What do you think?
Rate this book
Traveling in Sin
This exuberant and unique travel memoir is written in the voices of the story's two leading protagonists, George and Lisa, who meet on-line in January 2007. After exchanging emails and dating, the couple travels to Fiji over the summer of 2008 where George reveals his lifelong dream to travel the world for a year and urges Lisa to join him. With much convincing, the duo embarks on a journey that takes them from French Polynesia to New Zealand and Australia. From that point on, the "true" adventure begins as they journey by land across vast portions of Asia covering Indonesia to Mongolia. During these adventures, Lisa shrinks down her waist size while developing her inner courage and belief in herself; George learns to open up his heart to form a team-based relationship that leads to a culminating special proposal.
Peppered with humorous characters, tears of joy and disaster, and different realities related to their varied social strata and travel style, George and Lisa meander around Asia seeing the sights, building their relationship and returning triumphant to the United States in love and excited about their imminent wedding. They both took a leap when leaving their jobs, home, cat and cultural clutter, and land together as a team with a new life.
Peppered with humorous characters, tears of joy and disaster, and different realities related to their varied social strata and travel style, George and Lisa meander around Asia seeing the sights, building their relationship and returning triumphant to the United States in love and excited about their imminent wedding. They both took a leap when leaving their jobs, home, cat and cultural clutter, and land together as a team with a new life.
- GenresTravel
459 pages, ebook
First published July 14, 2013
35 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Niver
3 books57 followersLisa Niver is the author of Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty. Lisa Niver is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 102 countries on six continents. This University of Pennsylvania graduate sailed across the seas for seven years with Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and Renaissance Cruises and spent three years backpacking across Asia. Discover her articles in publications from AARP: The Magazine and AAA Explorer to WIRED and Wharton Magazine, as well as her site WeSaidGoTravel.
On her award nominated global podcast, Make Your Own Map, Niver has interviewed Deepak Chopra, Olympic medalists, and numerous bestselling authors, and as a journalist has been invited to both the Oscars and the United Nations. For her print and digital stories as well as her television segments, she has been awarded three Southern California Journalism Awards and two National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and been a finalist twenty-two times.
Named a #3 travel influencer for 2023, Niver talks travel on broadcast television at KTLA TV Los Angeles, her YouTube channel with over 2 million views, and in her memoir, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.
LINKS
https://lisaniver.com/braveish/
https://bit.ly/m/lisaniver
https://wesaidgotravel.com/
http://lisaniver.com/one-page/
SOCIAL
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LisaNiver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaniver/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaniver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.niver
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wesaidgotra...
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisaniver
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaellen...
On her award nominated global podcast, Make Your Own Map, Niver has interviewed Deepak Chopra, Olympic medalists, and numerous bestselling authors, and as a journalist has been invited to both the Oscars and the United Nations. For her print and digital stories as well as her television segments, she has been awarded three Southern California Journalism Awards and two National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and been a finalist twenty-two times.
Named a #3 travel influencer for 2023, Niver talks travel on broadcast television at KTLA TV Los Angeles, her YouTube channel with over 2 million views, and in her memoir, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.
LINKS
https://lisaniver.com/braveish/
https://bit.ly/m/lisaniver
https://wesaidgotravel.com/
http://lisaniver.com/one-page/
SOCIAL
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LisaNiver
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaniver/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaniver
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.niver
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wesaidgotra...
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lisaniver
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaellen...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 19, 2013
This book is everything all rolled up into one--memoir, travelogue, diary, self help guide, as well as, romance novel. As I engrossed myself in Lisa and George's story, I too, experienced the good and bad food, the amazing sunsets, the incredible ocean life, and even, the disgusting leeches. The authors held nothing back as they described in great detail the unique countries they visited, the good and bad hotels they slept in, the squat toilets they used, when there were toilets, and the variety of people they met along the way. Their amazing travel adventures were enlightening and educational.
This memoir is written using two voices, Lisa's and George's. Lisa's voice came through loud and clear as I felt I was talking with a girlfriend about her amazing travel experiences. She was completely honest about her feelings for George and how much she had grown personally during her year long trip. From her weight loss, to her newfound climbing skills, to her positive attitude, and fearlessness, I felt proud and a little in awe of Lisa.
George's descriptions throughout the book were entertaining, despite TMI at times regarding sexual positions and drunken escapades. He's a guy and I guess it's to be expected, right? No offense, George. Throughout the book however, Lisa and George's writing styles fit together well allowing their stories to flow along nicely.
I have followed Lisa and George's travels on their website, WeSaidGoTravel.com. I was aware of the places they ventured to, but did not know that they met online or that they were both educators. Learning about these aspects of their lives, along with their personal backgrounds and what led up to their yearlong tour were definitely highlights for me. In addition, reading about their engagement and personal thoughts, feelings, and ideas of marriage, while actually planning a wedding from abroad, also made the book more personal and inviting.
As happens sometimes when people want to dazzle others with their travel adventures, this book got a little long for me. I admit that I breezed through the chapter on China, while reading only pieces of Mongolia, so that I could get to the epilogue quicker. However, I still highly recommend this very personal and engaging book about a well-traveled and unique couple that learn to love, work, and travel as a team, while also living life on their own individual terms.
Jill Dobbe, Author
HERE WE ARE & THERE WE GO:
Teaching and Traveling With Kids in Tow
This memoir is written using two voices, Lisa's and George's. Lisa's voice came through loud and clear as I felt I was talking with a girlfriend about her amazing travel experiences. She was completely honest about her feelings for George and how much she had grown personally during her year long trip. From her weight loss, to her newfound climbing skills, to her positive attitude, and fearlessness, I felt proud and a little in awe of Lisa.
George's descriptions throughout the book were entertaining, despite TMI at times regarding sexual positions and drunken escapades. He's a guy and I guess it's to be expected, right? No offense, George. Throughout the book however, Lisa and George's writing styles fit together well allowing their stories to flow along nicely.
I have followed Lisa and George's travels on their website, WeSaidGoTravel.com. I was aware of the places they ventured to, but did not know that they met online or that they were both educators. Learning about these aspects of their lives, along with their personal backgrounds and what led up to their yearlong tour were definitely highlights for me. In addition, reading about their engagement and personal thoughts, feelings, and ideas of marriage, while actually planning a wedding from abroad, also made the book more personal and inviting.
As happens sometimes when people want to dazzle others with their travel adventures, this book got a little long for me. I admit that I breezed through the chapter on China, while reading only pieces of Mongolia, so that I could get to the epilogue quicker. However, I still highly recommend this very personal and engaging book about a well-traveled and unique couple that learn to love, work, and travel as a team, while also living life on their own individual terms.
Jill Dobbe, Author
HERE WE ARE & THERE WE GO:
Teaching and Traveling With Kids in Tow
September 27, 2013
A wonderful book, travel memoir, love story and life changing experiences.
January 15, 2014
I love reading travel books; memoirs are fun and the good ones make you feel like you're really there. So I was especially looking forward to reading Traveling In Sin, about the year my pals Lisa and George Rajna spent abroad in Southeast Asia. Their story is most unusual: after a fairly short dating period, George invited Lisa to join him on the adventure of a lifetime, and she swallowed all her fears, quit her job, and went with him. On the way, Lisa lost 60 lbs, George proposed, and they both learned a lot about resilience and partnership, so it was a very successful trip!
Traveling In Sin is full of useful tidbits and tips about staying in that part of the world, getting on in a variety of foreign cultures, and finding your way outside of your comfort zone. Written in a highly unusual narrative style, it pops between "he said" and "she said" with the authors each penning part of every chapter, and the chapters set in a different city or country (they visited a dozen in their eleven months of travel). My hat is absolutely off to Lisa; after working as "Julie the Cruise Director" on Princess Cruises for several years — traveling the world on a luxury ocean liner, she gave up every semblance of pampering to travel on a strict budget that often meant staying in hostels or one-star motels.
"I hated the first hotel room on Koh Phi Phi, but the second place was better. I cried while snorkeling because I was afraid of the boats. I just did not feel like myself. I wondered if I too thought about the tsunami victims. While we did not sleep in the hard beds the second night, I could not sleep due to the large number of incredibly itchy bug bites. I lay awake wondering, “Is this paradise?”
Some of her most charming moments in the book are when
Lisa has a breakthrough around being a Westerner in a completely foreign living situation, and also when she gets breaks and can stay in a higher-end locale.
For George, who was originally expecting to take this trip by himself and who planned almost all of it, bringing Lisa was a little rocky at first, but his belief in her abilities (especially as she is foundering at the beginning) is most heartwarming, and one of the biggest joys of Traveling in Sin is seeing their little hints to each other of the widening scope of their relationship, such as when they get to see a wedding in Moni, Flores and it becomes a jumping-off place for their own dawning realization that they too are headed for the altar. Eventually, the wedding becomes just like another destination they plan to visit.
"I noticed our wedding plans had become so international. We got engaged and bought the engagement ring in Thailand. The flower idea came from the Dalat Princess in Vietnam, and rose-colored napkins from a restaurant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia."
As you can imagine, the author's styles of writing are very different, so their voices shine through. Lisa's writing is more emotional and carries the narrative of their snowballing relationship, while George focuses much more on the specifics of the logistics and his opinions about the places they visit. Occasionally, he steps into storytelling mode, too:
"We arrived at 5:00am in La Cai, a city outside of Sapa. I was in a complete fatigued daze, still upset about the French's blatant abuse of the Vietnamese. I bashed the French verbally aloud while we waited for our taxi to take us toward Sapa. We arrived to the gorgeous Hotel Victoria early but check in was not until2:00pm. I was so exhausted that I began to sleep on a couch in the lobby. Lisa said, “'George, get up! You can’t sleep here.” In my stupor I responded, “This is the perfect place to sleep.'”
If you're traveling [LINK: http://www.spiritquesttours.com/eatpr...] to this part of the world, especially on your own, Traveling in Sin is a wonderful resource - like a personalized version of Lonely Planet, complete with great photos - while also being a really fun read. And if you're living vicariously through travel memoirs, Traveling in Sin really makes you feel like you've covered all of Southeast Asia.
Traveling In Sin is full of useful tidbits and tips about staying in that part of the world, getting on in a variety of foreign cultures, and finding your way outside of your comfort zone. Written in a highly unusual narrative style, it pops between "he said" and "she said" with the authors each penning part of every chapter, and the chapters set in a different city or country (they visited a dozen in their eleven months of travel). My hat is absolutely off to Lisa; after working as "Julie the Cruise Director" on Princess Cruises for several years — traveling the world on a luxury ocean liner, she gave up every semblance of pampering to travel on a strict budget that often meant staying in hostels or one-star motels.
"I hated the first hotel room on Koh Phi Phi, but the second place was better. I cried while snorkeling because I was afraid of the boats. I just did not feel like myself. I wondered if I too thought about the tsunami victims. While we did not sleep in the hard beds the second night, I could not sleep due to the large number of incredibly itchy bug bites. I lay awake wondering, “Is this paradise?”
Some of her most charming moments in the book are when
Lisa has a breakthrough around being a Westerner in a completely foreign living situation, and also when she gets breaks and can stay in a higher-end locale.
For George, who was originally expecting to take this trip by himself and who planned almost all of it, bringing Lisa was a little rocky at first, but his belief in her abilities (especially as she is foundering at the beginning) is most heartwarming, and one of the biggest joys of Traveling in Sin is seeing their little hints to each other of the widening scope of their relationship, such as when they get to see a wedding in Moni, Flores and it becomes a jumping-off place for their own dawning realization that they too are headed for the altar. Eventually, the wedding becomes just like another destination they plan to visit.
"I noticed our wedding plans had become so international. We got engaged and bought the engagement ring in Thailand. The flower idea came from the Dalat Princess in Vietnam, and rose-colored napkins from a restaurant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia."
As you can imagine, the author's styles of writing are very different, so their voices shine through. Lisa's writing is more emotional and carries the narrative of their snowballing relationship, while George focuses much more on the specifics of the logistics and his opinions about the places they visit. Occasionally, he steps into storytelling mode, too:
"We arrived at 5:00am in La Cai, a city outside of Sapa. I was in a complete fatigued daze, still upset about the French's blatant abuse of the Vietnamese. I bashed the French verbally aloud while we waited for our taxi to take us toward Sapa. We arrived to the gorgeous Hotel Victoria early but check in was not until2:00pm. I was so exhausted that I began to sleep on a couch in the lobby. Lisa said, “'George, get up! You can’t sleep here.” In my stupor I responded, “This is the perfect place to sleep.'”
If you're traveling [LINK: http://www.spiritquesttours.com/eatpr...] to this part of the world, especially on your own, Traveling in Sin is a wonderful resource - like a personalized version of Lonely Planet, complete with great photos - while also being a really fun read. And if you're living vicariously through travel memoirs, Traveling in Sin really makes you feel like you've covered all of Southeast Asia.
July 16, 2013
Dreams do come true. It happened to us and it can happen to you. If you want to lose weight, find your soul mate or travel the world, get ready to be inspired! Thank you for sharing our journey with us.
We would love to hear from you!
Find us on our website, WeSaidGoTravel, or as We Said Go Travel on most major social media platforms.
Lisa and George
http://www.wesaidgotravel.com/our-book
WHAT A FEW OTHERS HAVE SAID:
"Lisa and George are the quintessential world travelers. I've known them for a number of years and hope to meet up with them later this year again in Thailand or somewhere else on the planet!! These are people you will want to know." Dave Thompson
"Lisa and George are the ultimate travelers and the ultimate friends. They will regal you with stories and advice. If you're lucky George will bust out the uke." Dwight and Jessica Clark
"Nuestros padres adoptivos!! Que lindo haber compartido con ustedes las rutas hindues! Entre encuentros esporadicos! Les mando un abrazo muy grande y nos vemos por el mundo!" Mery Rosua
"They are a beautiful couple, Full of energy,very kind .. We spent a great time in Cartagena, hope to meet up again in the future. Thank you for visited my city." Mary Diaz
"Lisa & George are wonderful people and have an amazing passion for travel. We both admire their drive to see and do more and hope to live up to 50% of what they put forth in their passion. We traveled with them in Thailand, China and saw them in Los Angeles and Seattle. I encourage anyone to share a cup of coffee, a beer, or a whole afternoon with George and Lisa. Let me tell you, they will inspire you & provide some of the best networking I've come across." Matthew and Heather Ahl
We would love to hear from you!
Find us on our website, WeSaidGoTravel, or as We Said Go Travel on most major social media platforms.
Lisa and George
http://www.wesaidgotravel.com/our-book
WHAT A FEW OTHERS HAVE SAID:
"Lisa and George are the quintessential world travelers. I've known them for a number of years and hope to meet up with them later this year again in Thailand or somewhere else on the planet!! These are people you will want to know." Dave Thompson
"Lisa and George are the ultimate travelers and the ultimate friends. They will regal you with stories and advice. If you're lucky George will bust out the uke." Dwight and Jessica Clark
"Nuestros padres adoptivos!! Que lindo haber compartido con ustedes las rutas hindues! Entre encuentros esporadicos! Les mando un abrazo muy grande y nos vemos por el mundo!" Mery Rosua
"They are a beautiful couple, Full of energy,very kind .. We spent a great time in Cartagena, hope to meet up again in the future. Thank you for visited my city." Mary Diaz
"Lisa & George are wonderful people and have an amazing passion for travel. We both admire their drive to see and do more and hope to live up to 50% of what they put forth in their passion. We traveled with them in Thailand, China and saw them in Los Angeles and Seattle. I encourage anyone to share a cup of coffee, a beer, or a whole afternoon with George and Lisa. Let me tell you, they will inspire you & provide some of the best networking I've come across." Matthew and Heather Ahl
January 19, 2014
More than a travelogue, this is a charming and unique love story as Lisa and George come together through ups and downs of backpacking to realize they are made for each other. Along the way, they meet several interesting characters. The writing style is novel as Lisa and George take turns to each describe their trip and their feelings along the way. What comes out clearly is the warmth of the two that helps them to get through every dot on the map with a smile. An interesting account of what all backpackers go through, their fears, the uncertainties, the discomforts, and the happiness and instant itchy feet that comes right after the trip is over.
February 9, 2014
I had to stop reading. It was like reading the longest and most boring travel blog with a dash of "we are culturally and politically better than you" snooty liberalism. So funny to read about their environmental views on oil and green living as they jet across the eastern hemisphere spewing more carbon then the people they demonize. Typical my "intentions are good so ignore my deeds or results" people. Book-wise its extremely elementary writing - really felt like watching someone's never-ending vacation photo slideshow that you can't escape. Save your time and pass on this one!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews