Crocodile Love: Travel Tales from an Extended Honeymoon
An Interview of author Joshua Berman
By Wandering Educator editor Dr. Jessie Voigts for Transitions Abroad
Crocodile Love: Travel Tales from an Extended Honeymoon, is a must-read. And while you often hear that, especially on Amazon, it’s true. For this book is an interesting, intriguing account of a journey many of us long to take—and few of us actually do.
In this age of stories by digital nomads about extended travel, what is different about this book? Many things, including the premise (a year+-long honeymoon), the depth of intercultural understanding (both Joshua and his wife, Sutay, are returned Peace Corps volunteers with extensive global and travel experience), the commitment to volunteering, the wide-range of locations they journeyed to, and the thoughtfulness of his writing.
What impresses me most of all is the way that Berman incorporates all of the above with a very personal story of learning about his partner through deep, slow travel.
He writes in Crocodile Love, “Watching Sutay don her African skin as we moved through the continent was a high point that I’ll never forget. Long-unspoken words, grunts, expressions, and body language flowed from her mouth, hands, eyes, and poise. I’m not sure who was more surprised—Sutay as she rediscovered behavior from her past, The Gambians, who were not used to toubab foreigners knowing their language, or me, seeing this whole new part of my wife come alive.”
I caught up with Berman in between his classes, and asked him about the book, their journey, volunteering tips, and more. Here’s what he had to say…
READ FULL Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR HERE.
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