South of Ordinary

In this sequel to Judy Liautaud's award-winning memoir, Sunlight on My Shadow, Judy tells the story of her travels with Dave from the Rockies to Peru. While his passion was to get to the next crazy thing, Judy's desire was to find a safe, cozy little house somewhere, build friendships with locals and other travelers, hang out, learn the Latin American ways. Their heart's desires were at opposite ends of the spectrum so therein laid the rub. The story starts in the Fraser valley living in Grandma and Grandpa's cabin just below the majestic Continental Divide. After marrying in the mountain meadow they set off for the southern hemisphere to spend a year and a half back packing through Mexico, Central, and South America.
Dave has a passion for adventure and seeks out wild rides, trekking through the jungle to see remote Indians, spear fishing in the Pacific ocean with a close encounter with a shark, taking a river boat to the Galapagos islands and being stranded at sea for several days. Since Dave was not the negotiating kind, Judy had two choices- to follow along or go home. She would be torn battling the fear of following him into dangerous places, wanting to stay by his side and honoring her own comfort zone. In the end, Judy comes to understand that girl-in-love who thought she had to sacrifice so much in order to be a companion to her beloved Dave. She learns that what she knew for sure would come unhinged and she would find her own true path.