Find out what travelers with a purpose are raving about! "Smiling at the World" takes us on a yearlong voluntourism adventure as Major discovers the world as a volunteer immersing herself in other cultures while covering a wide variety of topics from lion cubs to kangaroos, to monkeys to elephants, from a restoration project to a sustainability project, from a newspaper reporter to teaching English and more! Major's passion for helping the planet and her zany sense of humor and gift of storytelling will provide escape and inspiration to readers to live their life with passion and explore their place on the earth.
"Smiling at the World" is a celebration - a story about love in its many forms- for wildlife, for earth for humanity and how a smile connects them all! Enjoy learning about a restoration project in Italy, a wildlife hospital in Lesvos, a Monkey Sanctuary in England, baboons and lions in South Africa. You'll head to Rio for conservation work, New Zealand for sustainability and Australia to rescue joeys before heading off to Thailand to volunteer with elelphants. After teaching English in China, ride the Trans Siberian express with the last stop of this yearlong adventure as a reporter in a small town in Ireland. "Major does a wonderful job of creating a sense of time and place..As the story evolves so does its author and it is nice to see her character change. Intentionally or not, Major also makes a good case for voluntourism. The idea of giving back while traveling seems possible, practical and responsible when described and lived by the author." Writers Digest
Professional Reviews
Writer's Digest
Reading "Smiling at the World" is like taking a year-long journey around the globe and making a new besst friend in the process. Major unfolds her extraordinary adventureswith vivid descriptions of colors and smells. She does a wonderful job of creating a sense of time and place. The reader gets to rejoice with the author over achievements and feel the pangs of loneliness.As the story evolves so does its author and it is nice to see her character change.
Expands beyond the safety of pages bound by predictability to explore and often confirm exciting creative possibilities. A shimmering collage of memoir, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, and dizzying flights into poetic observation, this is t
Expands beyond the safety of pages bound by predictability to explore and often confirm exciting creative possibilities. A shimmering collage of memoir, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, and dizzying flights into poetic observation, this is t
