Towson creator Brian Shannon talks ‘A Continental Affliction’ and journey

When wanderlust referred to as greater than 30 years in the past, Brian Shannon answered.

Before the web, Siri’s calming supply of driving instructions, Ubers and Airbnbs, Shannon left a company job and offered his belongings to enterprise by way of 5 continents.

In “A Continental Affliction: One Passport, Five Continents & Several Questionable Decisions,” Shannon — geared up principally with a backpack and ultimately a bicycle — takes the reader by way of the nice, dangerous and ugly of solo, far-away journey.

Between bartering for money, sketchy hostels and catching truck rides with strangers, Shannon illustrates a curious, whimsical and progressive method to journey with few regrets.

“I don’t think in terms of destination or things that I did that I would do anything any differently,” mentioned the native Canadian who turned a Towson resident.

Ahead of his Banner Book Club look on Wednesday at 6 p.m., Shannon revisited the preliminary wanderlust that fueled his e book and continues to affect his love of journey.

This dialog has been edited for readability and size.

Would you think about taking this journey once more with out all of the technological issues we’ve got now?

I believe it’d be just about inconceivable to not reap the benefits of the know-how, which is de facto good and dangerous, proper? For me, it created plenty of conditions the place I used to be compelled to have interaction with individuals, and created plenty of various things that occurred on this journey that wouldn’t have occurred.

What have been a few of your key takeaways from being in a number of locations the place you have been really the minority?

It was refreshing in some respects. Being Canadian was a little bit of a branding that was acceptable worldwide.

There have been plenty of American vacationers I met that have been stitching Canadian flags to their backpacks to keep away from plenty of points with touring like that, and in order that was OK for me to announce that I used to be Canadian.

I used to be the minority in lots of cases, and I believe for positive it made me admire the cultural range extra.

Have you ever frightened that different journeys gained’t stay as much as this grand journey?

Not actually, as a result of I’ve this journey to Japan, for example — we have been solely there for every week, but it surely was such a outstanding expertise. Now I’ve way more succesful technique of understanding after I go someplace learn how to expertise it and learn how to get pleasure from myself and type of immerse myself in a few of the tradition and check out issues. So the novelty of plenty of that isn’t as scary, and so it makes for a extra pleasurable expertise.

You trace at this juxtaposition between the family and friends that you just’ve recognized, after which the nice friendships you’ve fashioned from journey. Could you dive into that a bit bit extra?

A number of these individuals … they performed such a singular position in my life at sure phases and have been so necessary to me. I believe the problem of that juxtaposition was actually that they have been like two separate worlds, nearly.

My household and my buddies at house in Canada, they didn’t know any of those individuals, and actually couldn’t admire them for the whole lot that I might admire and vice versa. You simply occur upon these individuals like as soon as in your life, maybe, after which that’s it. So, it’s a really fleeting sort of friendship and that’s one of the vital troublesome elements of touring like this.

All of a sudden you have been on to the following they usually have been going a technique, you’re going one other, and know-how didn’t exist to e-mail them or one thing like that.

What is a bit of journey recommendation that you just by no means stray from?

I believe simply being true to your self and being form and well mannered to individuals and by no means forgetting that you just’re of their house as an alternative of vice versa.

What continues to be in your journey bucket checklist?

Well, Antarctica could be nice, after which I might full the entire continents. I undoubtedly wish to see that.

I’ve been to all 50 states within the U.S., and I believe I’ve received two provinces in Canada I’ve by no means been to. So I’ve just about explored most of U.S., Canada and a bit little bit of Mexico.

I’d wish to see the Great Wall of China. I believe that’d be plenty of enjoyable, and India.