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A "hopeful" world odyssey - the adventures of a scooter-riding optimist
Top level Scoot Culture

(Victoria, BC, Canada) - Some people fantasize about doing it. Others cringe with trepidation. Most of us simply can't or won't do it for one reason or another. But former law-clerk-turned-writer/photographer Thomas Martin Smith did it – he made a rigorous terrestrial journey around world. He did it solo, on a motorscooter he named Melawend (for his daughters, Melanie and Wendy). A journey planned to take one year took him two. The book about the journey, which took him another twelve years to write, has been published:

IN THE LONG RUN: A Hopeful World Odyssey

A resident of Victoria, BC, Canada, Tom considers himself an everyday kind of guy – not a globe-trotting adventurer. But this somewhat shy, easy-going guy, who had never ridden a motorcycle or motorscooter, became a veritable Indiana Jones on two wheels. In his large-format 597-page book, Tom takes us on his adventures, "lessons of life" as he calls them, including:



Dennis Latzy of Cool, California had this to say about Tom's book: "I just now finished reading your book. The last week has been: eat, sleep, read the book… Your book has been a great inspiration… Thanks for a great book!"
On the journey, Tom met Douglas Kirkland, at his home in Hollywood. Kirkland has long been one the world's most sought-after photographers of celebrities, movies, fashion and fine arts. He has worked on the sets of over 100 movies including and .

Of Tom's book, Kirkland said: "… last night I had a chance to start reading and it's really exciting! Thinking about it after starting it (plus jumping ahead to see a few previews) the words "He's A Modern Marco Polo" came to mind. That's really what you represent…. I want to get back on it as soon as possible... "


Because of their portrayals of life, literature and movies play a big role throughout the story, Tom said. This includes topical references to the lives and works of many luminaries, among them: Mark Twain, V.S. Naipaul, Isak Dinesen, Charlton Heston, Stefanie Powers, Barbra Steisand and Steven Spielberg. For a month, he explored Hollywood. He met a movie star and Douglas Kirkland, long one of Tinsel Town's leading celebrity photographers. He also drew his own perspectives on some cinematic and literary haunts, including Isak Dinesen's home.

Tom said he even had the company of a famous writer... albeit a dead one.

"Ernest Hemingway was, in true way, a recurrent travelling companion and mentor on the journey," he said. "I took with me on the journey a thesaurus, a dictionary and By-Line: . I gained inspiration and guidance from Hemingway. As a writer, I often turn to the lives and works of dead literary giants in the hope that one of them might reach through the veil, grab me by the forehead and bestow upon me the gift of literacy!"


Though it might seem his book would appeal primarily to men, Tom said many buyers of the book have been women. Said Jo-Ann Owen of Vancouver, British Columbia: "I love your book Tom. There are no other words to describe it - it is full of wonders - inspiration - spirituality - history and so much more.

"Your odyssey has taken me on a journey of the spirit. You took one step further - you believed in your capacity and your dreams, and you drove through with determination and confidence toward your journey of life.....Your words have painted a canvas of the world for me, describing people, cities, and things.....I feel your emotions - fear, stumblings, pain, ecstasy, fantasy, luck, discoveries and amazements......Thank you Tom, you've taken me back home again...and to follow your dreams, take a chance, and never give up."

If not for the adventure of a lifetime, then why did he do it? Tom said that he'd had enough of having a remote control that let him shut out the world at will – he wanted to get out of himself, get out there and seek out common bonds between people and promote some international goodwill. With the help of some sponsors, including Minolta, Honda and Kodak, he became an unofficial "ambassador in blue jeans". He met with officials, from municipal to national levels. He was welcomed at the UN in New York with a press conference and a VIP tour. Throughout the journey, he dealt with people "on their own ground" including governors, generals, ambassadors, mayors, business people, beggars, cops, cons, hookers, humanitarians, wildlife conservationists, a baroness and everyday people. As for adventure, Tom said that he found people; adventure found him. He said the journey left him even more optimistic about the future of the world.


There's also personal romance in the story as one of the subplots is Tom's quest for his soulmate, detailed in his encounters with girls and his periods of loneliness. Into the story, he weaves things he learned about relationships. More important, Tom said, was that through ordeals, efforts, failures and successes - his own and others' - he learned a lot about himself and other people and about the human spirit.

Why a "hopeful" world odyssey?

"Hope, by itself, is not a course for action, but it is a necessary first step," Tom said. "Hope is something you discover when you travel. Too often when people travel, they merely go sightseeing and shopping. But whenever you truly travel, whether it's terrestrial or in your mind, you explore. You make outward and inward discoveries. With them, you see new possibilities in the world and in yourself – hopeful things that let you visualize opportunities upon which you can develop plans and take action... make improvements in your life and in life around you.

"With all the love and heroism that continues to rise up from the tragedies of September 11, 2001, it's evident there is a great deal of hope in and for the world."

For more information about Tom's story and the book, visit his website at www.melawend.com

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