There and Back Again by Timothy Imhoff is about adventures. The very first one happens when a travel hungry gentleman falls in love with his first date, who also is made for adventure. Adventures continue with the author’s trip to Costa Rica for a private wedding on a secluded beach on the Pacific Ocean, where their honeymoon is filled with exciting encounters with howler monkeys, followed by a visit to an active volcano, a rarity by any scale. Further adventures happen in succession; another trip to Costa Rica to celebrate their third wedding anniversary; one to Uganda, where they brush with crocodiles; and to Rwanda, where they learn to appear docile and stand still to avoid alerting passing mountain gorillas. Their adventures at home are more civil, like the visit to a nudist resort and taking part in a naked run! Or the trip to New England and how his next book is born from a page of the guest journal kept in a country inn.

There and Back Again by Timothy Imhoff is adventure at every turn of the page. It can also boast a short but very moving description of some of the most exciting parts of nature, like erupting volcanoes or angry white-faced monkeys. Many parts of the book, like the role of the Peace Corps in Africa, are informative to readers. It is certainly interesting to note that the author has selected for his journey places that Mr. Bilbo Baggins, his inspiration, would have frequented in the unseen and amazing book by his favorite author, J.R.R. Tolkien. A good book, and readers can benefit a lot from it.

There and Back Again: A Decade of Travel Tales by Timothy Imhoff is a collection of memoirs of the travels that Tim and his wife, Rachel, have undertaken over the years. The book starts with their adventure filled trip to Costa Rica. They tie the knot at a beautiful beach resort and then set out to explore the flora and fauna with some amazing and hilarious results. Their travels through Africa take them on another new experience where they not only learn about wildlife, but also about the wonderful work being done by the Peace Corps volunteers. The encounter with the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is the highlight of this trip and the crocodile adventure is worth a laugh. As their relationship blossoms and they continue to grow as a couple, their appetite for greater and better adventure seems to increase and they end up participating in the "Bare Dare" run as a part of their travels within the United States.

Timothy Imhoff has succeeded in writing a humorous, to the point book that is a cute little mix of romance and their travels. One can actually see Tim and Rachel's relationship evolve with their shared travels and experiences. They are truly blessed to have each other. There is a lot to learn from their trips, especially the "Peter and the Dictionary" story and of course, "Frozen in Muscatine on Christmas Eve" which is hilarious in hindsight. It really gives you a heads up on what not to do when the holidays are on and the weather is not really friendly. Overall, it is a great book that will help you make up your mind about travelling to all those places that you have been dreaming about.