Read, Review, Travel: Around the World on 50 Bucks

While in Portland, Maine, in the summer of 2022, I read the book titled, Around the World on 50 Bucks: How I Left with Nothing and Returned a Rich Man, by Christopher Schacht.

Schacht’s writing style reminds me of my own writing style, which is not the best. I know I am not the best writer. I feel that both of our writing can be a bit too concise and not offer enough reflection on experiences. He seemed to focus on the facts and didn’t reflect as much on his experiences.

Starting in 2013, Schacht, a nineteen old from Germany, decided to travel around the world with just 50 Euros! It takes him four years to go around the world and visit 45 countries. Throughout his journey, he even manages to have a relationship with a pen pal who comes to visit him during his travels!

He meets a lot of interesting people and works fascinating jobs to help him get around the world. He also learns a lot of cool facts; one fact he imparts is how South Koreans are afraid of sleeping with a fan on. At one point, Schacht talked about sending his passport back to his family in Germany to get visas for India, Pakistan, and Iran, but there is no mention of needing a visa for China, which completely surprised me! When I travelled to China in 2016, I had to apply for a visa. Maybe it’s because I’m from the United States, and he’s from Germany?

He does occasionally mention his Christian beliefs and how his faith in God helped him through his travels, but thankfully, it’s not the main focus of this book. He focuses this book on his adventures and the people he meets throughout the world.

I apologize that this is a short review. It is now March 2023 when I am trying to finish writing this review. Since it has been so long since I’ve read the book, I’ve forgotten a lot. I do remember enjoying this read, and I would recommend you give it a try! Since I do still consider myself to be young, I did enjoy his youthful perspective on his travels pre-pandemic.