Walking in Circles

How far would you walk for happiness? After living in Japan for over half a decade Todd Wassel finds himself at a crossroads in life and caught between worlds. Out of work, out of love, and drowning in debt, Todd is convinced that there should be a purpose to life, but nothing has worked out up to now. Desperate, he launches a last-ditch effort to understanding what a meaningful life really is by walking the grueling 750-mile, 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage on Japan's remote island of...
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How far would you walk for happiness? After living in Japan for over half a decade Todd Wassel finds himself at a crossroads in life and caught between worlds. Out of work, out of love, and drowning in debt, Todd is convinced that there should be a purpose to life, but nothing has worked out up to now. Desperate, he launches a last-ditch effort to understanding what a meaningful life really is by walking the grueling 750-mile, 88-temple Buddhist pilgrimage on Japan's remote island of Shikoku, again. In search of himself and a Japan he thought was lost, Walking in Circles, lovingly retells Todd's sometimes outrageous, painful, and suspense filled journey. Todd is joined on the path by an eccentric group of characters, naked Yakuza trying to shake him down, a wandering ascetic searching for enlightenment while hiding from the Freemasons, and a Buddhist Monk who hates America but loves beef jerky.Walking in Circles is more than a humorous travel memoir of personal transformation. Todd crafts an intimate portrait of a changing Japan and a nation in search of meaning. What he finds changes his life forever. Are you prepared to find enlightenment on the backroads of Japan?