A Continental Affliction - by Brian G Shannon (Paperback)

About the Book

What would you give up to chase a dream around the world?
In A Continental Affliction, Brian Shannon trades stability for spontaneity, abandoning a corporate career, a forsaken relationship, and just about every comfort he knew. Armed with a backpack, (and later, a bicycle), a $10 per-day budget, and a round-the-world Pan Am ticket, he sets off to circumnavigate the globe in this pre-digital odyssey--with no GPS, no internet, and no clue what lies ahead.
From Brazil's sun-drenched beaches to New Zealand's wild highlands, Africa's dusty trails to Europe's soaring Alps, Brian's "plan" unravels beautifully. Along the way, he stumbles into Carnival in the Amazon, narrowly avoids disaster on Ruta 40 in the Andes, crashes a wedding in France, and accidentally invents safari-by-bicycle. He faces culture shock, bicycle woes, language barriers, and the occasional existential crisis--plus an alarming number of hills that are definitely not on the map.
Told with equal parts wit, humility, and disbelief at his own decisions, A Continental Affliction is part travel memoir, part coming-of-age, and part cautionary tale for anyone who thinks "winging it" is a solid life strategy. It captures a time when travel meant folding paper maps, getting lost on purpose, and striking up conversations with strangers because you had no choice.
Whether you're a seasoned traveler, a committed armchair adventurer, or just someone wondering how badly a trip can go before it becomes a great story, well, this is your ticket. Spoiler: he makes it back. Mostly intact.

Book Synopsis

No phone. No internet. No plan B. Just a passport, a bike, and a dream.
In A Continental Affliction, debut author Brian Shannon takes readers on a wild, funny, and unexpectedly moving journey around the world--one that begins with him walking away from a life that felt too small.
The year is 1991. The internet hasn't arrived, Pan Am still flies, and 26-year-old Brian, disillusioned with a lukewarm career in finance and a forsaken relationship, decides to do what most people only daydream about: sell everything, quit his job, and hit the road. What follows is a five-continent, 20-country, year-long odyssey powered by curiosity, courage, and just enough naiveté to keep going.
The book begins in South America, where he battles culture shock in Brazil, navigates Carnival in the Amazon, and stares down poverty and doubt in favelas and large cities. A Smithsonian expedition into the jungle and small town warmth rekindles his confidence--only for it to be tested again in the high-altitude chaos of the Andes and the long, dusty roads of Argentina and Chile.
The story takes a literal and figurative turn: back in North America, a pep talk from his parents and a brand-new Cannondale Mountain bike set him on a two-wheeled path through Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. There is exploration on the Great Barrier Reef, bicycle sores and woes, dilapidated bus rides, bungee jumps, mountain treks and wine tours and even a run-in with the law. Yet, what could have been the end of the journey turns out to be the most formative part.
Jetting across the Indian Ocean aboard a Pan Am 747, Brian lands in Africa where he boards rickety trains through Zimbabwe making fast friends with an array of colorful characters. He accidentally invents safari-by-bicycle cycling through Hwange Game Park. The savage side of the circle of life presents itself while on a camping safari on the Serengeti before dodging a Nairobi shake-down.
From Frankfurt, Germany up the Rhine River, he finally meets up with old friends for a cycle tour through the French countryside and the European Alps. Camping, climbing, cycling, and bonding--this final stretch is equal parts soul-searching and celebration. By the time he reaches Greece, he's no longer just a guy on a trip. He's someone transformed.
Told with sharp wit and deep reflection, A Continental Affliction is much more than a travel memoir. It's a love letter to the analog age of exploration--when travelers relied on paper maps, handwritten journals, and the kindness of strangers. It's also a story about fear, freedom, and what happens when you abandon certainty in pursuit of something bigger.
Perfect for fans of solo travel exploits involving a backpack, a bicycle, a budget, and unexpected encounters, this memoir will speak to anyone who's ever dreamed of taking off, starting over, and finding themselves somewhere far from home.

Review Quotes

A celebration of wanderlust, serendipity, and the world as it was before we could Google our way through it.

Before smartphones and GPS, travel meant trusting your instincts, following paper maps, and surrendering to the unknown. With humor and heart, Brian Shannon takes readers on an unforgettable journey across 5 continents in this spirited travel memoir. A Continental Affliction brims with unforgettable characters, cultural mishaps, and the delicious chaos of life on the move. Perfect for anyone who dreams of throwing caution to the wind in exchange for those moments of self-reflection that only come when you're truly, beautifully lost in the world.

Marianne C. Bohr
Author of The Twenty: One Woman's Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail and Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries

About the Author

Brian Shannon is a first-time author, aspiring adventurer, and deeply committed efficiency-packer.
A Canadian by birth and American by ZIP code, Brian has worn many hats over the years--finance guy, software process guy, entrepreneur guy, and occasionally, "guy who knows where the good coffee is." With an MBA and a knack for innovative problem-solving, he's spent much of his career being a customer-obsessed, spreadsheet-wielding, decision-making machine. He's also been called an empathetic leader, a trusted advisor, and once--by at least one barista--"kind of intense about chocolate croissants."
But behind the business labels and cycling gear beats the heart of a lucky dad to five incredible kids, a local-anything enthusiast, and a man with an incurable case of wanderlust. In 1991, before the world was ruled by Wi-Fi, GPS, and endless notifications, Brian quit his job, sold nearly everything of consequence, and bought a round-the-world ticket on Pan Am (yes, that Pan Am). What followed was a year-long, pre-digital sabbatical across five continents--part discovery, part detour, and all unforgettable.
That adventure became A Continental Affliction, his debut memoir: a mix of misadventure, self-discovery, and cultural curiosity, told through the lens of a 26-year-old with a paper map, a decent amount of attitude, and very little clue as to what he was doing.
These days, Brian divides his time between writing, parenting, running, selling, hiking, problem-solving, and trying to photograph things that aren't blurry. He's an aspiring author with one whole book now under his belt.

Brian lives in Maryland with his life partner Stephanie.