* EPA claims, “. . . in the U.S., cattle emit about 5.5 million metric tons of methane per year into the atmosphere, accounting for 20% of U.S. methane emissions.” Go green. Eat more fish.
(My Free PR ) The true story of one
man’s journey through 28 cities and 15 countries in 31 days, alone.
In TRIP, the new mixed media book release
from Lulu Press, author Mick MacO describes what happened to his head while
travelling through 28 cities and 15 countries in 31 days, alone. This book
illustrates, in an intimate and fun way, how somebody can go out of their mind
when they’ve nobody to share their thoughts with. Though experiencing all the
joys of touring Europe, MacO found that the solitude of the journey caused him to see the
world in an altered state, not unlike a psychedelic trip. Free form writing,
handwritten notebook entries and photographs from each of the cities help
convey the emotion of the ride. “I was determined to see as much of Europe as possible, and wanted to find
some truth. It was a physical and mental expedition, and definitely threw me
off kilter,” says MacO about his trip of a lifetime.
TRIP documents, with modern slang and an Irish twang, a
whirlwind tour of places as varied as Amsterdam to Auschwitz. The journey took place in
1995, before the Euro had arrived, when former communist countries were
changing fast, and the internet hadn’t yet kicked in. MacO gives us a glimpse
of what it must have been like to live a month full of daily culture shocks.
The languages, currencies and national traits fly by, but the trek gradually takes
its toll on the storyteller.
“At
various times during the trip I felt in turn, alone, euphoric, afraid, and
triumphant. Sometimes I was glad I was on my own. I think that solitude can be
a good thing – you can get to know yourself.
“The
culmination came after two weeks, in my seventh country and twelfth city in
fourteen days. I still had two weeks to go, and could go to whatever countries I
wanted. That was when I broke down and cracked up! But I
continued on the trip with a head full of craziness. Other people might have
liked to relax somewhere for a few days. But because I was alone, it spurred me
on to keep going – a new place everyday for a month.”
MacO’s
words tell the story in a lighthearted way of what must have been a
mind-blowing experience. The reader sees not only how the author himself was
affected by the solitude of the journey, but also how even complete strangers
can shape your view of the world when your social interaction is limited.
“If you had even just brief contact with
someone, whether it was positive or negative, it would stand out in your head
longer because you were alone,” says MacO, who made the trip when he was 24
years old and single for the first time in five years. “You could be in a good
mood for hours after a smile from somebody in a ticket office. Or if someone
was fleetingly grumpy to you, it could turn your day.”
The
whole adventure covers the full gamut of emotions, and details the author’s
questioning of what he believed and why he believed it. One notebook entry says
that all the people wanting you to believe in them seemed like they needed it
too much.
“The
impressions and ideas that I was having were totally overwhelming. I was
conversing with my notebook, simply because I had to get it all off my chest
and out of my system. The end result was
that the journey changed the way I looked at the world and myself. I wouldn’t
want to do that trip again, but I am glad that I did it. And I’m happy now that
I’ve finally put things into words.”
Mick MacO is an Irish graphic
designer who lives in Germany.
He’s married with no kids and a cat called Samuel Longhorn Clemens.
Mick MacO is a shortened form of the author's Gaelic name,
which is too long to pronounce. TRIP
is his first published work.
Details:
Title: TRIP
Author: Mick MacO.
ISBN: 978-1-84799-434-9
Price: €9.95 as a book, €4.00 as a downloadable PDF
Publisher: Lulu Press
Distribution: Available on Lulu.com
Pages: 148, 30 photographs
Size: 6"x9"
Binding: Perfect bound, trade paperback
Further details, including
Frequently Asked Questions, a slide show gallery and
high resolution images from the book, can be found on the author’s own website:
http://www.MickMacO.org
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