Belgian born, and after a stint in Africa, I immigrated to the US as a young doctor ready to specialize in obstetrics/gynecology. I then joined the faculty at the University of Miami Medical School and built a successful clinical, teaching and research career there. In 1980 my best friend died unexpectedly. This made my wife and I consider getting off the beaten path and do things other than just work. At the age of 55 I retired from my successful academic career and started working in different cultural settings in the US and abroad. We worked in Japan, Pakistan, Alaska, Australia (Queensland and Tasmania), New Zealand, the Caribbean and Mexico. In between assignments we played and traveled. At the urging of many of my colleagues and friends I wrote my first (and probably my only) book about our experiences.
The book is written as a series of loosely connected anecdotes about our work and travels. Some are medical and some non-medical, some are funny, and some not so funny. I try to infect the reader with the enthusiasm and satisfaction we have felt in doing this. Getting off the beaten path at a relatively early age is the best decision my wife and I have made, even though it was a bit scary at first. We have never looked back. It is hoped that the book will inspire others, medical and non-medical professionals to dare to do the same. Some may even be motivated to write their own story.
