One Year. One Ticket. One Life-Changing Journey: Memoir Now Available
The story that might just convince you to follow your heart and jump head first into adventure.
This post was originally shared on my website.
The above voiceover is of the memoir excerpt, not this entire post—so make sure to read until the end to learn about the $200 giveaway contest.
What if the life you were supposed to live wasn’t the life you truly wanted? What if, instead of following the plan laid out for you, you dared to rewrite your story?
One Year and a One-Way: Ditching My Mother’s Five-Year Plan to Travel Solo is about doing just that. A memoir of adventure, self-discovery, and the beautiful chaos of choosing your own path — even when it means facing fear head-on.
I’m beyond excited to announce that my memoir officially launches today, March 11, 2025!
The Memoir that Inspires Change and Adventure
This memoir is my heart on the page — a story about chasing adventure, embracing fear, and redefining what success and happiness really mean. If you’ve ever wondered what could happen if you took a leap of faith and followed your own path, this book is for you.
Here’s what you can expect:
An honest, raw, and inspiring story of traveling solo across the world after my post-grad plans fell apart.
Encounters with battling the elements on mountain trails, doubt about disappointing family and friends, and leaning into the beauty of living life according to our authentic selves.
A reminder that the world is full of opportunities — if we’re brave enough to step into the unknown.
Book Launch Events and a Giveaway!
I’m hosting a series of events to celebrate the launch, including readings, travel discussions, and Q&A sessions — and I want you to be part of it!
Starting tomorrow, March 12th, I will be hosting TWO online launches for all my friends overseas. You can meet me at 8 PM (AST) and 6 PM (PST).
The next day you can find me downtown Toronto at Planet Traveler Hostel at 8PM.
On March 23rd you can find me in two places in Los Angeles!
At Village Well Books (Culver City), for book sales and signing 12-2 PM
HI Santa Monica Los Angeles Hostel 5:15-6:45 PM for a live reading, and chats about solo female travel tips and advice.
On March 30th, you can find me all day, 10 AM-5 PM, at Melrose Trading Post for book sales and signing! At 2 PM I will be doing a live reading on stage!
For more details about the events this month, you can check out my website here.
Purchase a copy of my memoir at any of these events, and you’ll be entered into a special giveaway contest to win a $200 gift voucher for an airline (airline company dependent on the location of the winner).
As Promised Another Excerpt from the Memoir…
April 18, 2017
I stare at the crisp white envelope on my desk. Hopefully, the brilliant sunset outside my window is a good omen. Maybe I’ll soon be celebrating outside among the budding trees in the fresh spring air. I tear open the envelope, and my body goes cold. I’m not going to vet school this year.
Since I got my bachelor’s degree in science, I’ve been living in my mother’s house in Toronto. I’ve been juggling multiple part-time jobs unrelated to my field and trying but failing to land volunteer placements to enhance my application. Ever the optimist, even I knew my chances of securing a spot at the Ontario Veterinary College at Guelph University were slim. Guelph only admits about a hundred applicants from Ontario, but the rejection still stings.
I toss the paper across my desk, grab my purse, and sprint down the stairs to leave for my evening shift as a receptionist at a real estate office.
My mom catches me as I try to escape out the front door. “Did you open it?”
“Yup,” I call out as I quickly close the door behind me and race to the bus stop. Once at the office, my fingers type out emails on autopilot while I fret about how to tell my mom and everyone I know about my latest failure. I flashback to five years ago when I gave up pursuing an unconventional career in the dance and art world. I told my high school dance teacher, Ms. Brown, that I was applying to study sciences.
“You’ll be lost without dance,” she replied as she stared through my eyes to my soul.
She’s the type of teacher who choreographs using onomatopoeia words in place of musical counts, whose energy is fueled by healing crystals. I didn’t listen to her. Studying science was the sensible option. Life would be easier. I would be successful. Except this letter from Guelph isn’t a success. I’m not just lost now, I’m stuck.
Mom has been saying with such pride to everyone she knows, “My daughter finished her undergrad and is applying to veterinary college this year.” And until now, I’ve felt satisfied to evoke that pride in her.
I’m passionate about animals and science and would love to be a veterinarian, but the thought of reapplying is torture. Submitting countless volunteer applications, paying and studying for another semester of university to improve my grades, and worst of all, pleading with employers and supervisors for additional reference letters. The thought of studying and job hunting makes me dizzy, and I desperately want everything to slow down. I want to throw my arms up and wave a white flag.
When I get home at 9:30 p.m., my mom is on the couch downstairs reading instead of upstairs in her room where she’s usually settled by this time.
“There are some leftovers in the kitchen.” Her gaze follows me as I walk past.
I eat alone and then sit in the living room across from her. Normally, I’m not this silent. She doesn’t have to ask what was written in the letter. “So,” she says, her dark-brown eyes inspecting me as I avoid eye contact, “when can you reapply? Do you want to try a school overseas?”
We’ve already considered alternative schools as a plan B. Last fall, we attended a conference and collected application information for a school in St. Kitts, but I wasn’t sure the cost of being an international student was worth it. “If Guelph doesn’t work out and this is what you want to do, I will help you.”
I sigh and close my eyes. What if I’m denied entrance after a second or even third try? If I’m accepted at a school overseas, how long will it take me to finish paying off student loans or borrowed money from my parents? Are all this time, energy, and money worth a career as a veterinarian? I want a job that makes my mom proud and will help me build a stable life, but will it all add up to happiness?
Want to keep reading?
If you’re not making it to one of my events to purchase a copy of the book in person, you can order the book here!
Don’t forget to Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Substack for more!
If you’re new to solo traveling and need a little confidence boost to start, get my two FREE guides ‘Money Saving Tips for a More Meaningful Trip’ and ‘How to Prepare and Pack for Your First Solo Trip’
Wishing you wonderful adventures in the future!
May you always have the courage to chase what sets your soul on fire.
Much love,
Danika
Your work is so beautifully heartfelt and authentic—it brings hope, light, love, and courage, all rooted in a true adventure of following your heart! I’ve started reading the book and can’t stop thinking about it... more to come!