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More Books, More Friends, Better Life!
I was listening with half an ear to a policy wonk who hosts, yes--the wonkiest of podcasts--when he mentioned that his book club selection for the month was none other than...."Jane Eyre"!
What?? This egg-headed, one-time conservative loves "Jane Eyre"?! And thinks Charlotte Bronte was a genius??
I sat up straight, suddenly suffused with warmth & gratitude for David Frum whose To Be Read list likely looks nothing like mine. But I now saw him as appreciative of vulnerability, more interested in empathy, a Bronte acolyte like me!
Frum closed his discussion of the novel by saying that the message of "Jane Eyre" was new in its time: "The rejection of cruelty is one of the proudest things about modern humanity and it's good to meet it at the beginning of its career...."
A friend who is receiving medical care wrote recently to say that when the nurses saw that she'd brought the novel, "Buckeye" to read during her treatment, it sparked a spirited discussion of what everyone else was reading.
And two invitations to book clubs!
She added, "It is such a joy to connect through what we read."
Skeptical? I gave a speech recently to a chapter of the American Association of University Women and I closed by asking the audience for titles of books that had given them an empathetic view of a world they might have never encountered.
The titles poured out! Here are a few that were mentioned: "Plainsong," "Pride and Prejudice," "American Dirt," "The Kite Runner," and "The Other Side of the Mountain."
Of All the Places....!
When the New York Times' 52 Places to Go in 2026 landed in my inbox, I opened it with eager trepidation.
The eager part of this explains itself.
For my feelings of trepidation, read on through the newsletter.
For now, I am THRILLED to be adventuring in November to the corners of Vietnam that many tourists miss. The trip is replete with cooking classes, the freshest food and a book list I can't wait to talk about with you! https://www.sirensojourns.com/vietnam
FROM the NYT's 52 PLACES to GO: "Vietnam, a growing tourism powerhouse in Southeast Asia, beckons to millions of vacationers annually with its famous food culture, staggering natural scenery — ranging from mountains to rainforests — and a storied history that dates to the seventh century B.C. And with significant investments in tourism infrastructure arriving in 2026, Vietnam is positioning itself for an upswell of visitors....." — Christine Chung
Die With Zero
In the essay about Vietnam and the New York Times' "52 Places to Go in 2026" I mentioned that each year I open the list with no small amount of trepidation.
Here's why: It is an undeniable truth that time will run out long before I can experience all of the places I want to experience.
And I use the word "experience" deliberately because this is not a checklist endeavor. Travel, for me, is being at my most receptive, my most open, my most curious in a way that is hard to sustain in everyday life.
A friend recommended the book "Die with Zero" by Bill Perkins, and Readers, it has transformed the way I think about experiencing travel and money.
In short, Perkins argues that the money you've worked your life to build is best spent, once you've reached middle age and beyond, on opening the door to experiences. And doing it while you're energetic enough and mobile enough to relish those experiences.
And if you're thinking, "What about the kids?"--as in what about their inheritance, Bill has an answer for that.
If you're thinking, "What about my charities," Bill also has an answer for that.
His philosophy won't be everyone's cup of tea but it has changed the way I think about the arc of my life, the things I want to experience and the memories I want to have when I reach those "no go" years in old age.
Adventure to Africa's Last Eden, June 2027. The itinerary for the Adventure to the Okavango Delta in Botswana is up.
https://www.sirensojourns.com/africa
This is a singular and exceptional expedition. National Geographic calls the Okavango Delta "an ecological marvel." UNESCO has designated it a World Heritage site because when the floodwaters flow into the Delta, the wetlands draw lions, leopards, hippos, herds of elephants, zebras, flocks of migratory birds and more for an unparalleled wildlife experience.
Please note that while this is a highly comfortable camp experience, it is not a luxury safari. We are there together to see the animals and support Botswana's conservation efforts.
Size of the Group: I can only take a maximum of 10 people (I'm the eleventh) because our safari camps are small and remote. I will also create a waiting list and deposits will be refunded if someone from the waiting list joins the trip.
Interested? Please Email me at: SirenSojourns@gmail.com.