November 14, 2025 • 53 mins
We talk with author Trevor James Wilson about courage, faith, and starting over at fifty, tracing a life from postwar Europe to guiding seniors around the world. Travel becomes a way to practice humility, face hard history, and find goodness in strangers.
• leaving a senior banking career to lead travel
• travel as education, empathy and self-belief
• Berlin Wall, freedom and moral courage
• guiding first-time and senior travelers abroad
• gratitude, humility, balance as daily practice
• finding beauty in unlikely places
• confronting Auschwitz and preserving memory
• humor and resilience as longevity tools
• writing a debut memoir at eighty-four
• practical links to buy the book
Get the book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and most major online retailers
To learn more visit trevorjameswilson.com
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Elsa Kurt: You may know her for her uncanny, viral Kamala Harris impressions & conservative comedy skits, but she’s also a lifelong Patriot & longtime Police Wife. She has channeled her fierce love and passion for God, family, country, and those who serve as the creator, Executive Producer & Host of the Elsa Kurt Show with Clay Novak. Her show discusses today’s topics & news from a middle class/blue collar family & conservative perspective. The vocal LEOW’s career began as a multi-genre author who has penned over 25 books, including twelve contemporary women’s novels.
Clay Novak: Clay Novak was commissioned in 1995 as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and served as an officer for twenty four years in Mechanized Infantry, Airborne Infantry, and Cavalry units . He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2019. Clay is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and is a Master Rated Parachutist, serving for more th...
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
She's the voice behind the viral comedy, bold
commentary, and truth-packedinterviews that cut through the
chaos.
Author, brand creator, proudconservative Christian, this is
Elsa Kurt.
Welcome to the show that alwaysbrings bold faith, real truth,
and no apologies.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Oh, well, hello, my friends.
It is time for one of myfavorite things to do.
We are doing the Elsa Kurtinterviews, and I'm super
excited about our guests today.
Um, you know, the best thingabout this for me is that I get
to talk to people that I thinkare so much more interesting
than I am, and you get tobenefit from that as well.
And today's guest is uh anauthor.
(00:40):
His name is Trevor JamesWilson, and he's written a
really incredible memoir.
And here is a little bit aboutit before we talk to him.
Speaker (00:50):
He's crossed continents, lived through
history, and somehow kept hissense of humor.
Trevor James Wilson's memoir,Where Have I Been All My Life,
is part travelogue, part soulsearch, and entirely
unforgettable.
From the cafes of Paris to theshadow of the Berlin Wall,
Trevor takes us on a journey ofadventure, laughter, and quiet
(01:11):
discovery.
Join Elsa Kirk for aconversation about resilience,
belonging, and the beauty offinding meaning wherever life
leads to you.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Well, Trevor, thank you for joining me on the show.
I'm so excited to talk to you.
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Thank you.
I'm fine.
It's very nice to meet you.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
It is wonderful to meet you, and I'm so excited to
share your story.
So, uh, you know, we're gonnaget into this part, but I just
want to tell everybody again ifI didn't tell you, the the name
of the book is called Where HaveI Been All My Life?
And I'm obsessed with the titleof that book, so I can't wait
to hear more about it.
Um, but correct me if I'mwrong, this is your debut book.
(01:47):
Is this your very first uhpublished book or no?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes, I've never ever considered myself able to write
a book.
Um but being 84, my sister wasasking me uh to write some
things down because she wantedto be at my funeral and um say
something about my life.
And so uh I started writing andsuddenly I had 24 uh chapters,
(02:17):
and I realized that I had done alot in my life, even though to
me it wasn't very uh noteworthy.
Um people who talk to me thinkthat I've had an interesting
life, and I've been able totravel the world since I was uh
16 years old, and um I've livedin three countries, uh England
(02:40):
where I was born, Canada, andthe United States.
And I think it's been my way ofeducating myself to not only
the ways of the world anddifferent peoples, but how
people think and how you caninadvertently upset somebody by
being careless.
(03:01):
Um so it's taught me to be, Ithink, a better person.
And so I thank travel for doingthat for me.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Absolutely.
What an incredible way to learnabout the world and about life.
Then, you know, what better waythan to experience it, to be
immersed in it, and you know,not sitting necessarily in a
classroom and then there's notnothing against classrooms
because somebody will take thatwrong, nothing against
classrooms, but uh real lifeexperience is so incredible.
(03:29):
And this memoir, it's really uhit's just a sweeping memoir
that takes us from uh Paris toBerlin to Switzerland and
beyond, of course.
So we're gonna start rightthere.
How does it feel to finallyshare your story with the world?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Um it feels like a weight off my shoulders, like
maybe I've been trying to tellthe story for so long, never
even considering that a bookwould be the way to do it.
Usually it's at dinner parties,and I share anecdotes and I
enjoy the reaction.
(04:08):
Um, but it really is a way tohelp people who are unsure of
themselves.
Um, and I think that startswhen you're very young.
If you have somebody whoaccounts you to um be
adventurous, you can do a lot ofthings.
You can never give them thatopportunity, you um lead a very
(04:31):
mundane life.
So my the idea of the book wasto help somebody, maybe in the
30s or whatever, um, to realizethat looking at me, they said,
well, that's not very importantperson, and yet he had the
courage to do things that weresometimes unknown, sometimes
(04:54):
dangerous, and yet um everythingworked out well.
So maybe it's worth taking achance.
Um, nothing bent her andnothing gained, I guess.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I love that you you though you're I love the lens
that you look at this throughthat it it's not just that you
have these great adventures andyou want to tell people about it
because you just want people tohear about it.
It's because you want to helpother people be able to do those
types of things, whether it'stravel or take any kind of
chance on themselves, right?
I and I think that's such abeautiful gift to offer to the
(05:27):
world.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
So I absolutely can apply it to anything.
It doesn't have to be travel,it's just your job or anything.
You know, I I spent 35 years ofmy life in banking, which I
really didn't like at all.
Uh, but there was nothing tostop me.
I would ended up being thesenior vice president of Chase
(05:48):
Bank in a profession that Ihated.
So you can imagine what I'dbeen to travel uh in my 50s as
as a professional travel agent.
Um, it was so easy because itwas like it was a pleasure to
just do my job, you know.
And they take groups all overthe world and to see them.
(06:11):
Um uh I remember taking a routeto Switzerland once, uh, a
walking tour, and I gave them aSwiss pass, uh which was good
for a week of travel, and sentthem both on their own to try
and make connections and dothings.
And they'd come back and theywere so excited about the fact
(06:34):
that they got home and they saweverything.
And um and that gave me theidea that um not everybody has
the initiative to do things.
And um many people to look atpictures like me in front of the
Taj Mahal, and they think, ohmy god, I wish I could have seen
(06:56):
that.
But there's nothing thatstopped them doing it.
So um that's what those littletheses in the book is saying,
these things you've heard aboutcan be yours.
And you will have things totell your grandchildren and
spread the word down.
So it that I think is just thisworld that you're opening up
(07:20):
and it becomes much bigger thanyourself.
Absolutely.
That's the the key to it, Ithink.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
I love that.
Did I understand you correctly?
I hear you right that you saidthat in your 50s you you left a
high position in a long-standingcareer to start a completely
different profession, really.
That that's that in itself,what what a risk and a and a
scary thing.
That's stepping off a ledgeright there in some ways to some
people takes a lot of courage.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Um that was one occasion where I was a little
flummoxed when it happenedbecause when people take over a
bank, uh, it's not that you'redoing your job badly, it's that
people want their own peopleunderneath them.
And so they get rid of the topmanagement.
Um, but I I actually did, andI'm ashamed to admit this, but I
(08:13):
actually did a year of ummodeling.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
You did.
That doesn't surprise me atall.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
So because at 50, I I looked pretty good then, and so
um I did that and I realized itwas fun, but it wasn't me.
And I realized what I reallylove doing most is taking trips.
So I just went into a travelagency in Sun City, Arizona,
which is the retirement, famousretirement community, and I
(08:43):
said, I think your customersmust find it difficult to travel
because they're in wheelchairs,that kind of thing.
I said, I want to start aprogram where every month I take
these people on a trip todifferent parts of the world and
make it easy for them.
And uh I need a desk.
I don't want to be at it veryoften because I actually want to
(09:07):
travel myself.
And so if you will help me totravel that way, I think I can
give you a lot of income.
And that lasted for over 15years.
Well, and I did 100 cruises andpeople took uh 80-year-old
people to Antarctica and placesbeyond their imagination.
(09:28):
And that excited me, and itmade me, I think I've lived as
long as I have, because lifeevery day is interesting.
Like today is the most one ofthe most exciting times of my
life.
I've torn to a celebrity umabout something, and I never
(09:48):
ever thought somebody I wouldever do that, you know, and yet
this is in the beginning.
I mean, last week I was inFrankfurt uh selling my book.
You know, it's just amazing howyour life can turn around.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
It's so true.
And you you are living at 84,your your life is so full and so
exciting.
And I personally know, and I'mnot calling anybody out, but I
personally know people, youknow, half your age, more than
more than half your age, who arejust living, you know, mundane
lives and and complaining about.
And it's so incredible.
(10:24):
And I I love that you aregiving, have been giving those
experiences to people who neverin their, like you said, in
their wildest dreams, couldn'timagine doing some of these
things and going to some ofthese places.
And and I and what a treasureto be the facilitator of
something like that.
I I can only imagine um the joythat you got out of seeing them
(10:48):
experiencing these things forthe first time and and getting
to see see it through their eyesagain.
Because for you, of course,you've traveled so much, some of
these places are probably nosurprise.
I'm sure they're no less of awonder.
Um, but to be able to see itthrough their eyes again is is
really just such a treasure,isn't it?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah.
I weren't the when I was intravel, the phrase that I hated
hearing was been there, donethat.
And that was something thatjust got my shackles up.
And it was like, um, can I dealwith this person?
Because they have so that ideaof no knowledge of discovery
(11:29):
that uh maybe I can't help them.
You know, they're just beyondhelp.
I mean, I've been toSwitzerland maybe 50 times in my
life.
In fact, the hotel I go to, Ioriginally started with people
who are now the grandparents,and then I dealt with the uh son
and daughter.
Now I deal with the grandkidswho run the hotel, and they've
(11:53):
known me since I was 18 yearsold.
Wow.
And that's like um havingfriends all over the world.
I I think of myself as an notan American necessarily,
although I'm very proud of that,but I'm an international
citizen.
And wherever I go, I realizelearning about the uh culture
(12:16):
that I'm in and the language.
I don't speak much, I speakFrench, I speak a little bit of
German, but I can always um talkto somebody or even a smile.
You don't even have to talk tosomebody.
If you greet somebody with asmile, you get amazing rewards
out of it.
(12:36):
Such a little thing to give.
And uh so, you know, that's theway I live.
It's kind of life excites mevery much.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
That's beautiful.
It exudes off of you too.
You can just see, and I'm suremeeting you in person, people
get that energy right away thatthey can sense that and feel
that.
And it's inspiring.
I'm inspired just just hearingabout it.
I was inspired, you know, withthe book, of course, by someone
just talking to you andlistening to you talk about
these experiences in the waythat you are.
It, you know, I'm actuallypretty reclusive.
(13:08):
I don't do a lot of I travel tomy grandchildren, like that's
my big travel these days.
It'll be like that for a while.
Um, but you know, I it doesn'tlook old enough to crack.
Thank you.
Um, I I tend to turn inward andyou know, not necessarily
reject those opportunities toconnect with people when I'm out
(13:29):
in the world.
Um, but I don't necessarilyseek them out either.
And and I'm doing myself adisservice by that.
And you're you're such a greatreminder of that, of the
opportunities there are toconnect with people and you
know, either be inspired orinspire others.
So thank you for for forinspiring me.
I appreciate that.
Um I so I as I'm thinking aboutthis now, I would imagine
(13:53):
obviously that it's one thing tolive all of these adventures,
but it's got to be another thingentirely to just sit down and
relive them all on paper.
What has that experience beenlike?
Um, has it been uh good, bad,all of the things?
Does it give you thatnostalgia?
Does it how does it affect youwhen, or how did it affect you
(14:14):
when you were writing all ofthese stories out?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Um it made me feel good that I still have a memory.
Um I live with somebody who hasAlzheimer's, and that's such a
tragic thing.
Um, but I actually started thebook in May, and um I wrote the
first chapter one afternoon.
That's the Turkey on the train.
(14:42):
Um then I did a uh story aboutAlgeria that was kind of scary
for me, and I I thought thatit's coming back so easy.
So my mind, I think, has beenfor me categorizing all these
stories, putting them to someorder, and I actually finished
(15:04):
the book uh by the end of June.
unknown (15:07):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
And wow.
Yeah, and immediately I told umuh expert book publishers, and
they work with me to um uhformat and create the
manuscript, and then um I chosethe pictures that I sent, and
that was done, and and in uhSeptember I'm ready to go to um
(15:31):
Frankfurt.
So I I think in a way it hasn'thit me yet because it was so
fast.
Yeah, it's like a whirlwind.
That it's um almost too easy,but I'm uh always aware that
everything can be improved.
And I now want to start writingabout my life experiences as a
(15:53):
memoir of of growing up duringthe war in England and seeing
bombs dropping and uh and thencoming to America and leading a
different life.
And it it's the format is in myhead now.
I think you may be the sameway.
When you have a an idea for abook in your mind, you suddenly
(16:14):
start storing things that say, Ican use that.
You know, I don't know if writeit down, but I have a enough
memory that I can actuallyrecall these things.
And um so um, but travel hasbeen one.
And the saddest part about itis that I read the other day
(16:35):
that in America geography is nota subject that is taught
anymore.
And I think that is so sadbecause if that hadn't been the
case when I grew up, I wouldn'thave got into travel.
I mean, it was I loved readingstories about different climates
and things.
So um I think that's a sadthing.
(16:57):
But I hope I can take the placeof a geography book uh by
writing about it, and it madesomebody say geography is sports
loyal after all.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Oh, absolutely.
You know, I was such a slackeras a student when I was a kid
that, you know, I and just if Ihad been taught geography the
way that you are essentiallyteaching geography, uh it would
be such a different experience,just such a different uh
everything instead of just likethis dry, you know, map on a
piece of paper.
It's it's like it's breathinglife into it, which is, you
(17:30):
know, I think that's that's whatcaptures uh people's interest.
So most definitely.
And I have to tell you, I'mstill sitting here in awe that
you were able to write thisbook, one in such short order
and short in a short period oftime.
And even more importantly, yourrecollection, your ability to
recall all this.
I can't remember what I didfive minutes ago.
(17:53):
Like, like to be able toremember, you know, things with
such clarity and detail andsharpness.
And and and you know, the book,the passages in the book are so
vivid.
You can you can smell thesmells and you can see the
people in your head, and you canand you can see this, you know,
you can see it as as you'rereading it.
And and that is just, I mean,that's an author right there.
(18:16):
That that is an author, that'sa writer.
And and I love that you saidyou really weren't even
considered yourself a writerbefore this, correct?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
No, no, I never thought of it.
I mean, I wrote letters to mygrandmother, but um that was uh
I never actually said and madejournals or uh logs or anything
like that.
Um, but it's funny how uh whenI look through the book, there's
pictures of other people wouldprobably find interesting.
(18:44):
But to me, the one that I lovethe most is the picture of me on
the ground in Switzerland and acow licking my leg.
Oh um, you know that the cowsin Switzerland are like
beautiful, they have beautifulself-skin, they have bells
around their necks, and theythey're so majestic.
(19:06):
And um to be approached by onewas an honor.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
It was like me, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah.
Um and that's the things that Iremember about life.
I remember the times thatpeople have been kind to me.
I remember music when I was ina particular place.
Um so all those things help tokeep your mind active.
And um, you've been very, verylucky in your life.
(19:37):
And um so that's why I think Iwant to make sure everybody has
the best life that they can.
Um, travel may not be thething, but reading my book may
help them to solve differentproblems, different
relationships, and um and givethem the humility because I
(19:59):
think that is a very importantpart of getting on in life.
You have to be uh have humilityto be open enough to accept
help or advice or something fromsomebody else.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
That is so so true.
And something that's you knowgreatly lacking in our society
right now.
And to go back to that mindsetum would be so beneficial to the
entire world, you know, peoplehad that mindset.
And I so agree with you.
Um, gratitude and humility, Ithink, have to be, you know,
(20:37):
just one of the first thoughtsin your mind every single day.
And it does change, it changeshow you see the world, it
changes how you interact withthe world.
If you enter everything withthat attitude of gratitude and
humility and and just you knowputting it all in perspective
like that, um, it's it's a lotof different things.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah, it's like on the political scene.
Um people have different ideas,but there's no reason you can't
listen to another person'spoint of view.
Right.
These days, people don't theyshut themselves out to the other
side and nothing gets donebecause of that, you know,
there's no um negotiation, whichI think to me is the main part
(21:16):
of diplomacy.
You've got to uh bargain, youcan't have it all your own way.
Um, so um, but no, I'm very,very happy person, usually.
And I I live with it, you know,I have stage four kidney
disease, but I don't let that uhrun my life.
(21:39):
Um I don't need dialysis yet.
Um and my um kidney level hasbeen the same for the past six
years.
Wow.
Because I don't let it get tome.
I I I make rules that I don'tabuse my body, but I don't let
it uh govern my life.
And if I want a treat that'snot on my uh diet, I have it.
(22:04):
I just don't have too much ofit.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah.
That's uh it's such a it shouldbe like the rules for life in
general.
Whether you have healthconcerns going on, you know,
overt health issues going on ornot, it should be the the kind
of the rule of life, likeeverything.
It's it's the whole, it goesback to the whole like
everything in moderation.
Yeah, you know, all of this isdon't deny yourself things, you
know, but also don'toverindulge, you know, this the
balance.
My husband and I talk aboutthat all the time.
(22:28):
Everything in life is aboutbalance.
And if you have balance, youare, you know, so right, those
are the those are the things.
Gratitude, humility, balance,like the recipe for life.
I think, I think we just solvedall of the world's problems
right here in this in thislittle interview, I think.
If everybody would just listento to us, they will live a very,
very happy life.
(22:48):
Um you mentioned something uhjust a little while ago about I
if I heard you correctly, youstarted traveling at age 16.
Is that right?
unknown (22:56):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Well, actually, I did travel in a way, even when I
was in my nine and tens.
I was in Scotland with myrelatives, and um I would want
to visit different places, notEdinburgh and only.
So we used to go out on the busand travel to, you know, about
a whole day on the bus and comeback.
And they were always surprisedwhen I walked back through the
(23:23):
door.
So I think that was the verystart of it.
I went to Switzerland when Iwas um 10 years old with a
school party just after the war,and going out of London with
all the smog and everything, andgoing to Switzerland and
seeing, because Switzerlandwasn't damaged during the war,
and to see things pristine andgreen and sunshine.
(23:45):
It was like, you know, this waswonderful.
I just um when you realize thatthere's better places than
where you live, um, that is animpetus to start traveling.
Nowadays I look back at Englandand say, what a wonderful
country that has given a lot ofthings to other people.
(24:05):
Um and I still enjoying, butthat doesn't mean I don't want
to live there anymore.
Because I love the American wayof life and um the freedom and
the opportunity to live, theysay, the American dream.
But the American dream isdoesn't mean a lot of money to
me.
It means um freedom to do whatyou want to do.
(24:30):
And as long as you don't hurtanybody, I think everybody has
that right.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Yeah, absolutely.
And you know, when you talkabout freedom, it actually takes
me back to a part in your bookwhere uh you talk about Berlin
during the Cold War.
And first of all, it reads likea movie scene.
It's it's just so epic.
I have to say it's just soepic.
And you wrote something thatthat really did stop me for a
moment.
You said standing there withone foot in freedom and one foot
(24:58):
in fear, you could feel historyholding its breath.
And that's such a powerfulline.
Um, to be right there in thatmoment, living in that moment,
you know, watching these two twodivided worlds and they're, you
know, not just by concrete, butby ideology and by hope.
And, you know, what a what awild juxtaposition, in a way,
(25:20):
that is too amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Yeah, to have a city that was torn.
I know countries you understandare different, you know, you
have a border.
But there was a bastion ofWestern culture within the
communist world, and it wasliving, you know, looking at
West Berlin at the time, it wasjust like any other Western
city.
(25:43):
But when you got out of thewall, the wall divided you, and
the other side was somethingentirely different.
Uh, I remember when I wentthrough the wall and uh went up
the tower, there was a tower, Ithink it was a radio tower, but
it had a top, a revolving uhbulb on the top.
(26:04):
And one of the wonderful thingsI remember hearing about it was
that when the sun shone it,shone on it uh in Ist Berlin at
the right time, it made a cross.
And I thought that was such awonderful symbol of religion or
freedom.
(26:24):
And when you went up thattower, it was like at the um,
you know, the uh Empire StateBuilding.
But you go around and the onthe uh western side, there was
blank.
I mean, when you're looking atthe eastern side, they pointed
out the churches and everything.
(26:45):
And then when you went to theirside, it's just a white sheet.
And I thought, did they reallythink that there's nothing
behind that?
You know, there was somethingalmost uh bizarre about it to
say that you can't you can'tblock out the rest of the world.
It's gonna be there.
You just have to learn learn toaccommodate that.
(27:06):
Yeah.
But there's so many things intravel that gave me that feeling
of um uh uh that I was verylucky and that that I had so
much to learn.
Uh from when I was 16 up towhen I was 80, I still was
learning things on a trip.
(27:27):
And I've I've gone to somepretty rough places, but I've
never been to a place I haven'tenjoyed.
I've made something about itthat this is not in the book,
but uh the last one of the lasttrips I took was to Albania,
which to me sounded so foreignand communist.
(27:48):
And um there wasn't reallynothing there to see.
I I went to this park, and uhwell, I was thinking, you know,
I must see something that'sgonna excite me.
So there was a little river,and across the other side of the
river was a line of twochildren standing there on a
(28:09):
road, and um suddenly they begangetting closer, and I couldn't
understand what it was.
Well, the road was the ferry,so the piece of the road was
roached, took it across to ourside of the river, and then it
joined the road here.
(28:30):
And I've never ever seen apiece of a road used as a ferry
boat.
And I think that was absolutelyexciting.
So that made my trip toWalbania worthwhile.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Wow, absolutely.
That's yeah, I mean the sitesthat you've seen are just it's
so hard for mu most of us,people like me, who haven't done
extensive traveling to evenimagine.
But you know, it's seeingseeing a picture is is one
thing, but to experience allthese different sites and and
things that are so foreign towhat you know um is just an
(29:02):
unmatchable experience, I wouldimagine.
Um, you you said uh a fewminutes ago, I want to touch
back on this if you don't mind.
Um you said and I I could beparaphrasing a little bit, but
you said something to the effectof, I used to think I was
lucky, I now I sus suspect I wasbeing looked after, um, which
again struck me.
There's uh I feel like, andplease correct me if I'm wrong,
(29:24):
I feel like there's a quietundercurrent of spirituality and
and meaning woven throughoutthe entire book.
And I don't think it's likeit's not preachy at all, but
it's deeply human.
And would you say that travelkind of deepened your your faith
and whatever that means for youand and also of course your
(29:44):
sense of purpose, right?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Yes.
Um, for example, when go toSwitzerland, and I think it's in
the book.
Um I never really thought aboutmuch about proving that there's
uh uh
Speaker 4 (30:00):
uh and um you know have any body or whatever but
the the scenery is so beautifulthat I can't believe that it
happened by accident and sothat's for me I've everybody's
personal things but that's whatmay makes me think that there's
uh something out there but itpersonally I believe the
(30:24):
greatest thing is knowing thedifference between evil and good
and if you do good things uhwherever you look at things
whether whatever you look afterwhether it's Buddha or Jesus or
anything um that should be thething that governs you and but I
do have that feeling because ofthe beauty of some parts of the
(30:48):
world that they couldn't havehappened by heads oh yeah yeah I
yeah I I feel the same way youknow in such a simple sense of
it you know I'm I'm 54 years oldand I still if there's a a full
moon or a beautiful sunset or agorgeous tree I still have to
point or or an adorable cow bythe way because I love cows I I
(31:10):
still have to like exclaim likea child you know oh look at the
sun oh look at the moon look atthat tree look at how green the
grass is and it's just I I thereis something about uh nature
and just its absolutely delicatebeauty but also like the
incredible strength for theseelements to exist can in
(31:31):
continuity like that is justit's awe-striking I think so
yeah I I have to agree with youon that fully yeah because uh
they don't you know uh whatabout and there's people who try
to seduce you you know and andthat's a human thing but uh a a
a scenery or a flower I think itwon't do anything at all to
(31:52):
entice you so that's very verypure that kind of beauty and I
think that's why I get turned onmy scenery sometimes.
Yeah oh it's so wonderful itreally is it makes me want to it
makes me want to go outsideright can we take this interview
outside it's actually a littlechilly here.
I don't it's chilly here I amI'm not going outside right now
um you mentioned Switzerland umso some of the most vivid
(32:16):
writing in the book comes fromyour time there how did those
experiences shape your outlookon people in general I'll do it
because I think the fact there'ssomething in Switzerland about
walking um doing something offyour own scheme.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
And I started my life in Switzerland by hiking in the
hills and doing that.
And when you walk along theroads the paths oh the other
thing that's wonderful aboutSwitzerland is that um the
signposts saying to go tosomewhere down a path have it in
(32:56):
time so it doesn't say how manymiles it is it tells you how
long it takes you to get there.
Oh I love that oh I love thatso much more really interesting
to me and the people who walk umI used to uh travel with my
(33:18):
cousin who has died but he wasuh you know did everything I
said and as you walked alongit's uh customary for people to
greet one another those who passon the paths and we used to
look at the distance and see theperson coming towards you and
say oh I think they're French sowe'd say bonjour and of course
(33:42):
they say goodn time you knowit's a oh you know so we got
that we're wrong but that's whatwe did each day was to guess
that's so fun uh thenationalities the people come
towards us and but that otherthing is about Switzerland about
discovery is where when you'redown at the bottom of a valley
(34:02):
and this is true in the place Igo to as the funicular climbs up
suddenly the mountains becomevisible.
You can suddenly see thesewhite mountains and they're
exposed inch by inch until haveall these mountains around you
and I love that unveiling as Icall it uh also when it's a bad
(34:27):
day in Switzerland all you seeis clouds but you know that one
time suddenly the cloud is gonnago and the mountains are back
and it's there's so much tothat's why I can spend a week in
Switzerland just doing nothingjust um just enjoying yeah what
you're soaking it all in rightum is that your is that your
(34:48):
favorite place to go it soundslike it'd be your favorite is it
your favorite do you have afavorite overall although there
are other places that I likelike a beach in somewhere or um
like in Tokyo I enjoy the uh theway that people live because to
me it's very much like Englandthere's lots of people on a
(35:09):
small island tea is the mainthing in their life and they're
very polite.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
I love that you know so every place that you've
talked about including I thinkwhat was the last one Albania I
think you said where and youstarted off by saying you know
there wasn't much to see therebut you find something beautiful
or joyful or appealing aboutevery single place you go and I
suspect that you would be ableto do that in the most
(35:36):
unappealing place ever.
You would probably be someonewho could say yeah but this here
is you know you would findsomething good and that that is
such an absolutely charmingquality.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
So that's like my my time in Alteria which if you
read that chapter was kind ofscary.
But what came out of it at theend was that I had these two
people who were looked likeYaster Arafat in a taxi that was
not legal and they were with mefor over eight hours one day
(36:12):
trying to find a place for me tostay and then they left me with
this place which was horriblenot their fault it was the only
place we could find and yet I atfour o'clock in the morning I
had to get up and they promisedto come and pick me up and they
had no money left because I'dgiven the all my money away by
(36:35):
this time and um at four o'clockI could see the dust of the car
coming down the hillside to getme.
And that is my memory of thetrip the people that had nothing
they were kind you know therewas something about it.
Other people would say oh Ican't trust them um you know I
(36:58):
have to leave I have to dosomething but they proved to me
that in any culture regardlessof the situation somebody help
you.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
That's so true.
You know I I come from a partof of the United States that
isn't quite as friendly topeople in general not a lot of
waving to each other you knowand and more of if somebody
waves to you your your firstthought is what do they want?
You know what what are they upto?
And so anytime I go to say likethe southern states it it's you
(37:32):
know it's so different.
It's such a differentexperience and and I I think
when we live a small life and Iput myself in the category of
living a small life when we livea small life we do tend to
forget or simply not realizethat there's so much more good
and goodness out there in inpeople in humanity than we
(37:53):
realize because we're you knowwe're trapped behind uh computer
screens and phones andtelevisions and news and all of
these things that you knowconstantly show you the the
negative parts of humanity andyou know they all say like if
you if you you know want to calmyourself down put your phone
down turn the TV off go outsideand talk to people meet people
(38:17):
in the real world and and itwill change you know it will
write your perspective prettyquickly.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
So it's a it's such a good reminder you know all of
the things that you're you'resaying about your encounters
about people from differentparts of the world that um you
know we just generally got it inthat when in England when
American when I was in my teensAmericans would come over and of
course they had a badreputation during the war but um
(38:44):
I could go to restaurants andAmericans would come in and I
hear them talking about the factthat they didn't get a glass of
water with their meal.
And what they didn't realizewas that we didn't have any
water at those times.
Yeah all right it was very youknow there wasn't plastic
(39:05):
bottles like there are today.
And so I really resented thatand it took a while for me to
say okay I guess they haveexpectations for home but they
are in a foreign country andthey should cool it for a while.
Yeah yeah we do we do we do asAmericans have very bad yeah
(39:27):
social etiquette when we visitother countries we need to do
much we need to do much muchbetter than than what we do I'd
like to believe that we do nowbut I don't think that we do it
just a little so it's like it'sagain it's that small life
perspective that you know andit's it's um it's a terrible
mindset to to be I think kind ofwe've gone from a me to to a me
(39:50):
generation and oh that is umyou know very uh upsetting and
why I making my business as a anambassador for Americans want
to travel now to try and umwrite it a little bit and say
hey we're not all bad you knowso um um but thank you for
(40:12):
paving the way for us a littlebit for toning it down before
everybody gets so mad at usright rightfully so but yeah
it's so true and um I want totalk about so you you you talk
about some mishaps that in yourbook that actually had me
chuckling out loud um and youtell them with again that word
(40:35):
that we talked about before withsuch humility and humor um I I
would imagine I think I know theanswer this by why you'd answer
it anyway.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Do you think that humor um and laughter is part of
your and really anyone'sresiliency yes I think um I
recently came across a a song byBat Medler that's not very well
known but it's all about uhlaughter and ends up be saying
(41:08):
laughing matters and I reallybelieve that if you can't have a
chuckle or laugh within a dayuh depression is not far behind.
So um I like to and of course Iget in bad moods I everybody
does but I'll always cognizantof the fact that I'm in that
(41:30):
state and I try to pick upsomething that's going to make
me laugh or watch somethingthat's funny because that is the
most I I think laughter makesyou live long because you if you
can see the humor in life thenyou enjoy being around as long
(41:51):
as you can listen as somebodywho has comedy as her default
setting I I completely relate tothat.
I yes oh that is so true and Iagree and listen my my laugh
lines agree with you as wellbecause I laugh way more than
than I frown.
So thankfully I'm so that's sograteful for that.
But yeah I I clearly Icompletely agree with you.
(42:15):
Let's see what else I want toask you oh you also share some
more introspective moments uhtimes of loneliness and of
searching did revisiting thosememories uh bring any sense if
you needed it uh closure or didit open new reflections for you
uh coming from it from adifferent place and point in
life um one of the most ummoving things I saw was when I
(42:41):
went to Auschwitz in Poland andto see the what's left I mean
it's um and I don't know whetherit's I I I have mixed feelings
there you go through a shedwhich has and bunks and ovens
and and then these pile ofsuitcases and shoes and glasses
(43:04):
and um I had to deal with thatand it was like I I turned it
around to say thank God thissaved them because if they
didn't people might startbelieving that it never
happened.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
And so um that helped me with that and then the other
part was to say when I can comeback I can spread the message
too this must never happenagain.
And I'm not Jewish but I dothat doesn't make any difference
it's anybody who's persecutedhas to have champions um uh you
(43:46):
know it's just the only way youcan have hatred winning.
Speaker 4 (43:50):
Yeah yeah and that's um you know part of one of the
biggest problems that we havenow that people want to erase
history and pretend that thingsdidn't happen because it's ugly
and because it's uncomfortableand all those things and you're
so so right you know if thoseand and what a what an amazing
way to turn something that's sogut-wrenching and so so hard on
(44:11):
your heart to even see becausewe do tend to want to turn away
from things that are ugly andpainful and and hurt uh to even
look at to think about um but toto look at that to see the
suitcases and the shoes and theclothing and all of these things
and and to stop yourself fromturning away and finding what
you could make good fromsomething so bad, so terrible.
(44:35):
Again, I used the word in thebeginning with you and and I
have to say it again it's such atreasure to have someone like
you you specifically um goingout and doing these things and
sharing the what you've seen andwhat you've learned and what
you know from that.
Just again again again what atreasure to have and to share
(44:57):
with the world it's just uh itblows my mind it's amazing to
me.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
The one thing uh I I don't know if I write the
chapter about France which Ilove but um this family who um
older couple who kind of adoptedme once and um when I asked
them one day uh why me you knowwhy did you pick on me to be
nice to and they said um becauseyou're about the same age that
(45:26):
their son would have been hedied during the war and when
we're with you we think we havehim back for a while oh my heart
oh and that was such aresponsibility to me um you know
because it was like um theywere so raw in their feelings
(45:49):
about it that um I ended up for10 years always visiting them
when I went to Paris because Iknew they were going to be part
of the family.
Speaker 4 (46:02):
Wow wow that's just incredible I want to I I know
we've kind of touched on this inin parts here and there but the
the writing process itself andand that for you it came very
easily and very quickly um butthere are parts typically
authors find difficult in theirand it's different for everybody
I think some people hate theediting some people hate you
(46:23):
know different or I hate thestrong word a dislike certain
parts of it um was there anypart of your writing process
that you found either uh youknow tedious or just unenjoyable
or just unpleasant or was itjust a great I have a feeling
with you I feel like it was agreat experience all around I
was excited all along and mainlybecause after uh uh wrote it
(46:46):
and I sent it off without even Ididn't even I I just sent it
all I thought that's their jobthey did um but um I then got
the proof and I read through itand what was exciting to me was
that it lived again for me itwas like having the trips all
(47:09):
over again and it was awonderful feeling because I
never thought that there wasthat was why I wrote a book
right even more to uh for otherpeople but I got a lot out of it
and um I don't know whether itcould improve uh I don't know in
my way of thinking it's like ifit's a memoir it should be the
(47:30):
first thing you you know yourwords and you don't try to tart
it off as something else so Iwas quite happy with what I read
and that was an extra bonusthat I didn't consider.
That's wonderful absolutelywonderful yeah I have to admit
there's um very little about thewriting process that I don't
love.
(47:51):
I do love I've come to love alldifferent parts of it I was
always impatient about theself-editing part you know
because you you get in that wellI already know the story
because I wrote it I know thestory but you know so I would
get a little and then I just hadto do that little mind shift of
like no this is really excitingyou get to read this from you
know take yourself out of itessentially and read it from a
different perspective which iswhat you got to do with your
(48:13):
book reading it you know afterthey had done their stuff it's
it's and especially if you get alittle time away from it which
is you know a couple few monthsprobably right or weeks or
whatever the case was and thenwhen it comes back to you you're
like oh I I wrote this I wrotethis I wrote this it's a it's a
wild feeling how did it feelholding your book in your hands
for the first time oh that wasincredible um I have it here
(48:35):
actually on the side of me um itit because it was the hardcover
which was very impressive in apaperback.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
So the first time I saw it on um Amazon it was like
um oh my god and then actuallymy sister in England got a copy
before I did because thedistribution in England was
better.
Yeah and she was actually thefirst person to see I mean it
knew the cover because that Idesigned with them but um to
(49:10):
actually see a hard copy andrealize that um I thought about
libraries all over the world andI thought about oh my God you
know one day this will be in alibrary if I'm lucky um but um
anyway it you know even if mybooks are zero copies um I was
(49:31):
still in the most wonderfulexperience and talking as you
and uh making an old person feelyoung again.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
I think you are I think mentally you are younger
than me sir I think youdefinitely are I think you have
more energy uh in in one hourthan I have in an entire day I
think you are so inspiring tojust live life fully it's it's
just a such a joy to sit andtalk with you.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
It's it really sweet of you thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
Oh you're so welcome I do have one more question for
you before I ask like the finalfinal question.
If you could revisit one momentin this book and not
necessarily to change it but torelive it what would it be I'd
like to go back to the cow andsee if he'll still lick me oh oh
(50:22):
I love it.
That was a perfect answer.
There's the most perfect answerthat could ever be that would
be my answer.
Anything to do with the animalsthat would be my answer.
That's beautiful I love that umokay now for the the truly last
question.
Where can everybody find yourbooks and find out more about
you if there's a website uh Ithink you mentioned Amazon.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
The Amazon sells the book uh actually I found that
there are several books withthis title okay uh for different
subject matter nothing to dowith um mainly to do with uh
getting through a you knowdifficult period but um mine is
more humor based I believe um soAmazon and uh Barnes and Noble
(51:05):
has it in fact I'm doing a booksigning in um Barnes and Noble
next week I think um but um Ithink um there is a website
called Trevor JamesWilson.comand that has pictures of my um
trip to um uh Frankfurt to thebook fair and also probably
(51:30):
something from this talk withyou will end up on Maritona yes
indeed there will be I hope soat least yes I love that that'd
be so amazing I cannot thank youenough for coming on and
sharing your stories and yourheart and and just your humor
and your exuberance for life andall of your adventures and uh
(51:52):
just uh thank you so much forcoming on today.
Speaker 4 (51:54):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (51:56):
It was a pleasure and I can tell you one thing that
you put me such a at such easethat it's very easy to have a
good time.
Speaker 4 (52:06):
Oh I'm so glad so good I'm so glad no you could I
could have just sat back andsaid nothing and let you run
this entire thing and you wouldhave done phenomenal because
you're just a joy to listen toso thank you.
And by the way can I just sayum I feel if you haven't thought
about it already I feel likeyou should narrate your own book
because you have such apleasing voice to listen to I
(52:30):
just throwing it out there justyou know putting more on your
plate to do.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
It has been discussed and it was they told me about
uh uh hiring people and theywould come up with male and
female and I thought that justdidn't make any sense you know I
couldn't write this story uh orread this story because it's my
story um but yes I'm planningon doing myself oh good when I
(52:55):
get hold of a microphone andsomething that makes it work I'm
very bad at the mechanics so ifsomebody can send me a
microphone and a recordingdevice I will go through it all
myself.
Speaker 4 (53:07):
Awesome oh I love it good that will make my heart so
happy I'm gonna put that in mymy my like watch list or or wish
list in there or I'll have youtext me or email me when it's um
when it's available in audiobook too because I want both
thank you so much oh thank youwonderful and so fun I did too
thank you all right my friendsthank you all for joining us for
(53:30):
this special interview thelinks will be in the show notes
you'll be able to get the bookall of those good things and we
will see you in the nextepisode.
Speaker (53:38):
Take care bye bye you've just met Trevor James
Wilson author of Where Have IBeen All My Life?
You can find his book onAmazon, Barnes and Noble and
most major online retailers.
To learn more visittrevorjameswilson.com thanks for
watching the Else KurtInterviews spectacle
She's the voice behind the viral comedy, bold
commentary, and truth-packedinterviews that cut through the
chaos.
Author, brand creator, proudconservative Christian, this is
Elsa Kurt.
Welcome to the show that alwaysbrings bold faith, real truth,
and no apologies.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Oh, well, hello, my friends.
It is time for one of myfavorite things to do.
We are doing the Elsa Kurtinterviews, and I'm super
excited about our guests today.
Um, you know, the best thingabout this for me is that I get
to talk to people that I thinkare so much more interesting
than I am, and you get tobenefit from that as well.
And today's guest is uh anauthor.
(00:40):
His name is Trevor JamesWilson, and he's written a
really incredible memoir.
And here is a little bit aboutit before we talk to him.
Speaker (00:50):
He's crossed continents, lived through
history, and somehow kept hissense of humor.
Trevor James Wilson's memoir,Where Have I Been All My Life,
is part travelogue, part soulsearch, and entirely
unforgettable.
From the cafes of Paris to theshadow of the Berlin Wall,
Trevor takes us on a journey ofadventure, laughter, and quiet
(01:11):
discovery.
Join Elsa Kirk for aconversation about resilience,
belonging, and the beauty offinding meaning wherever life
leads to you.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Well, Trevor, thank you for joining me on the show.
I'm so excited to talk to you.
How are you today?
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Thank you.
I'm fine.
It's very nice to meet you.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
It is wonderful to meet you, and I'm so excited to
share your story.
So, uh, you know, we're gonnaget into this part, but I just
want to tell everybody again ifI didn't tell you, the the name
of the book is called Where HaveI Been All My Life?
And I'm obsessed with the titleof that book, so I can't wait
to hear more about it.
Um, but correct me if I'mwrong, this is your debut book.
(01:47):
Is this your very first uhpublished book or no?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Yes, I've never ever considered myself able to write
a book.
Um but being 84, my sister wasasking me uh to write some
things down because she wantedto be at my funeral and um say
something about my life.
And so uh I started writing andsuddenly I had 24 uh chapters,
(02:17):
and I realized that I had done alot in my life, even though to
me it wasn't very uh noteworthy.
Um people who talk to me thinkthat I've had an interesting
life, and I've been able totravel the world since I was uh
16 years old, and um I've livedin three countries, uh England
(02:40):
where I was born, Canada, andthe United States.
And I think it's been my way ofeducating myself to not only
the ways of the world anddifferent peoples, but how
people think and how you caninadvertently upset somebody by
being careless.
(03:01):
Um so it's taught me to be, Ithink, a better person.
And so I thank travel for doingthat for me.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
Absolutely.
What an incredible way to learnabout the world and about life.
Then, you know, what better waythan to experience it, to be
immersed in it, and you know,not sitting necessarily in a
classroom and then there's notnothing against classrooms
because somebody will take thatwrong, nothing against
classrooms, but uh real lifeexperience is so incredible.
(03:29):
And this memoir, it's really uhit's just a sweeping memoir
that takes us from uh Paris toBerlin to Switzerland and
beyond, of course.
So we're gonna start rightthere.
How does it feel to finallyshare your story with the world?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Um it feels like a weight off my shoulders, like
maybe I've been trying to tellthe story for so long, never
even considering that a bookwould be the way to do it.
Usually it's at dinner parties,and I share anecdotes and I
enjoy the reaction.
(04:08):
Um, but it really is a way tohelp people who are unsure of
themselves.
Um, and I think that startswhen you're very young.
If you have somebody whoaccounts you to um be
adventurous, you can do a lot ofthings.
You can never give them thatopportunity, you um lead a very
(04:31):
mundane life.
So my the idea of the book wasto help somebody, maybe in the
30s or whatever, um, to realizethat looking at me, they said,
well, that's not very importantperson, and yet he had the
courage to do things that weresometimes unknown, sometimes
(04:54):
dangerous, and yet um everythingworked out well.
So maybe it's worth taking achance.
Um, nothing bent her andnothing gained, I guess.
Speaker 4 (05:05):
I love that you you though you're I love the lens
that you look at this throughthat it it's not just that you
have these great adventures andyou want to tell people about it
because you just want people tohear about it.
It's because you want to helpother people be able to do those
types of things, whether it'stravel or take any kind of
chance on themselves, right?
I and I think that's such abeautiful gift to offer to the
(05:27):
world.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
So I absolutely can apply it to anything.
It doesn't have to be travel,it's just your job or anything.
You know, I I spent 35 years ofmy life in banking, which I
really didn't like at all.
Uh, but there was nothing tostop me.
I would ended up being thesenior vice president of Chase
(05:48):
Bank in a profession that Ihated.
So you can imagine what I'dbeen to travel uh in my 50s as
as a professional travel agent.
Um, it was so easy because itwas like it was a pleasure to
just do my job, you know.
And they take groups all overthe world and to see them.
(06:11):
Um uh I remember taking a routeto Switzerland once, uh, a
walking tour, and I gave them aSwiss pass, uh which was good
for a week of travel, and sentthem both on their own to try
and make connections and dothings.
And they'd come back and theywere so excited about the fact
(06:34):
that they got home and they saweverything.
And um and that gave me theidea that um not everybody has
the initiative to do things.
And um many people to look atpictures like me in front of the
Taj Mahal, and they think, ohmy god, I wish I could have seen
(06:56):
that.
But there's nothing thatstopped them doing it.
So um that's what those littletheses in the book is saying,
these things you've heard aboutcan be yours.
And you will have things totell your grandchildren and
spread the word down.
So it that I think is just thisworld that you're opening up
(07:20):
and it becomes much bigger thanyourself.
Absolutely.
That's the the key to it, Ithink.
Speaker 4 (07:27):
I love that.
Did I understand you correctly?
I hear you right that you saidthat in your 50s you you left a
high position in a long-standingcareer to start a completely
different profession, really.
That that's that in itself,what what a risk and a and a
scary thing.
That's stepping off a ledgeright there in some ways to some
people takes a lot of courage.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Um that was one occasion where I was a little
flummoxed when it happenedbecause when people take over a
bank, uh, it's not that you'redoing your job badly, it's that
people want their own peopleunderneath them.
And so they get rid of the topmanagement.
Um, but I I actually did, andI'm ashamed to admit this, but I
(08:13):
actually did a year of ummodeling.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
You did.
That doesn't surprise me atall.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
So because at 50, I I looked pretty good then, and so
um I did that and I realized itwas fun, but it wasn't me.
And I realized what I reallylove doing most is taking trips.
So I just went into a travelagency in Sun City, Arizona,
which is the retirement, famousretirement community, and I
(08:43):
said, I think your customersmust find it difficult to travel
because they're in wheelchairs,that kind of thing.
I said, I want to start aprogram where every month I take
these people on a trip todifferent parts of the world and
make it easy for them.
And uh I need a desk.
I don't want to be at it veryoften because I actually want to
(09:07):
travel myself.
And so if you will help me totravel that way, I think I can
give you a lot of income.
And that lasted for over 15years.
Well, and I did 100 cruises andpeople took uh 80-year-old
people to Antarctica and placesbeyond their imagination.
(09:28):
And that excited me, and itmade me, I think I've lived as
long as I have, because lifeevery day is interesting.
Like today is the most one ofthe most exciting times of my
life.
I've torn to a celebrity umabout something, and I never
(09:48):
ever thought somebody I wouldever do that, you know, and yet
this is in the beginning.
I mean, last week I was inFrankfurt uh selling my book.
You know, it's just amazing howyour life can turn around.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
It's so true.
And you you are living at 84,your your life is so full and so
exciting.
And I personally know, and I'mnot calling anybody out, but I
personally know people, youknow, half your age, more than
more than half your age, who arejust living, you know, mundane
lives and and complaining about.
And it's so incredible.
(10:24):
And I I love that you aregiving, have been giving those
experiences to people who neverin their, like you said, in
their wildest dreams, couldn'timagine doing some of these
things and going to some ofthese places.
And and I and what a treasureto be the facilitator of
something like that.
I I can only imagine um the joythat you got out of seeing them
(10:48):
experiencing these things forthe first time and and getting
to see see it through their eyesagain.
Because for you, of course,you've traveled so much, some of
these places are probably nosurprise.
I'm sure they're no less of awonder.
Um, but to be able to see itthrough their eyes again is is
really just such a treasure,isn't it?
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah.
I weren't the when I was intravel, the phrase that I hated
hearing was been there, donethat.
And that was something thatjust got my shackles up.
And it was like, um, can I dealwith this person?
Because they have so that ideaof no knowledge of discovery
(11:29):
that uh maybe I can't help them.
You know, they're just beyondhelp.
I mean, I've been toSwitzerland maybe 50 times in my
life.
In fact, the hotel I go to, Ioriginally started with people
who are now the grandparents,and then I dealt with the uh son
and daughter.
Now I deal with the grandkidswho run the hotel, and they've
(11:53):
known me since I was 18 yearsold.
Wow.
And that's like um havingfriends all over the world.
I I think of myself as an notan American necessarily,
although I'm very proud of that,but I'm an international
citizen.
And wherever I go, I realizelearning about the uh culture
(12:16):
that I'm in and the language.
I don't speak much, I speakFrench, I speak a little bit of
German, but I can always um talkto somebody or even a smile.
You don't even have to talk tosomebody.
If you greet somebody with asmile, you get amazing rewards
out of it.
(12:36):
Such a little thing to give.
And uh so, you know, that's theway I live.
It's kind of life excites mevery much.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
That's beautiful.
It exudes off of you too.
You can just see, and I'm suremeeting you in person, people
get that energy right away thatthey can sense that and feel
that.
And it's inspiring.
I'm inspired just just hearingabout it.
I was inspired, you know, withthe book, of course, by someone
just talking to you andlistening to you talk about
these experiences in the waythat you are.
It, you know, I'm actuallypretty reclusive.
(13:08):
I don't do a lot of I travel tomy grandchildren, like that's
my big travel these days.
It'll be like that for a while.
Um, but you know, I it doesn'tlook old enough to crack.
Thank you.
Um, I I tend to turn inward andyou know, not necessarily
reject those opportunities toconnect with people when I'm out
(13:29):
in the world.
Um, but I don't necessarilyseek them out either.
And and I'm doing myself adisservice by that.
And you're you're such a greatreminder of that, of the
opportunities there are toconnect with people and you
know, either be inspired orinspire others.
So thank you for for forinspiring me.
I appreciate that.
Um I so I as I'm thinking aboutthis now, I would imagine
(13:53):
obviously that it's one thing tolive all of these adventures,
but it's got to be another thingentirely to just sit down and
relive them all on paper.
What has that experience beenlike?
Um, has it been uh good, bad,all of the things?
Does it give you thatnostalgia?
Does it how does it affect youwhen, or how did it affect you
(14:14):
when you were writing all ofthese stories out?
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Um it made me feel good that I still have a memory.
Um I live with somebody who hasAlzheimer's, and that's such a
tragic thing.
Um, but I actually started thebook in May, and um I wrote the
first chapter one afternoon.
That's the Turkey on the train.
(14:42):
Um then I did a uh story aboutAlgeria that was kind of scary
for me, and I I thought thatit's coming back so easy.
So my mind, I think, has beenfor me categorizing all these
stories, putting them to someorder, and I actually finished
(15:04):
the book uh by the end of June.
unknown (15:07):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
And wow.
Yeah, and immediately I told umuh expert book publishers, and
they work with me to um uhformat and create the
manuscript, and then um I chosethe pictures that I sent, and
that was done, and and in uhSeptember I'm ready to go to um
(15:31):
Frankfurt.
So I I think in a way it hasn'thit me yet because it was so
fast.
Yeah, it's like a whirlwind.
That it's um almost too easy,but I'm uh always aware that
everything can be improved.
And I now want to start writingabout my life experiences as a
(15:53):
memoir of of growing up duringthe war in England and seeing
bombs dropping and uh and thencoming to America and leading a
different life.
And it it's the format is in myhead now.
I think you may be the sameway.
When you have a an idea for abook in your mind, you suddenly
(16:14):
start storing things that say, Ican use that.
You know, I don't know if writeit down, but I have a enough
memory that I can actuallyrecall these things.
And um so um, but travel hasbeen one.
And the saddest part about itis that I read the other day
(16:35):
that in America geography is nota subject that is taught
anymore.
And I think that is so sadbecause if that hadn't been the
case when I grew up, I wouldn'thave got into travel.
I mean, it was I loved readingstories about different climates
and things.
So um I think that's a sadthing.
(16:57):
But I hope I can take the placeof a geography book uh by
writing about it, and it madesomebody say geography is sports
loyal after all.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
Oh, absolutely.
You know, I was such a slackeras a student when I was a kid
that, you know, I and just if Ihad been taught geography the
way that you are essentiallyteaching geography, uh it would
be such a different experience,just such a different uh
everything instead of just likethis dry, you know, map on a
piece of paper.
It's it's like it's breathinglife into it, which is, you
(17:30):
know, I think that's that's whatcaptures uh people's interest.
So most definitely.
And I have to tell you, I'mstill sitting here in awe that
you were able to write thisbook, one in such short order
and short in a short period oftime.
And even more importantly, yourrecollection, your ability to
recall all this.
I can't remember what I didfive minutes ago.
(17:53):
Like, like to be able toremember, you know, things with
such clarity and detail andsharpness.
And and and you know, the book,the passages in the book are so
vivid.
You can you can smell thesmells and you can see the
people in your head, and you canand you can see this, you know,
you can see it as as you'rereading it.
And and that is just, I mean,that's an author right there.
(18:16):
That that is an author, that'sa writer.
And and I love that you saidyou really weren't even
considered yourself a writerbefore this, correct?
Speaker 2 (18:23):
No, no, I never thought of it.
I mean, I wrote letters to mygrandmother, but um that was uh
I never actually said and madejournals or uh logs or anything
like that.
Um, but it's funny how uh whenI look through the book, there's
pictures of other people wouldprobably find interesting.
(18:44):
But to me, the one that I lovethe most is the picture of me on
the ground in Switzerland and acow licking my leg.
Oh um, you know that the cowsin Switzerland are like
beautiful, they have beautifulself-skin, they have bells
around their necks, and theythey're so majestic.
(19:06):
And um to be approached by onewas an honor.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
It was like me, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah.
Um and that's the things that Iremember about life.
I remember the times thatpeople have been kind to me.
I remember music when I was ina particular place.
Um so all those things help tokeep your mind active.
And um, you've been very, verylucky in your life.
(19:37):
And um so that's why I think Iwant to make sure everybody has
the best life that they can.
Um, travel may not be thething, but reading my book may
help them to solve differentproblems, different
relationships, and um and givethem the humility because I
(19:59):
think that is a very importantpart of getting on in life.
You have to be uh have humilityto be open enough to accept
help or advice or something fromsomebody else.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
That is so so true.
And something that's you knowgreatly lacking in our society
right now.
And to go back to that mindsetum would be so beneficial to the
entire world, you know, peoplehad that mindset.
And I so agree with you.
Um, gratitude and humility, Ithink, have to be, you know,
(20:37):
just one of the first thoughtsin your mind every single day.
And it does change, it changeshow you see the world, it
changes how you interact withthe world.
If you enter everything withthat attitude of gratitude and
humility and and just you knowputting it all in perspective
like that, um, it's it's a lotof different things.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah, it's like on the political scene.
Um people have different ideas,but there's no reason you can't
listen to another person'spoint of view.
Right.
These days, people don't theyshut themselves out to the other
side and nothing gets donebecause of that, you know,
there's no um negotiation, whichI think to me is the main part
(21:16):
of diplomacy.
You've got to uh bargain, youcan't have it all your own way.
Um, so um, but no, I'm very,very happy person, usually.
And I I live with it, you know,I have stage four kidney
disease, but I don't let that uhrun my life.
(21:39):
Um I don't need dialysis yet.
Um and my um kidney level hasbeen the same for the past six
years.
Wow.
Because I don't let it get tome.
I I I make rules that I don'tabuse my body, but I don't let
it uh govern my life.
And if I want a treat that'snot on my uh diet, I have it.
(22:04):
I just don't have too much ofit.
Speaker 4 (22:06):
Yeah.
That's uh it's such a it shouldbe like the rules for life in
general.
Whether you have healthconcerns going on, you know,
overt health issues going on ornot, it should be the the kind
of the rule of life, likeeverything.
It's it's the whole, it goesback to the whole like
everything in moderation.
Yeah, you know, all of this isdon't deny yourself things, you
know, but also don'toverindulge, you know, this the
balance.
My husband and I talk aboutthat all the time.
(22:28):
Everything in life is aboutbalance.
And if you have balance, youare, you know, so right, those
are the those are the things.
Gratitude, humility, balance,like the recipe for life.
I think, I think we just solvedall of the world's problems
right here in this in thislittle interview, I think.
If everybody would just listento to us, they will live a very,
very happy life.
(22:48):
Um you mentioned something uhjust a little while ago about I
if I heard you correctly, youstarted traveling at age 16.
Is that right?
unknown (22:56):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Well, actually, I did travel in a way, even when I
was in my nine and tens.
I was in Scotland with myrelatives, and um I would want
to visit different places, notEdinburgh and only.
So we used to go out on the busand travel to, you know, about
a whole day on the bus and comeback.
And they were always surprisedwhen I walked back through the
(23:23):
door.
So I think that was the verystart of it.
I went to Switzerland when Iwas um 10 years old with a
school party just after the war,and going out of London with
all the smog and everything, andgoing to Switzerland and
seeing, because Switzerlandwasn't damaged during the war,
and to see things pristine andgreen and sunshine.
(23:45):
It was like, you know, this waswonderful.
I just um when you realize thatthere's better places than
where you live, um, that is animpetus to start traveling.
Nowadays I look back at Englandand say, what a wonderful
country that has given a lot ofthings to other people.
(24:05):
Um and I still enjoying, butthat doesn't mean I don't want
to live there anymore.
Because I love the American wayof life and um the freedom and
the opportunity to live, theysay, the American dream.
But the American dream isdoesn't mean a lot of money to
me.
It means um freedom to do whatyou want to do.
(24:30):
And as long as you don't hurtanybody, I think everybody has
that right.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
Yeah, absolutely.
And you know, when you talkabout freedom, it actually takes
me back to a part in your bookwhere uh you talk about Berlin
during the Cold War.
And first of all, it reads likea movie scene.
It's it's just so epic.
I have to say it's just soepic.
And you wrote something thatthat really did stop me for a
moment.
You said standing there withone foot in freedom and one foot
(24:58):
in fear, you could feel historyholding its breath.
And that's such a powerfulline.
Um, to be right there in thatmoment, living in that moment,
you know, watching these two twodivided worlds and they're, you
know, not just by concrete, butby ideology and by hope.
And, you know, what a what awild juxtaposition, in a way,
(25:20):
that is too amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
Yeah, to have a city that was torn.
I know countries you understandare different, you know, you
have a border.
But there was a bastion ofWestern culture within the
communist world, and it wasliving, you know, looking at
West Berlin at the time, it wasjust like any other Western
city.
(25:43):
But when you got out of thewall, the wall divided you, and
the other side was somethingentirely different.
Uh, I remember when I wentthrough the wall and uh went up
the tower, there was a tower, Ithink it was a radio tower, but
it had a top, a revolving uhbulb on the top.
(26:04):
And one of the wonderful thingsI remember hearing about it was
that when the sun shone it,shone on it uh in Ist Berlin at
the right time, it made a cross.
And I thought that was such awonderful symbol of religion or
freedom.
(26:24):
And when you went up thattower, it was like at the um,
you know, the uh Empire StateBuilding.
But you go around and the onthe uh western side, there was
blank.
I mean, when you're looking atthe eastern side, they pointed
out the churches and everything.
(26:45):
And then when you went to theirside, it's just a white sheet.
And I thought, did they reallythink that there's nothing
behind that?
You know, there was somethingalmost uh bizarre about it to
say that you can't you can'tblock out the rest of the world.
It's gonna be there.
You just have to learn learn toaccommodate that.
(27:06):
Yeah.
But there's so many things intravel that gave me that feeling
of um uh uh that I was verylucky and that that I had so
much to learn.
Uh from when I was 16 up towhen I was 80, I still was
learning things on a trip.
(27:27):
And I've I've gone to somepretty rough places, but I've
never been to a place I haven'tenjoyed.
I've made something about itthat this is not in the book,
but uh the last one of the lasttrips I took was to Albania,
which to me sounded so foreignand communist.
(27:48):
And um there wasn't reallynothing there to see.
I I went to this park, and uhwell, I was thinking, you know,
I must see something that'sgonna excite me.
So there was a little river,and across the other side of the
river was a line of twochildren standing there on a
(28:09):
road, and um suddenly they begangetting closer, and I couldn't
understand what it was.
Well, the road was the ferry,so the piece of the road was
roached, took it across to ourside of the river, and then it
joined the road here.
(28:30):
And I've never ever seen apiece of a road used as a ferry
boat.
And I think that was absolutelyexciting.
So that made my trip toWalbania worthwhile.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Wow, absolutely.
That's yeah, I mean the sitesthat you've seen are just it's
so hard for mu most of us,people like me, who haven't done
extensive traveling to evenimagine.
But you know, it's seeingseeing a picture is is one
thing, but to experience allthese different sites and and
things that are so foreign towhat you know um is just an
(29:02):
unmatchable experience, I wouldimagine.
Um, you you said uh a fewminutes ago, I want to touch
back on this if you don't mind.
Um you said and I I could beparaphrasing a little bit, but
you said something to the effectof, I used to think I was
lucky, I now I sus suspect I wasbeing looked after, um, which
again struck me.
There's uh I feel like, andplease correct me if I'm wrong,
(29:24):
I feel like there's a quietundercurrent of spirituality and
and meaning woven throughoutthe entire book.
And I don't think it's likeit's not preachy at all, but
it's deeply human.
And would you say that travelkind of deepened your your faith
and whatever that means for youand and also of course your
(29:44):
sense of purpose, right?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Yes.
Um, for example, when go toSwitzerland, and I think it's in
the book.
Um I never really thought aboutmuch about proving that there's
uh uh
Speaker 4 (30:00):
uh and um you know have any body or whatever but
the the scenery is so beautifulthat I can't believe that it
happened by accident and sothat's for me I've everybody's
personal things but that's whatmay makes me think that there's
uh something out there but itpersonally I believe the
(30:24):
greatest thing is knowing thedifference between evil and good
and if you do good things uhwherever you look at things
whether whatever you look afterwhether it's Buddha or Jesus or
anything um that should be thething that governs you and but I
do have that feeling because ofthe beauty of some parts of the
(30:48):
world that they couldn't havehappened by heads oh yeah yeah I
yeah I I feel the same way youknow in such a simple sense of
it you know I'm I'm 54 years oldand I still if there's a a full
moon or a beautiful sunset or agorgeous tree I still have to
point or or an adorable cow bythe way because I love cows I I
(31:10):
still have to like exclaim likea child you know oh look at the
sun oh look at the moon look atthat tree look at how green the
grass is and it's just I I thereis something about uh nature
and just its absolutely delicatebeauty but also like the
incredible strength for theseelements to exist can in
(31:31):
continuity like that is justit's awe-striking I think so
yeah I I have to agree with youon that fully yeah because uh
they don't you know uh whatabout and there's people who try
to seduce you you know and andthat's a human thing but uh a a
a scenery or a flower I think itwon't do anything at all to
(31:52):
entice you so that's very verypure that kind of beauty and I
think that's why I get turned onmy scenery sometimes.
Yeah oh it's so wonderful itreally is it makes me want to it
makes me want to go outsideright can we take this interview
outside it's actually a littlechilly here.
I don't it's chilly here I amI'm not going outside right now
um you mentioned Switzerland umso some of the most vivid
(32:16):
writing in the book comes fromyour time there how did those
experiences shape your outlookon people in general I'll do it
because I think the fact there'ssomething in Switzerland about
walking um doing something offyour own scheme.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
And I started my life in Switzerland by hiking in the
hills and doing that.
And when you walk along theroads the paths oh the other
thing that's wonderful aboutSwitzerland is that um the
signposts saying to go tosomewhere down a path have it in
(32:56):
time so it doesn't say how manymiles it is it tells you how
long it takes you to get there.
Oh I love that oh I love thatso much more really interesting
to me and the people who walk umI used to uh travel with my
(33:18):
cousin who has died but he wasuh you know did everything I
said and as you walked alongit's uh customary for people to
greet one another those who passon the paths and we used to
look at the distance and see theperson coming towards you and
say oh I think they're French sowe'd say bonjour and of course
(33:42):
they say goodn time you knowit's a oh you know so we got
that we're wrong but that's whatwe did each day was to guess
that's so fun uh thenationalities the people come
towards us and but that otherthing is about Switzerland about
discovery is where when you'redown at the bottom of a valley
(34:02):
and this is true in the place Igo to as the funicular climbs up
suddenly the mountains becomevisible.
You can suddenly see thesewhite mountains and they're
exposed inch by inch until haveall these mountains around you
and I love that unveiling as Icall it uh also when it's a bad
(34:27):
day in Switzerland all you seeis clouds but you know that one
time suddenly the cloud is gonnago and the mountains are back
and it's there's so much tothat's why I can spend a week in
Switzerland just doing nothingjust um just enjoying yeah what
you're soaking it all in rightum is that your is that your
(34:48):
favorite place to go it soundslike it'd be your favorite is it
your favorite do you have afavorite overall although there
are other places that I likelike a beach in somewhere or um
like in Tokyo I enjoy the uh theway that people live because to
me it's very much like Englandthere's lots of people on a
(35:09):
small island tea is the mainthing in their life and they're
very polite.
Speaker 4 (35:16):
I love that you know so every place that you've
talked about including I thinkwhat was the last one Albania I
think you said where and youstarted off by saying you know
there wasn't much to see therebut you find something beautiful
or joyful or appealing aboutevery single place you go and I
suspect that you would be ableto do that in the most
(35:36):
unappealing place ever.
You would probably be someonewho could say yeah but this here
is you know you would findsomething good and that that is
such an absolutely charmingquality.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
So that's like my my time in Alteria which if you
read that chapter was kind ofscary.
But what came out of it at theend was that I had these two
people who were looked likeYaster Arafat in a taxi that was
not legal and they were with mefor over eight hours one day
(36:12):
trying to find a place for me tostay and then they left me with
this place which was horriblenot their fault it was the only
place we could find and yet I atfour o'clock in the morning I
had to get up and they promisedto come and pick me up and they
had no money left because I'dgiven the all my money away by
(36:35):
this time and um at four o'clockI could see the dust of the car
coming down the hillside to getme.
And that is my memory of thetrip the people that had nothing
they were kind you know therewas something about it.
Other people would say oh Ican't trust them um you know I
(36:58):
have to leave I have to dosomething but they proved to me
that in any culture regardlessof the situation somebody help
you.
Speaker 4 (37:09):
That's so true.
You know I I come from a partof of the United States that
isn't quite as friendly topeople in general not a lot of
waving to each other you knowand and more of if somebody
waves to you your your firstthought is what do they want?
You know what what are they upto?
And so anytime I go to say likethe southern states it it's you
(37:32):
know it's so different.
It's such a differentexperience and and I I think
when we live a small life and Iput myself in the category of
living a small life when we livea small life we do tend to
forget or simply not realizethat there's so much more good
and goodness out there in inpeople in humanity than we
(37:53):
realize because we're you knowwe're trapped behind uh computer
screens and phones andtelevisions and news and all of
these things that you knowconstantly show you the the
negative parts of humanity andyou know they all say like if
you if you you know want to calmyourself down put your phone
down turn the TV off go outsideand talk to people meet people
(38:17):
in the real world and and itwill change you know it will
write your perspective prettyquickly.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
So it's a it's such a good reminder you know all of
the things that you're you'resaying about your encounters
about people from differentparts of the world that um you
know we just generally got it inthat when in England when
American when I was in my teensAmericans would come over and of
course they had a badreputation during the war but um
(38:44):
I could go to restaurants andAmericans would come in and I
hear them talking about the factthat they didn't get a glass of
water with their meal.
And what they didn't realizewas that we didn't have any
water at those times.
Yeah all right it was very youknow there wasn't plastic
(39:05):
bottles like there are today.
And so I really resented thatand it took a while for me to
say okay I guess they haveexpectations for home but they
are in a foreign country andthey should cool it for a while.
Yeah yeah we do we do we do asAmericans have very bad yeah
(39:27):
social etiquette when we visitother countries we need to do
much we need to do much muchbetter than than what we do I'd
like to believe that we do nowbut I don't think that we do it
just a little so it's like it'sagain it's that small life
perspective that you know andit's it's um it's a terrible
mindset to to be I think kind ofwe've gone from a me to to a me
(39:50):
generation and oh that is umyou know very uh upsetting and
why I making my business as a anambassador for Americans want
to travel now to try and umwrite it a little bit and say
hey we're not all bad you knowso um um but thank you for
(40:12):
paving the way for us a littlebit for toning it down before
everybody gets so mad at usright rightfully so but yeah
it's so true and um I want totalk about so you you you talk
about some mishaps that in yourbook that actually had me
chuckling out loud um and youtell them with again that word
(40:35):
that we talked about before withsuch humility and humor um I I
would imagine I think I know theanswer this by why you'd answer
it anyway.
Speaker 4 (40:42):
Do you think that humor um and laughter is part of
your and really anyone'sresiliency yes I think um I
recently came across a a song byBat Medler that's not very well
known but it's all about uhlaughter and ends up be saying
(41:08):
laughing matters and I reallybelieve that if you can't have a
chuckle or laugh within a dayuh depression is not far behind.
So um I like to and of course Iget in bad moods I everybody
does but I'll always cognizantof the fact that I'm in that
(41:30):
state and I try to pick upsomething that's going to make
me laugh or watch somethingthat's funny because that is the
most I I think laughter makesyou live long because you if you
can see the humor in life thenyou enjoy being around as long
(41:51):
as you can listen as somebodywho has comedy as her default
setting I I completely relate tothat.
I yes oh that is so true and Iagree and listen my my laugh
lines agree with you as wellbecause I laugh way more than
than I frown.
So thankfully I'm so that's sograteful for that.
But yeah I I clearly Icompletely agree with you.
(42:15):
Let's see what else I want toask you oh you also share some
more introspective moments uhtimes of loneliness and of
searching did revisiting thosememories uh bring any sense if
you needed it uh closure or didit open new reflections for you
uh coming from it from adifferent place and point in
life um one of the most ummoving things I saw was when I
(42:41):
went to Auschwitz in Poland andto see the what's left I mean
it's um and I don't know whetherit's I I I have mixed feelings
there you go through a shedwhich has and bunks and ovens
and and then these pile ofsuitcases and shoes and glasses
(43:04):
and um I had to deal with thatand it was like I I turned it
around to say thank God thissaved them because if they
didn't people might startbelieving that it never
happened.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
And so um that helped me with that and then the other
part was to say when I can comeback I can spread the message
too this must never happenagain.
And I'm not Jewish but I dothat doesn't make any difference
it's anybody who's persecutedhas to have champions um uh you
(43:46):
know it's just the only way youcan have hatred winning.
Speaker 4 (43:50):
Yeah yeah and that's um you know part of one of the
biggest problems that we havenow that people want to erase
history and pretend that thingsdidn't happen because it's ugly
and because it's uncomfortableand all those things and you're
so so right you know if thoseand and what a what an amazing
way to turn something that's sogut-wrenching and so so hard on
(44:11):
your heart to even see becausewe do tend to want to turn away
from things that are ugly andpainful and and hurt uh to even
look at to think about um but toto look at that to see the
suitcases and the shoes and theclothing and all of these things
and and to stop yourself fromturning away and finding what
you could make good fromsomething so bad, so terrible.
(44:35):
Again, I used the word in thebeginning with you and and I
have to say it again it's such atreasure to have someone like
you you specifically um goingout and doing these things and
sharing the what you've seen andwhat you've learned and what
you know from that.
Just again again again what atreasure to have and to share
(44:57):
with the world it's just uh itblows my mind it's amazing to
me.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
The one thing uh I I don't know if I write the
chapter about France which Ilove but um this family who um
older couple who kind of adoptedme once and um when I asked
them one day uh why me you knowwhy did you pick on me to be
nice to and they said um becauseyou're about the same age that
(45:26):
their son would have been hedied during the war and when
we're with you we think we havehim back for a while oh my heart
oh and that was such aresponsibility to me um you know
because it was like um theywere so raw in their feelings
(45:49):
about it that um I ended up for10 years always visiting them
when I went to Paris because Iknew they were going to be part
of the family.
Speaker 4 (46:02):
Wow wow that's just incredible I want to I I know
we've kind of touched on this inin parts here and there but the
the writing process itself andand that for you it came very
easily and very quickly um butthere are parts typically
authors find difficult in theirand it's different for everybody
I think some people hate theediting some people hate you
(46:23):
know different or I hate thestrong word a dislike certain
parts of it um was there anypart of your writing process
that you found either uh youknow tedious or just unenjoyable
or just unpleasant or was itjust a great I have a feeling
with you I feel like it was agreat experience all around I
was excited all along and mainlybecause after uh uh wrote it
(46:46):
and I sent it off without even Ididn't even I I just sent it
all I thought that's their jobthey did um but um I then got
the proof and I read through itand what was exciting to me was
that it lived again for me itwas like having the trips all
(47:09):
over again and it was awonderful feeling because I
never thought that there wasthat was why I wrote a book
right even more to uh for otherpeople but I got a lot out of it
and um I don't know whether itcould improve uh I don't know in
my way of thinking it's like ifit's a memoir it should be the
(47:30):
first thing you you know yourwords and you don't try to tart
it off as something else so Iwas quite happy with what I read
and that was an extra bonusthat I didn't consider.
That's wonderful absolutelywonderful yeah I have to admit
there's um very little about thewriting process that I don't
love.
(47:51):
I do love I've come to love alldifferent parts of it I was
always impatient about theself-editing part you know
because you you get in that wellI already know the story
because I wrote it I know thestory but you know so I would
get a little and then I just hadto do that little mind shift of
like no this is really excitingyou get to read this from you
know take yourself out of itessentially and read it from a
different perspective which iswhat you got to do with your
(48:13):
book reading it you know afterthey had done their stuff it's
it's and especially if you get alittle time away from it which
is you know a couple few monthsprobably right or weeks or
whatever the case was and thenwhen it comes back to you you're
like oh I I wrote this I wrotethis I wrote this it's a it's a
wild feeling how did it feelholding your book in your hands
for the first time oh that wasincredible um I have it here
(48:35):
actually on the side of me um itit because it was the hardcover
which was very impressive in apaperback.
Speaker 2 (48:45):
So the first time I saw it on um Amazon it was like
um oh my god and then actuallymy sister in England got a copy
before I did because thedistribution in England was
better.
Yeah and she was actually thefirst person to see I mean it
knew the cover because that Idesigned with them but um to
(49:10):
actually see a hard copy andrealize that um I thought about
libraries all over the world andI thought about oh my God you
know one day this will be in alibrary if I'm lucky um but um
anyway it you know even if mybooks are zero copies um I was
(49:31):
still in the most wonderfulexperience and talking as you
and uh making an old person feelyoung again.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
I think you are I think mentally you are younger
than me sir I think youdefinitely are I think you have
more energy uh in in one hourthan I have in an entire day I
think you are so inspiring tojust live life fully it's it's
just a such a joy to sit andtalk with you.
Speaker 2 (49:58):
It's it really sweet of you thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
Oh you're so welcome I do have one more question for
you before I ask like the finalfinal question.
If you could revisit one momentin this book and not
necessarily to change it but torelive it what would it be I'd
like to go back to the cow andsee if he'll still lick me oh oh
(50:22):
I love it.
That was a perfect answer.
There's the most perfect answerthat could ever be that would
be my answer.
Anything to do with the animalsthat would be my answer.
That's beautiful I love that umokay now for the the truly last
question.
Where can everybody find yourbooks and find out more about
you if there's a website uh Ithink you mentioned Amazon.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
The Amazon sells the book uh actually I found that
there are several books withthis title okay uh for different
subject matter nothing to dowith um mainly to do with uh
getting through a you knowdifficult period but um mine is
more humor based I believe um soAmazon and uh Barnes and Noble
(51:05):
has it in fact I'm doing a booksigning in um Barnes and Noble
next week I think um but um Ithink um there is a website
called Trevor JamesWilson.comand that has pictures of my um
trip to um uh Frankfurt to thebook fair and also probably
(51:30):
something from this talk withyou will end up on Maritona yes
indeed there will be I hope soat least yes I love that that'd
be so amazing I cannot thank youenough for coming on and
sharing your stories and yourheart and and just your humor
and your exuberance for life andall of your adventures and uh
(51:52):
just uh thank you so much forcoming on today.
Speaker 4 (51:54):
I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (51:56):
It was a pleasure and I can tell you one thing that
you put me such a at such easethat it's very easy to have a
good time.
Speaker 4 (52:06):
Oh I'm so glad so good I'm so glad no you could I
could have just sat back andsaid nothing and let you run
this entire thing and you wouldhave done phenomenal because
you're just a joy to listen toso thank you.
And by the way can I just sayum I feel if you haven't thought
about it already I feel likeyou should narrate your own book
because you have such apleasing voice to listen to I
(52:30):
just throwing it out there justyou know putting more on your
plate to do.
Speaker 2 (52:34):
It has been discussed and it was they told me about
uh uh hiring people and theywould come up with male and
female and I thought that justdidn't make any sense you know I
couldn't write this story uh orread this story because it's my
story um but yes I'm planningon doing myself oh good when I
(52:55):
get hold of a microphone andsomething that makes it work I'm
very bad at the mechanics so ifsomebody can send me a
microphone and a recordingdevice I will go through it all
myself.
Speaker 4 (53:07):
Awesome oh I love it good that will make my heart so
happy I'm gonna put that in mymy my like watch list or or wish
list in there or I'll have youtext me or email me when it's um
when it's available in audiobook too because I want both
thank you so much oh thank youwonderful and so fun I did too
thank you all right my friendsthank you all for joining us for
(53:30):
this special interview thelinks will be in the show notes
you'll be able to get the bookall of those good things and we
will see you in the nextepisode.
Speaker (53:38):
Take care bye bye you've just met Trevor James
Wilson author of Where Have IBeen All My Life?
You can find his book onAmazon, Barnes and Noble and
most major online retailers.
To learn more visittrevorjameswilson.com thanks for
watching the Else KurtInterviews spectacle
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