Released on: February 15, 2008, 7:58 am

Press Release Author: Mick MacO.

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Press Release Summary: The true story of a journey through 28 cities and 15
countries in 31 days, alone.

Press Release Body: In TRIP, the new mixed media book release from Lulu Press,
author Mick MacO describes what happened to his head while travelling through 28
cities and 15 countries in 31 days, alone. This book illustrates, in an intimate and
fun way, how somebody can go out of their mind when they've nobody to share their
thoughts with. Though experiencing all the joys of touring Europe, MacO found that
the solitude of the journey caused him to see the world in an altered state, not
unlike a psychedelic trip. Free form writing, handwritten notebook entries and
photographs from each of the cities help convey the emotion of the ride. "I was
determined to see as much of Europe as possible, and wanted to find some truth. It
was a physical and mental expedition, and definitely threw me off kilter," says MacO
about his trip of a lifetime.

TRIP documents, with modern slang and an Irish twang, a whirlwind tour of places as
varied as Amsterdam to Auschwitz. The journey took place in 1995, before the Euro
had arrived, when former communist countries were changing fast, and the internet
hadn't yet kicked in. MacO gives us a glimpse of what it must have been like to live
a month full of daily culture shocks. The languages, currencies and national traits
fly by, but the trek gradually takes its toll on the storyteller.

"At various times during the trip I felt in turn, alone, euphoric, afraid, and
triumphant. Sometimes I was glad I was on my own. I think that solitude can be a
good thing - you can get to know yourself.

"The culmination came after two weeks, in my seventh country and twelfth city in
fourteen days. I still had two weeks to go, and could go to whatever countries I
wanted. That was when I broke down and cracked up! But I continued on the trip with
a head full of craziness. Other people might have liked to relax somewhere for a few
days. But because I was alone,
it spurred me on to keep going - a new place everyday for a month."

The whole adventure covers the full gamut of emotions, and details the author's
questioning of what he believed and why he believed it. One notebook entry says that
all the people wanting you to believe in them seemed like they needed it too much.

"The impressions and ideas that I was having were totally overwhelming. I was
conversing with my notebook, simply because I had to get it all off my chest and out
of my system. The end result was that the journey changed the way I looked at the
world and myself. I wouldn't want to do that trip again, but I am glad that I did
it. And I'm happy now that I've finally put things into words."

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About the Author:

Mick MacO is an Irish graphic designer who lives in Germany.
He's married with no kids and a cat called Samuel Longhorn Clemens.
Mick MacO is a shortened form of the author\'s Gaelic name,
which is too long to pronounce. TRIP is his first published work.

http://www.MickMacO.org


Web Site: http://www.mickmaco.org/

Contact Details: contact@MickMacO.org