From Boardroom to Backpack

Book excerpt: 7 continents and 100 countries that changed my life. Rob Sangster was chased by a Cape buffalo in Botswana and then by a corrupt Governor in Tennessee, both having malicious intent. He spent one New Year's Eve in Paradise Bay, Antarctica, and the next as a guest of the wealthiest smuggler in the Himalayas. He swam with whale sharks in the Gulf of Thailand and spent the night on top of a Mayan temple in Guatemala while a revolution raged below. Before those and many other adventures, Rob had been racing up a conventional career path as an attorney, government policy-maker, and business executive—a work-a-holic with ever-increasing responsibilities. Then—at age thirty-eight—he made a course correction and took charge of his life. Traveling to distant places became his passion—asking questions, turning corners, and taking risks—all of which were more important than earning the last possible dollar. When he cut the padlock off his old sea chest two years ago, very personal letters and thirty thick journals inside revealed the reasons behind his life-changing decision decades earlier and led to the writing of this memoir. Praise for From Boardroom to Backpack: "From Boardroom to Backpack is a great ride made more rewarding by the insights and perspectives Sangster shares with the reader. He has a keen eye for the events that shape our lives and our view of humanity."—Tim Leffel, editor of Perceptive Travel, and author of A Better Life for Half the Price "Life-changing for anyone who hungers for far horizons."—Bob Sehlinger, Unofficial Guide Creator About the Author: Rob Sangster earned a BA from Stanford, an MA from the UCLA School of Architecture & Urban Planning, and a JD from Stanford Law School. After becoming a partner in a distinguished Los Angeles law firm, he administered national housing programs then dedicated himself to developing homes for low-income persons. He is also an award-winning novelist, restaurateur, and avid sailor who has travelled in more than 100 countries and on seven continents.