Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries

In the 1960s and '70s, thousands of baby boomers strapped packs to their backs and flocked to Europe, wandering the continent on missions of self-discovery. Many of these boomers still dream of "going back"--of once again cutting themselves free and revisiting the places they encountered in their youth, recapturing what was, and creating fresh memories along the way. Marianne Bohr and her husband, Joe, did just that. In Gap Year Girl, Bohr describes what it's like to kiss your job good-bye, sell your worldly possessions, pack your bags, and take off on a quest for adventure. Page by page, she engagingly recounts the experiences, epiphanies, highs, lows, struggles, surprises, and lessons learned as she and Joe journey as independent travelers on a budget--through medieval villages and bustling European cities, unimaginable culinary pleasures, and the entertaining (and sometimes infuriating) characters encountered along the way. Touching on universal themes of escape, adventure, freedom, discovery, and life reimagined, Gap Year Girl is an exciting account of a couple's experiences on an unconventional, past the-blush-of-youth journey.

"An absorbing rundown of a cultural odyssey bursting with insights and quiet truths, which the author absorbed, way out there, without a guide, and often intuitively--some might even say through her pores. Thanks to Gap Year Girl, Ms. Bohr's travel universe and the way it's recorded are an inspiration to thousands of baby boomers who are coming to realize that it's possible not only to dream Don Quixote's Impossible Dream, but to make it come true."

—Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince, coauthors of many dozens of Frommer's best-selling guides

"Gap Year Girl speaks to the curious youth in us all, reminding us on every page of the anticipation, excitement, and futility that go into finding a cure for wanderlust. Bohr's delicious prose brings sights, smells, and tastes to life and inspires the reader as she and her husband climb off of the corporate ladder and jump into the great unknown. Don't be surprised if you find yourself dusting off an old language textbook and checking the Internet for the best airfares!"

—Michael Hughes, Education First Language Travel "Don't we all dream of quitting our nine-to-fives to travel the world? Marianne Bohr and her husband do just that with the mindsets of college students backpacking through Europe. The author tells a great story and it's easy to forget that theirs is a 'senior year' abroad."

—Neil Levin, President, EverPub

"I lived vicariously through this adventure-infused chronicle of getting away from it all. Bohr's recounting of running the Paris marathon rang true to my runner's soul and captured the event's raw emotion. I want to be Gap Year Girl!"

—Mary Anne Marciante, International Marathoner

"For those bitten by the travel bug, the author's story of giving up the 'real world' for a year abroad is inspirational. She took a daydream and made it a reality with a combination of bravery and planning. Read about the highs (literally in the Alps) and lows (the inevitable fatigue of constant traveling) as she and her husband retrace the steps of their youth and forge new paths."

—Davida G. Breier, blogger at Next Exit Travel

• Organizing author tour: New York City; Washington, DC; San Francisco; Los Angeles; San Diego • Targeting major travel and baby boomer publications for coverage and excerpts: AARP magazine, Travel 50 and Beyond, AFAR, Budget Travel, Travelgirl, National Geographic Traveler, Travel and Leisure, and international airline magazines • Confirmed excerpt and coverage in Bethesda Magazine, which previously published an article by the author, "The Year of Living Spontaneously" • Extensive review copy mailing • Pitching national radio: Fresh Air, Diane Rehm, and travel shows (Rick Steves, Rudy Maxa, Stephanie Abrams, etc.) • Pitching coverage to national French teacher organizations as well as Montgomery County, MD teaching publications • Promotion through social media • Targeting guest blogging on travel sites; author has close ties with major travel blogs and will promote extensively via those sites • Author has many former colleagues in book publishing and all will be leveraged (PW; BEA; IBPA; etc.) to promote the book

Thirty-plus years after first backpacking through Europe, Marianne Bohr and her husband leave their lives behind and take off on a yearlong quest for adventure.

Marianne C. Bohr, freelance writer and editor, married her high school sweetheart and travel partner. With their two grown children, she follows her own advice and travels at every opportunity. Marianne lives outside Washington, DC, where, after decades in publishing, she followed her Francophile muse to teach middle school French. Gap Year Girl is her first book.