countryside and the European Alps. Camping, climbing, cycling, and bonding-this final stretch is equal parts soul-searching and celebration. By the time he reaches Greece, he's no longer just a guy on a trip. He's someone transformed.
Told with sharp wit and deep reflection, A Continental Affliction is much more than a travel memoir. It's a love letter to the analog age of exploration-when travelers relied on paper maps, handwritten journals, and the kindness of strangers. It's also a story about fear, freedom, and what happens when you abandon certainty in pursuit of something bigger.
Perfect for fans of solo travel exploits involving a backpack, a bicycle, a budget, and unexpected encounters, this memoir will speak to anyone who's ever dreamed of taking off, starting over, and finding themselves somewhere far from home.