A Far Cry from Yesterday: Finding Tomorrow in Distant Lands - Paperback

by Manon Rinsma (Author)

Sometimes, there's no direction. Sometimes, enough is enough. But how to get back on track? How to reinvent ourselves?

Driving through a snowstorm and bribing border officers in Tajikistan isn't the first thing that comes to mind as a way to deal with grief and reconsider one's place in the world. Neither is taking a Siberian train in November or crossing North America on a Greyhound bus. Yet, that's exactly what Manon did when she set out to reignite her light within-or at least silence the darkness-in distant lands.

Manon Rinsma lost her mother when she was only twelve years old. For ten years, she pushed it away, filling the void with anger, love, accomplishments, and everything in between. One day, everything was ending: home as she knew it was gone, her master's degree complete, her apartment lease up, and her cheating boyfriend out the door-she had nothing to lose. Ready to confront all the memories that haunted her in her sleep, unanswered grief weighing on her soul and unresolved anger festering within, she put on her red Nikes, strapped on her backpack, and left with no other direction in mind than to find tomorrow-a new dawn, a glimmer or glow.

Her path, shaped by her intuition and the people she met along the way, spanned four continents, pushing her to her limits.

All to find the way, away from yesterday

More details (with spoilers):

The journey begins with a cross-country journey on a Greyhound bus, taking Manon from Los Angeles to New York, with a detour through Canada. As she navigates newfound freedom, fueled by friendships and fleeting escapes, her heart yearns for something greater on the horizon. But when she encounters a chance at love, her sense of direction and belonging is tested. Determined to keep moving, she joins a friend bound for Shanghai, and together they embark on the Trans-Siberian and Mongolian Express, venturing through Russia, Mongolia, and China. Along the way, the silent, biting cold of November pushes her to confront memories she has long avoided, beginning the slow, painful process of facing her mother's death and the difficult years that followed.

In Beijing, Manon reconnects with her cousin, and leaving her friend behind, they journey onward to New Zealand and Australia, embracing both city life and wilderness. Here, devastating heartbreak strikes, yet dreams of her mother-vivid and urging clarity-pull her forward. Despite her reluctance to face what lies beneath, Manon continues, seeking solace and freedom from the past in Thailand's jungles and islands, where she learns to release her perfectionism and embrace spontaneity. In these transformative months, her confidence grows, and love becomes an easier pursuit than belonging-until the weight of her unprocessed past catches up with her once more.

From Europe's cities and countrysides to Florida, where a friend's invitation allows her to finally slow down, Manon is faced with the painful memories she has long kept at bay. With courage and a newfound openness, she begins to confront her past, acknowledging her reflection and the shadows that linger. An impulsive trip to Kyrgyzstan, where she joins another friend, leads her on the journey along the Pamir Highway-known as the Roof of the World. From these heights, she finally glimpses a path forward, finding clarity in the road away from yesterday.