{"product_id":"from-saginaw-to-srinagar-my-journey-from-the-familiar-to-the-faraway-9798891881136","title":"From Saginaw to Srinagar: My Journey from the Familiar to the Faraway","description":"\u003cp\u003eA college graduate with no job prospects and no boyfriend, Marilyn Murphy was bored and dispirited, living back with her parents in her Midwest hometown.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd then an old friend threw her an unexpected lifeline: \"Meet me in the Philippines--we'll travel through Asia together.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt did not go as planned. This engaging memoir captures the adventures and misadventures of her eight-month saga as a solo traveler that became a profound voyage of self-discovery. This is her story of circumnavigating the globe, starting as an insecure, sheltered, small-town girl who relied on her wits and her gumption to find her way, returning home as a gutsy, confident young woman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlong the way, Murphy encounters coconut monkeys, purse snatchers, and a woman in a head-to-toe hijab. She tastes lumpia, laksa, and fiery hot curries for the first time. Every day brought new sounds, sights, and sensations--all opportunities for personal transformation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is so much to experience and learn about the world--both without and within. But you won't discover it unless you leave home and everything you've known. Follow your inner compass. Take a risk. Go! Just go!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Advantage Media Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50928347382034,"sku":"9798891881136","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_02c17fb5-7bc0-4f19-8711-e8b6f802be93.jpg?v=1738992146","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/from-saginaw-to-srinagar-my-journey-from-the-familiar-to-the-faraway-9798891881136","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}