Ahh—here I am—on my dream backpacking trip overlanding from Russia—through Eastern Europe—to Istanbul with my travel partner, Khadejah. Bring on the sunny days of exotic sightseeing, tasty new food, interesting people, and places I can get lost in to soothe my tattered heart.

But …It rains most days. Don’t even get me started on the food.

The locals are low on smiles. And I’m drowning in grief.

Then the sun finally comes out. With the help of my friends, George Michael’s music, and laughter we tackle culture shock, wild interactions, changing plans, and uncover gems I never thought I would see with my own eyes.

But the leers, catcalls, and gropes are never-ending. Regardless we persevere … until a vicious and humiliating encounter causes me to question if life on the road will save me or break me.

__________About the series: Grab your backpack and get ready for an adventure in the '90s when the Internet was scarce but laughs weren’t. Life Strikes Back is Book Two in the five-part Back in a Year series, a true story of a young woman traveling around the world.

Each book can be read independently, but it’s more fun to take the full trip. __________Content Warning: Profanity, sexual harassment, sexual assault, consensual sexual content, parental grief, alcohol consumption, smoking, and visits to Holocaust sites.

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