What do you think?
Rate this book
Come Back Frayed
Travel is an excuse to challenge your beliefs and increase your perspective. Telling travel stories is an excuse to discuss society, philosophy, the evolution of modern relationships, and the state of contemporary marketing. From the secluded rice terraces of Mayoyao to the expat-friendly beaches of Boracay, Come Back Frayed is a collection of stories and essays written about and from the Philippines by full-time traveler Colin Wright. The pieces in this collection connect isolated agrarian societies with those that have fallen prey to rampant consumerism, and draw a line between introverted, nonstandard lifestyles and the always-on connections that bind humanity together in the modern world. There's also some discussion about allergies, loincloths, and why cockroaches are so rage-inducing. Colin Wright is the author of the narrative nonfiction works My Exile Lifestyle and Iceland India Interstate, the essay collections Act Accordingly, Considerations, and Some Thoughts About Relationships, and numerous works of fiction, including Ordovician and the A Tale of More series. Colin moves to a new country every four months based on the votes of his readers, and writes a blog called Exile Lifestyle.
- GenresTravelNonfiction
203 pages, Paperback
Published December 14, 2015
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 16, 2016
Come Back Frayed, by the prolific author Colin Wright, is a collection of essays written about his time spent in the Philippines this past fall. Written as a series of short essays, the book covers everything from the sights and sounds around him to more philosophical thoughts on travel, social equality, gender binary, and so much more!
I will fully admit bias with this book - Colin is a friend of mine, and a wonderful human being to boot. I enjoy everything he's written, and find in many cases our ideologies align enough that what he writes doesn't rub abrasively against any of my long-held opinions.
His gentle Midwestern demeanor has definitely helped him gain popularity both in the book world as well as the internet realm, but all of his popularity is well-warranted; Colin truly lives what he writes, from his travel schedule to his commitment to his friends, family, and relationships.
For those interested in travel in the Philippines, this book will give you some different viewpoints and places to visit, but Colin is not at his core a travel writer, so if you are looking simply for a travel book, it may be best to look elsewhere. Where Come Back Frayed excels is in pushing mental boundaries, gently leading the reader towards exploration of their own beliefs and presets, while always reminding that life is best lived when it is truly lived.
My favorite quote from the book is as follows:
"I wonder who we might be as a globe-spanning species if we could combine the wonders of modern technology, hard-earned systems and production methods, and the pursuit of humanity-wide happiness. How might we be different if we pursued fulfillment of a kind that's more difficult to measure, but more beneficial than an extra digit in our bank accounts?"
I will fully admit bias with this book - Colin is a friend of mine, and a wonderful human being to boot. I enjoy everything he's written, and find in many cases our ideologies align enough that what he writes doesn't rub abrasively against any of my long-held opinions.
His gentle Midwestern demeanor has definitely helped him gain popularity both in the book world as well as the internet realm, but all of his popularity is well-warranted; Colin truly lives what he writes, from his travel schedule to his commitment to his friends, family, and relationships.
For those interested in travel in the Philippines, this book will give you some different viewpoints and places to visit, but Colin is not at his core a travel writer, so if you are looking simply for a travel book, it may be best to look elsewhere. Where Come Back Frayed excels is in pushing mental boundaries, gently leading the reader towards exploration of their own beliefs and presets, while always reminding that life is best lived when it is truly lived.
My favorite quote from the book is as follows:
"I wonder who we might be as a globe-spanning species if we could combine the wonders of modern technology, hard-earned systems and production methods, and the pursuit of humanity-wide happiness. How might we be different if we pursued fulfillment of a kind that's more difficult to measure, but more beneficial than an extra digit in our bank accounts?"
January 5, 2017
This is my favorite nonfiction book by Colin (that I have read to date). It's his most personal and insightful and while in some ways I wish I had read it first, it makes a lot of sense to me now, more than a dozen books into his collection. It was also helpful as a "sum-up" book for 2016, to help me recalibrate and get ready for 2017.
Perhaps more than anything, Colin is my spirit animal that helps me accept that it's okay to live a non-standard life, and that even he has constantly been drawn back into the siren songs of the well-grooved patterns of "civilized life" in the first world. Not that there's anything wrong with such a life - it's just that it provides so little time for reflection and thought, and that is something that I - like he - crave.
The story starts and ends with a storm, and is the perfect device to give us his reflections during his travels and residence in the Philippines. Below are some of my favorite passages from the book...
"Enjoyment without reliance is one of the purest, healthiest forms of pleasure."
"Managing work, relationships, habits, and needs are all more difficult from the road, not simpler. One loose thread can mean the end of your entire lifestyle, so diligence and self-accountability are absolutely essential at all times."
"You have to cram yourself into small spaces, be hauled across vast distances, and re-inflate to your full size on the other side, excited to start exploring."
"It's remarkable how our peculiarities can set us apart so dramatically and rapidly. Even before we truly recognize each other as humans, as complete people with depth and density, we recognize things about strangers that help us categorize the world. These biases, and sometimes prejudices, color the world around us with tones that guide our actions and opinions."
"I marvel that I was liberated from that 'American Dream' cultural coil that ensnares so many of us. I'm agog that I get to do this, to relax and explore, to see so many unfamiliar things. I'm fortunate to still be open, to be capable of engaging in the act of awe."
"We go through the motions, knowing that the path to righteousness and professional consummation lead in a particular direction. Many of us think that we'll retire young, getting that first multi-million dollar victory out of the way early so that we have more options moving forward. The money itself isn't the important part, the opportunities that emerge as a result of having that money are what's of consequence."
"The most common response I get, though, is a tilted head and a thoughtful pause. People thinking, huh. I wonder. What if. Allowing themselves to question, if only for a moment, the tenets of the faith to which they've subscribed."
"But for the rest of us, for those who have goals beyond the daily grind, it's hard to imagine a worse way to spend our energy and effort, a worse way to spend our lives."
"Rethinking one thing often leads to rethinking everything. There was a period of time in which I wanted to be rich, for instance. But now I'm more fascinated by what happens to people when they're taken care of. What happens when people have enough money to live, but no more than that?"
"Perhaps we can allow ourselves to shift toward 'better for all,' rather than continuing to fixate on the idea that anyone who doesn't adhere to our standards of productivity are trash who deserve whatever fate becomes them, even if that fate is made worse by the dogma of more than we've forced upon the world."
"not the stories they've been telling about themselves, to themselves, because it's convenient socially and suits the image they're trying to portray, but who they actually are and what they truly want."
"These are the things that make up your life. What's the point of all that preparation and optimization if you're not going to live the life you've spent so long preparing for?"
"Turbulence helps us appreciate the calm, collected, in-control moments with greater intensity. It outlines the joy, helps us remember the happiness, makes us more likely to pursue fun, and whittles away some of the concerns we have, some of the hesitations and limitations between us and living as fully as we possibly can."
Perhaps more than anything, Colin is my spirit animal that helps me accept that it's okay to live a non-standard life, and that even he has constantly been drawn back into the siren songs of the well-grooved patterns of "civilized life" in the first world. Not that there's anything wrong with such a life - it's just that it provides so little time for reflection and thought, and that is something that I - like he - crave.
The story starts and ends with a storm, and is the perfect device to give us his reflections during his travels and residence in the Philippines. Below are some of my favorite passages from the book...
"Enjoyment without reliance is one of the purest, healthiest forms of pleasure."
"Managing work, relationships, habits, and needs are all more difficult from the road, not simpler. One loose thread can mean the end of your entire lifestyle, so diligence and self-accountability are absolutely essential at all times."
"You have to cram yourself into small spaces, be hauled across vast distances, and re-inflate to your full size on the other side, excited to start exploring."
"It's remarkable how our peculiarities can set us apart so dramatically and rapidly. Even before we truly recognize each other as humans, as complete people with depth and density, we recognize things about strangers that help us categorize the world. These biases, and sometimes prejudices, color the world around us with tones that guide our actions and opinions."
"I marvel that I was liberated from that 'American Dream' cultural coil that ensnares so many of us. I'm agog that I get to do this, to relax and explore, to see so many unfamiliar things. I'm fortunate to still be open, to be capable of engaging in the act of awe."
"We go through the motions, knowing that the path to righteousness and professional consummation lead in a particular direction. Many of us think that we'll retire young, getting that first multi-million dollar victory out of the way early so that we have more options moving forward. The money itself isn't the important part, the opportunities that emerge as a result of having that money are what's of consequence."
"The most common response I get, though, is a tilted head and a thoughtful pause. People thinking, huh. I wonder. What if. Allowing themselves to question, if only for a moment, the tenets of the faith to which they've subscribed."
"But for the rest of us, for those who have goals beyond the daily grind, it's hard to imagine a worse way to spend our energy and effort, a worse way to spend our lives."
"Rethinking one thing often leads to rethinking everything. There was a period of time in which I wanted to be rich, for instance. But now I'm more fascinated by what happens to people when they're taken care of. What happens when people have enough money to live, but no more than that?"
"Perhaps we can allow ourselves to shift toward 'better for all,' rather than continuing to fixate on the idea that anyone who doesn't adhere to our standards of productivity are trash who deserve whatever fate becomes them, even if that fate is made worse by the dogma of more than we've forced upon the world."
"not the stories they've been telling about themselves, to themselves, because it's convenient socially and suits the image they're trying to portray, but who they actually are and what they truly want."
"These are the things that make up your life. What's the point of all that preparation and optimization if you're not going to live the life you've spent so long preparing for?"
"Turbulence helps us appreciate the calm, collected, in-control moments with greater intensity. It outlines the joy, helps us remember the happiness, makes us more likely to pursue fun, and whittles away some of the concerns we have, some of the hesitations and limitations between us and living as fully as we possibly can."
November 28, 2025
Come Back Frayed by Colin Wright is an insightful and refreshingly honest blend of travel writing and philosophical reflection. Through vivid scenes set across the Philippines from the quiet, terraced fields of Mayoyao to the bustling, expat friendly shores of Boracay Wright uses travel not just as a backdrop, but as a catalyst for deeper exploration.
This collection skillfully weaves together observational essays on culture, society, relationships, and modern identity. Wright draws compelling contrasts between rural agrarian life and consumer driven environments, between introspective solitude and the hyper connected world we inhabit today. His writing is sharp, humorous, and thoughtful, offering readers both entertainment and contemplation. Even his observations on allergies, loincloths, and cockroaches become openings for larger discussions about discomfort, adaptation, and growth.
Engaging, smart, and rich with perspective, Come Back Frayed will resonate with readers who appreciate travel writing that goes beyond surface experience to examine the beliefs, systems, and contradictions that shape how we live.
This collection skillfully weaves together observational essays on culture, society, relationships, and modern identity. Wright draws compelling contrasts between rural agrarian life and consumer driven environments, between introspective solitude and the hyper connected world we inhabit today. His writing is sharp, humorous, and thoughtful, offering readers both entertainment and contemplation. Even his observations on allergies, loincloths, and cockroaches become openings for larger discussions about discomfort, adaptation, and growth.
Engaging, smart, and rich with perspective, Come Back Frayed will resonate with readers who appreciate travel writing that goes beyond surface experience to examine the beliefs, systems, and contradictions that shape how we live.
May 17, 2017
I feel like Colin is definitely part of my "tribe." I really liked some of the passages, particularly on the value of being alone, and stretching our opportunity for growth. I did feel that some of his perspective stems from his youth - only because I recognize those years myself.
January 13, 2025
I've read/listened to several of Colin's books. I enjoy his style of writing and overall perspective. This book is thoughtful and introspective. He seems the kind of character that you can sit with and just talk about life.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews