Medallion Status

As a weird, only child from coastal Maine with a job I love that sends me traveling all over the country, the book makes me feel very seen. From observations about the video game / faux-family psychology of airline frequent flyer programs and becoming a “regular” at a hotel (and the simultaneous exhiliration and alienation of an itinerant lifestyle) to John Hodgman's life lessons from odd jobs, this memoir has a lot of insights that I related to. This book made me think critically about my own life in the way a great memoir can.

And to clarify, although this book is hyper-relatable for my own weird life, the book's larger messages - about kindness, empathy, curiosity, and being open to adventures but also honest with yourself and not letting yourself get too carried away from the relationships that really matter in your life - are much more universal.