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Shvoong Home>Books>Travel>Smile, You're Traveling Summary

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Smile, You're Traveling

Book Review by: Chris Schwarzkopf    

Original Author: Henry Rollins
  • Summary rating: 4 stars (1 Ratings)
  • Visits : 207
  • words:600 
  • Comments : 0
Late in 1997, Henry Rollins’s agent informed him that, as a direct result of his near incessant schedule, going clear
back to 1987, of touring with the Rollins Band and making spoken word performances he had accumulated somewhere in the neighborhood of 150,000 frequent flier miles. He could afford to travel just about anywhere in the world essentially for free, so his agent suggested that he take some more than well deserved time off. Rollins complied and soon found himself on a small biplane setting down onto an airstrip in the middle of the savannah to spend about a week in Siana Springs, Africa. Rollins is farther away from anywhere than he has ever been before, staying in a tent out under the sky on a wildlife preserve/campground called Kichwa Tembo. Mere hours after he goes to his campsite he has to contend with a hoard of baboons who come pouring out of the underbrush to surround his tent. Later, he takes part in a jeep tour with a group of obnoxious American and British tourists. Just the same he is overcome by the vastness and beauty of the land . There are several occasions when he simply stands or sits and stares up at the sky or at the untouched wilderness all around him. A few days later he’s back at the airport and on a plane to Madagascar where he camps out again alone on a beach looking out across the Indian Ocean. He describes this as “me time”, with nothing to do but gaze out across the water and feel the wind. He is only able to stay a couple of days before boarding another plane to Johannesburg, South Africa. After a layover in the U.K. Rollins is back in America. It is now January of 1998 and he has a full schedule of spoken word shows lined up for most of the year. This is the life that he prefers: and life on the road. He feels that the constant activity helps to keep his mind sharp. But as 1998 draws to a close he finds himself outward bound again, beyond the borders of America; this time to Israel. In Jerusalem he visits the Wailing Wall and walks the route of the Fourteen Stations of the Cross. Israel is the destination he enjoys the most. He is humbled not only by the history of the region but also by the dangers and struggles the Israelis must contend with almost on a daily basis. On to Egypt where he is again left in awe of the long and momentous history presented to him as he tours the pyramids and rides a ship along the Nile. Finally he returns home to Los Angeles in mid December. I’ve seen three spoken word performances by Henry Rollins. I also own recordings of some of his other shows and I’ve watched still more performances on video. His stories never fail to entrance and inspire. Say what you will of him but he is someone who has crammed as much activity, as much life, as he can, into his time on this planet. In direct contrast to his gruff, angry persona he is a man of deep convictions and empathy who may demand a great deal from other people, but also demands a great deal from himself. Henry Rollins has always struck me as someone who actually takes away something, a lesson, a truth, an insight, from his travels. He is never a tourist. He will never allow himself to become that kind of person. And he will continue moving forward fearlessly.
Published: June 03, 2007
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