There is so much that Walking Home From Mongolia entails. Midway through the book and Rob and Leon have entered China, and they witness two worlds colliding. In some respects, ancient historical landmarks are seen almost everywhere, which is likely to be expected with one of humanity’s oldest civilizations. And on the other hand, China is industrializing faster than ever.

With the multi-thousand-kilometre trek that Rob and Leon are partaking in, Rob experiences the inevitable. He becomes burdened by a significant foot injury that can manifest in instances of strenuous walking or trekking. However, both Rob and Leon’s inspiring resilience carry them forward as they strategize how they can continue their journey and accomplish their goal. The end goal is for them to complete their journey and subsequently submit the footage they have taken of their trip to have it transformed into an adventure documentary.

A big takeaway from this book is that adventure can take on many forms that entail both the best and worst of what life can offer. Each day is a new adventure, a new challenge, and a new unknown journey, very much like ordinary life itself.

In the famous words of Plato: “Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”