Feb 26, 2015
John Marshall tells KGNU's Claudia Cragg the story of
'Wide
Open World' and how he and his family needed a change. His
20-year marriage was falling apart, his 17-year-old son was about
to leave home, and his 14-year-old daughter was lost in cyberspace.
Desperate to get out of a rut and reconnect with his family, John
dreamed of a trip around the world, a chance to leave behind, if
only just for a while, routines and responsibilities. He didn’t
have the money for resorts or luxury tours, but he did have an idea
that would make traveling the globe more affordable and more
meaningful than he’d ever imagined: The family would volunteer
their time and energy to others in far-flung
locales.
Wide-Open World is the inspiring true story of the six
months that changed the Marshall family forever. Once they’d made
the pivotal decision to go, John and his wife, Traca, quit their
jobs, pulled their kids out of school, and embarked on a journey
that would take them far off the beaten path, and far out of their
comfort zones.
Here is the totally engaging,
bluntly honest chronicle of the Marshalls’ life-altering adventure
from Central America to East Asia. It was no fairy tale. The trip
offered little rest, even less relaxation, and virtually no
certainty of what was to come. But it did give the Marshalls
something far more valuable: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
conquer personal fears, strengthen family bonds, and find their
true selves by helping those in need. In the end, as John
discovered, he and his family did not change the world. It was the
world that changed them.