What Happens if You Keep Going?: Mostly True Travel Stories

by Tim Mathis

A big trip as a catalyst for personal growth is a familiar story. But what happens when travel becomes a way of life rather than a one-time escape?

Tim Mathis, author of the independent hit The Dirtbag’s Guide to Life, has spent decades exploring this question. A seasoned interpreter of adventure, culture, and life’s absurdities, he shares 15 true tales from a lifetime of travel, disruption, and transformation in What Happens If You Keep Going?

Among these stories, you’ll

A teenage clown evangelist in Peru facing a reality check.A pilgrimage in Spain achieving the opposite of its intended result.A disoriented teetotaler on an Australian booze cruise finding unexpected clarity in love.A grueling 2,600-mile hike redefined by a terminal cancer diagnosis.For nomads, armchair adventurers, and anyone searching for meaning in the chaos, this heartfelt, often hilarious collection invites you to imagine how travel might transform your life if you kept going.

196 pages, Paperback

Published March 14, 2025

Reviews

[Amelia.S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tim Mathis’s What Happens if You Keep Going?: Mostly True Travel Stories is an exhilarating, deeply human exploration of escape, self discovery, and the courage to live beyond routine. Across fifteen sharp, funny, and heartfelt stories, Mathis captures the restless spirit of modern wanderers those seeking meaning not in perfection, but in motion itself.

What makes this collection shine is its honesty. Each narrative, whether of a teenage clown missionary in Peru or a weary hiker reeling from family tragedy, hums with wit, vulnerability, and unfiltered truth. Mathis doesn’t romanticize travel he reveals it as both mirror and catalyst, showing how getting lost can sometimes be the only way to find yourself. The result is a work that blends adventure and reflection in a way that feels both immediate and timeless.

[Michael Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

For context, I read this book immediately following Rick Steves' "On The Hippie Trail". And while I enjoyed Hippie Trail, I was far more moved, charmed, and entertained by this collection of anecdotes from Tim Mathis.

Mathis is unafraid to question some of his decision-making during the course of the adventures he and his wife have pursued. Most often things ended well—despite some serious discomfort, occasional embarrassment, and actual danger.

These experiences provide invaluable perspective for aspiring and experienced travelers alike—along with countless lessons in navigating an unpredictable world with humor, patience, and grace.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed, felt goosebumps, shed a few tears and took deep refreshing breaths throughout this quick-read book. I loved to travel through different locations as if I was literally walking through the “back streets” of different destinations. There is nothing conventional about traveling this way and it’s beautiful. As Tim writes himself: “When you travel to a new place - especially a place that seems strange - you go into a portal. The experiences in the portal are disorienting, but exciting.”

[Amanda Timeoni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynical and hopeful at the same time! Tim's voice is raw, funny, and self-aware. Enjoyed his existential wrestling matches and barroom storytelling. If you're looking for a tidy narrative arc where the hero slays the dragon of self doubt and emerges radiant at Katahdin-this isn't that book! Thank gawd. As a lifetime long distance hiker, I resonate with Tim's narrative- stumbling forward with mud and cuts on your shins, laughing at yourself, maybe crying, but still--going!

[Brian Livingston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. A travel memoir, or maybe just a memoir, for those of us who find ourselves questioning our beliefs and values, and embark on these journeys to find something to hold onto. Equal parts funny, poignant, relatable.

[Blake Boles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great postscript for fans of The Dirtbag's Guide to Life. Tim's stories aren't just armchair travel—they're touching, reflective, deep, and vulnerable... the personal side of a life dedicated to motion.